A three-day art education programme for persons with different cognitive abilities was held in July 2019 in Gračanica (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Art Center Gračanica cooperated with Aida Sarac, a museum educator from the Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina (member of the BMN) and the Futura association. Futura association takes care of young people and persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Gracanica, who were the participants of the workshops.
Based on a voluntary basis Aida Sarac’s workshops are part of the Blue Artism program. Blue Artism was created in the form of a special methodology of museum-educational work for persons with developmental disabilities / different cognitive abilities during 2018/19 at the institution of the Museum of Art of the Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina. One form of dissemination of the before mentioned methodology involves the implementation of programs in smaller gallery and exhibition spaces in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Aida Sarac has an expertise in the field of special museum pedagogy and works with children / persons with disabilities in the art museum desining workshop aimed at integration of persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities into the cultural and artistic life of the community.
Art Center Gračanica is a newly opened gallery space (July 2018) currently hosting intermediate exhibition on hand-painted clothing in the geometric and floral motifs of artist Camille Valentine Bleu, who participates in the process of creating works through all stages: fabric selection, sewing and fabric painting.
The effects of the workshop are that young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were the recipients and creators of visual artistic content; Creative and manual work with visual materials in the context of the gallery as art therapy; The first step of the Art Center Gračanica gallery towards developing inlusice activities; Dissemination of the Blue Artism methodology to other, smaller exhibition spaces in BiH; Enriching the life experience of the residents of the Futura association from Gračanica through interaction with original works of art in the context of the gallery, which, according to the scientific claims of the special pedagogy, contributes to the development of the cognitive abilities of this sensitive social group.
Photo credit: Vera Mujić