Utah Studio Empowers Artists with Disabilities Through Custom Tools and Encouragement

Jump the Moon Studio: Fostering Creativity

• 💡 Jump the Moon in Logan, Utah, is a studio dedicated to helping artists with physical and developmental abilities express their creativity.
• 🎯 The studio focuses on identifying and nurturing each artist's unique strengths and talents, rather than focusing on challenges.

Custom Tools and Adaptive Art

• 🛠️ The founder works with artists to create customized contraptions and tools that enable them to create art.
• 🚀 Examples include a remote-controlled pendulum that uses gravity and a paintbrush equipped power chair, allowing artists with limited physical ability to create.
• 🎨 Not all artists require custom hardware; some simply need encouragement and support to overcome self-doubt.

Artist Stories and Impact

• ✍️ Paul Pendergrass found his voice illustrating stories of an underdog dragon named Spike, showcasing his ability to build imagination.
• 📱 The studio provides a valuable alternative to device-centric activities for young adults, allowing them to engage and have fun.
• 🐄 Michael Blinkens, diagnosed with a learning disability, discovered a talent for drawing farm animals, a skill his mother never thought possible due to his motor skill challenges.

Founder's Vision and Philosophy

• 🧠 The studio's founder, a former art teacher, was inspired to focus on students with special needs, believing they should be included in art rooms.
• 🚀 He eventually founded Jump the Moon as a nonprofit in 2017, aiming to help artists express themselves with the right tools and support.
• ✨ The founder finds immense satisfaction in seeing artists succeed and create something they can proudly claim as their own.
• 💬 When words fail, the art created at the studio speaks volumes, conveying emotions and expressions.