By: Kenneth Pastushyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter

“Every child is an artist” — Picasso

This famous quote was also the inspiration for one of the artists participating in the Council for Exceptional Children Chapter 125 Art Gallery and Auction, which highlighted artwork of students from the Greater Essex County District School Board, along with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board.

Her painting, which included that famous quote, was proudly on display at the entrance of the Pope John Paul II Board Room at the Catholic Education Centre in Windsor.

“This is the first opportunity for the Council for Exceptional Children to have an event like 

this,” said Marianne Dipasquale, the chapter 125 chair and the department head of St. Anne’s High School in Lakeshore. “The profits from this will help our bursaries for our student spring banquet.”

The CEC is “an organization dedicated to improving the success of children and youth with 

disabilities and/or gifts and talents” and their mission is to “empower education professionals who work with individuals with disabilities.”

The artwork was donated for auction by students from Villanova, St. 

Joseph’s and St. Anne’s Catholic High Schools in Belle River, as well as other schools across the region.

Beth Adlam, the principal of Centennial Public School in Comber, who represented the Greater Essex County District School Board said they would be providing awards to eight graduating students with a bursary for their post-secondary education.

Tristan Burk of Stoney Point, who attends St. Anne, donated his three-part abstract acrylic painting to the auction. He says he loves bright colours, and his inspiration was the sunrise on Lake St. Clair.

“Because of his autism, he had to learn object to object, to hold something in his hand to do work,” said Cynthia Burk, the mother of Tristan. “So, when he wanted to do hard stuff like printing, using the brush made it easier.”

It was also fun practice for Tristan. Both he and his mother also had fun practicing squeegee painting. They set up a canvas, Cynthia added dots of acrylic paint and Tristan, who held the squeegee in his hand like a pencil and gave it a good swipe.

Ms. Dipasquale was the highest bidder for Tristan’s squeegee art. 

“Imagine hard!” said Karma Bellamy, earlier in the art show. “Sometimes it’s better to take risks because if you can, it can be beautiful, and if you take risks and make mistakes, you can learn from it.”