When looking up the meaning behind the number 84, the first results found on Google are seeing positive changes towards one’s goals, the discipline and hard work one must put in to achieve their goals, and a spiritual connection and passion for life. All of these interpretations and more are easily applicable to the nonprofit art studio, gallery, and gift store known as Studio 84 who specializes in, using the website’s words, “the creative development of people with disabilities.” Their mission: providing complete access to artistic opportunities to enrich peoples’ lives by focusing on the skills of the individuals and encouraging the creative voice with self-directed activities.

When asked what exactly self-directed activities meant, Emily Painter, who has served as a staff member of the studio for eight months clarified, “Every single project that they take on, they have the responsibility of finishing … the subject matter, they pick themselves, the medium, they pick themselves.”

She went on to explain that the studio offers tools such as color wheels or examples of other people’s art so that the artists can determine for themselves what they want to do rather than the staff pointing them in a certain direction.

Stuart Nagy, a Studio 84 artist of seven years, said that ever since high school, he has enjoyed working with clay, ceramics, and pottery because, “it’s part of me and it’s a family thing too.”

Stuart’s art primarily consisted of mugs and plates, though he did work on some napkins and paintings. He showed some of his art that was up for display in the gift shop as well as some works in progress, one of them being a pair of windows that he was painting for his aunt. While showing his work, he mentioned that he liked to share his work with his family as they often use his mugs and plates at home.

In addition, he stated that working at the studio was a great way to meet new people, which was why he recommended his friend Steven.

“He has been off of work for a while, and I thought that this would be great for him too,” Stuart said.

However, some artists are content with just being able to make art without restrictions. Such is the case for Quin, who will be turning 13 in May.

“There’s no set of rules, you just do whatever comes up to your mind,” Quin stated, “like painting, clay, drawing, whatever, anything that comes to your mind they guarantee they have.” 

He added that he likes to doodle in his book during school and was assuring that his math book was “destroyed” with scribbles. However, he mentioned that his previous school was highly strict against doodling, a rule he struggled with to the point that he was often sent to the office. He went on to claim, “It kinda helped me with learning,” and that when he looks back on listening to Bible verses in his headphones for class and was asked to draw what happened in said verses, he could still recall them because of his drawings.