DECADE.
>>>  AN AWARD CELEBRATING   ACCESSIBILITY IN THE ARTS,   RECENTLY GIVEN OUT TO THE 2023   RECIPIENT.
AN ANNUAL AWARD   PRESENTED BY ARTS MIDWEST FOR   MIDWESTERN ARTIST 'S WITH   DISABILITIES.
HOW   CORRESPONDENCE INTRODUCES US TO  US THIS YEAR'S ONLY CHICAGO   RECIPIENT.
>> VISUAL ARTIST  MATT CLARK    GIVES HIM A VOICE.
>> THAT SORT OF POWER GIVEN   BACK TO ME,   I THINK WITH THIS   MOMENT OF TRANSITION FOR ME.
>> THE POWER HE REFERS TO COMES  AS A RESULT OF HARD WORK AFTER  BEING DIAGNOSED WITH WHAT'S   DESCRIBED AS AN INVISIBLE   DISABILITY.
>> WHEN WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS   ABOUT DISABILITY  IT'S VERY   OFTEN THESE VISIBLE   DISABILITIES AS THEY GET A LOT   OF ATTENTION SO THEN WHAT   HAPPENS IS THE INVISIBLE  DISABILITY , IT'S HARDER TO  BELIEVE.
SOMETIMES THERE'S THE  STIGMAS THAT EXIST  BEHIND   MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE PEOPLE    SAY THINGS LIKE PULL YOURSELF  UP  BY THE BOOTSTRAPS OR WORK   THROUGH THE SADNESS.
MAN UP.
THERE'S NOTIONS THAT WE SHOULD   BE ABLE TO MOVE BEYOND THIS   BECAUSE WE CAN'T SEE IT.
I WAS  DIAGNOSED WITH SCHIZOAFFECTIVE  DISORDER.
IT'S TWO PARTS,   WINNING THE LOTTERY OF MENTAL  HEALTH.
YOU GET THE MIXTURE OF  SCHIZOPHRENIA  AND A MOOD  DISORDER  SO I GET SEVERE   DEPRESSION.
I WAS DIAGNOSED   AFTER A SERIES OF MISDIAGNOSIS   TRYING TO WORK THROUGH WHAT WAS  GOING ON  AND IT WAS PROBABLY   18 YEARS AGO NOW.
>> THAT SAID, THE COMMUNITY OF   OTHER DISABLED ARTISTS  HELPED   HIM TO FIND A SPACE .
>> I WAS WORKING WITH THE   COUNSELOR .
THEY DID ENCOURAGE  ME SINCE I WAS MAKING ART  BEFORE , THEY ENCOURAGED ME TO   USE IT  AND TALK ABOUT THIS   BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS  THAT IS MOST DIFFICULT FOR ME    WHEN I'M IN MY WORST STATE.
WHEN I CAN NO LONGER VERBALIZE   WHAT I'M SAYING.
FROM THERE  THEY WANT TO ME TO USE HEALING   ART TO TALK  SO TO SHARE MY   EXPERIENCES BUT IN A VISUAL  FORM.
>> THE EXPERIENCE WAS GROWING   UP IN THE CHURCH.
>> I GREW UP IN A RELIGIOUS   ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.
WHEN I   WAS REALLY YOUNG  AND FIRST   DIAGNOSED THERE WERE DOCTORS   THAT WERE SAYING  I NEEDED TO   REPENT OF MY SINS , I NEEDED TO  DO THE RELIGIOUS THING WHICH   HAD NO  ROLE IN WHAT I WAS   EXPERIENCING.
THAT  CAME   PROBLEMATIC AS WELL.
>> WITH THE HELP OF  OIL PAINT,  HE BROUGHT HIS EXPERIENCES TO  LIFE  AND CELEBRATING  DISABILITIES BOTH VISIBLE  AND   THE INVISIBLE.
>> RELIGION  PLAYS A PART IN   THE WORK  THAT I SEE IT MORE   CRITICALLY.
THE FIGURES I USED  TO WORK ARE OFTEN THE NET    OBSTINATE.
RELIGIOUS FIGURES    UNDER DIFFERENT THINGS.
I COULD  PULL UP THESE  SORT OF STORIES   FROM HISTORY  THAT HAVE BEEN   HANDED DOWN TO US AND EVOLVED   THROUGH VISUAL ART AND I COULD   POSE THE QUESTION AGAIN .
THIS   PERSON HEARD VOICES.
THEY   DANCED IN THE STREET.
THEY DID  ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD   GET THEM INSTITUTIONALIZED    TODAY  WHY DO WE VENERATE THEM   AS THE SAME TIME  WE TREAT THE   PEOPLE IN OUR HOME NOW?
THEY   MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR  THINGS.
WHY CAN'T WE TREAT   THEM WITH HUMANITY?
EVERYONE  EXPERIENCES  MADNESS  DIFFERENTLY.
CERTAINLY FOR   SOME PEOPLE  THIS IS HELPFUL.
MEDICATIONS CAN BE HELPFUL.
THEY MAY NEED IT.
SO TO   CATEGORICALLY DISMISS THE POWER  OF ART WOULD  BE PROBLEMATIC.
>> FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT .
>> EACH AWARD HE RECEIVED $3000