Vanessa DiVisconti talked to Y.A.L.E. students along with director Margaret Chapman.
The following story has been re-edited for clarity. It originally appeared online on March 23 and in print on March 25.
In anticipation of the sixth annual Tri-State Ability Art Show, the Young Adolescent Learning Experience (Y.A.L.E.) School hosted an assembly by the Michael Polimeni Foundation on March 19.
The foundation honors the legacy of artist Michael “BÄST” Polimeni, who died in 2021, and was established earlier this year by his wife, Vanessa DiVisconti. Polimeni, who was born in Brooklyn in 1970, was a prolific artist throughout his life who worked with the likes of Marc Jacobs, Agnès B and Banksy.
Y.A.L.E. – which serves students with disabilities from ages 3 to 21 – is the first organization the foundation has worked with since its creation. DiVisconti said her mission is to “support art therapy, art education and creative programs for disabled and underserved children, including upcoming collaborations with local schools, while preserving Michael’s artistic legacy and fostering greater access to the arts within our communities.”
To that end, DiVisconti – who was married to Polimeni for 27 years – said in an email that she brought the foundation to Y.A.L.E. to address students who often get little attention.
“Michael believed that many of these students are incredibly creative, but they do not always have access to meaningful artistic experiences,” she explained. “He wanted to engage with them directly and create something that felt both inspiring and supportive. He saw art as something that could be both therapeutic and enjoyable.
“He loved life, and he wanted to share that sense of joy and creativity with them.”
Foundation manager Russ Katz said in an email that the organization wants to expand to other schools going forward.
“Our long-term vision is to expand these programs into a wider range of schools, as well as hospitals and community centers that support children with disabilities. We are focused on developing meaningful workshops and continuing to grow our reach in a thoughtful, impactful way.”
While DiVisconti said there are details that can’t be shared yet, the foundation has plans for the future, including gallery presentations and an exhibit both in the U.S. and Europe.
During the Y.A.L.E. assembly, DiVisconti told students about her husband and asked them how they can make art. They then created buildings out of cardboard and other materials that were combined into a collage for exhibit at the Tri-State Ability Art Show last month.
A collection of the pieces that the students made during the workshop.
Y.A.L.E. director Margaret Chapman pointed out that the school chose to showcase the Polimeni Foundation because the kind of art its namesake made resonates with students.
“I think it’s the fact that there’s a level of spontaneity in his artwork,” she noted. “And I believe that our students express themselves very fluidly. Some do like a little bit of structure, but most are very happy just expressing themselves with a lot of freedom. (Polimeni) to me represents that level of freedom in art and expression.”
Chapman cited one student who wanted to make a castle, but wasn’t sure he should.
“I asked him what he was adding to the city,” she recalled. “And he said a castle. And then he said, ‘There are castles in cities, right?'”
Y.A.L.E. fourth-grader Justice Brewer found a reason to like the foundation presentation.
“It’s just really fun,” he said. “It’s better than doing work.”
Karen Donnelly, a Y.A.L.E. art teacher who helped organize the assembly, said administrators hosted the Polimeni Foundation to showcase an artist with a wide background, given that many of the school’s students are limited in the areas they’ve experienced.
“So it provides them with some real actual insight into the real world of the arts per se, and it exposes them to something they may not have ever participated in before in the arts,” she pointed out. “A lot of our students have never been to New York City before.
“A lot of them are local to Philly and Camden, and so a lot of them have not left the South Jersey area.”
Donnelly said she started the art show so special-ed students have an opportunity to express their artistic abilities.
“I … recognized that there wasn’t an opportunity in our region, in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Delaware, for children who have special needs to be able to participate in an art show that is inclusive to their needs,” she shared, “that acknowledges their successes and celebrates each individual artist for who they are as young artists.”
Y.A.L.E.’s art show has a fundraising component: Students design mugs, T-shirts and other merchandise for sale. All proceeds go to a local nonprofit. This year, that will be Trenton Artworks.
