It’s likely that you’ve been told at least a few times how important it is for wheelchair users to stay active. You hear it all the time because it’s true.
But, staying active doesn’t just have to mean exercising and participating in adapted sports.
Enter: wheelchair art.
Wheelchair art is a fun trend that you may have already heard about. But, in case you haven’t we put together some information about it, so you can try it yourself!
Action Art
Creating art using your wheelchair might seem like a difficult task to accomplish, but it’s actually quite simple and looks like a lot of fun.
To create wheelchair art, you first need to lay out a large piece of thick construction paper. The large rolls of paper that you’d see in a classroom work really well for this and can usually be found online or by taking your accessible vans to a local art supply store.
Next, you want to place paint randomly (or not randomly, whichever you prefer) onto the paper. And, finally to create the wheel art, you roll your chair through the paint in various patterns until your art work is complete.
Creating Art Together
After exploring the fun art you can create using different wheel motions, you can continue to make new art in other ways, as well.
If a friend or caregiver wants to create art with you, we suggest having them be in charge of the paint (where the splatters go, which colors to mix, etc.) and then you can take the lead on where the art piece goes from there. This way, you’ll each have an equal share in determining how the piece ends up.
Additionally, there’s groups around the country that host exhibitions specifically for wheelchair art. Groups like New Visuality in the UK collect art from wheelchair users and put them on display for the general public. They do this partially to generate awareness about disabilities, but also as a way to encourage creativity for wheelchair users.
What do you think of wheelchair art? Is it something you’d try? Why or why not?