Qatar: With Extraordinaire Flair--Elias's Art Exhibit

Me: So why do you like to paint, Elias?

Elias: Because it brings me peace.

When his brother asked Elias for some advice recently, he replied, "Be calm. Be patient. Be still. That's what happens when I paint."

"I want the house to smell like art"--Elias Shumway

Anny Ku,  @AnnyKuartworks is a Taiwanese-Canadian artist living in Qatar who was the teacher who helped so much with Elias's artwork and to get him ready to have this exhibit. I have to say she taught us both how to see parts of the world we had not seen before and bring that beauty to the canvas.  They worked for more than two years to bring many of these paintings to life--chronicling Elias's life with paintings. 

More than one and a half years ago I met an Qatari artist named Adel at the Fire Station Gallery in Doha, Qatar http://www.qm.org.qa/en/fire-station-artist-residence  He perceived that my son, Elias, had autism. We became friends. One day in an off-hand way, he mentioned that perhaps Elias could possibly have an exhibit at the museum. I tucked the thought in my mind and brought the spark of the idea to Anny. 

I consider it a miracle and dream come true that we were able to make his exhibit a reality. It happened to be during the month of April, which is Autism Awareness Month. I will let the video and pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy! I continue to repeatedly learn that children with special needs can not only charge our perspectives, but our world. I am blessed to live with one!

Thanks to Abraham Younes for making this video of the special Opening Night for Elias's art exhibit. It shows Elias giving a talk, introducing Anny Ku, and then Miriam who is the director of the Ontario School for Special Education in Doha, Qatar speaks about how Elias and I taught art at the school for children with disabilities.

The Doha Strings with Elias and my husband, Joseph

All of us together for the Opening Gala night. I appreciated these amazing musicians for collaborating with art to make such an incredible evening. 

The poster for the exhiit

The invitations to the exhibit


Chronicling of an artistic journey for Elias--all the paintings that were in the exhibit

Getting ready for the exhibit

Elias explaining his pictures

Giving a tour to some Chinese children with their moms before the Opening Night Gala.