Valene Byrd is all about helping with art. She’s the founder of ART-TISM, a nonprofit that provides art activities, resources and advocacy for children on the autism spectrum and their families.
ART-TISM started as an act of love for Byrd’s son, Mateo. During the pandemic, longtime teacher Byrd transformed her living room into a classroom for Mateo, now 11, who has autism.
She worried about the impact of isolation and wanted him ready to transition back to the classroom. Byrd reserved half a wall for Mateo’s art. At the end of the year, the wall was full of his drawings.
“I didn’t know if it was just because I was his mom that I thought everything he did was amazing, but my friends said ‘no, Val, this is different,’” Byrd says. “We were so busy doing therapies (like music and speech), we didn’t know what his gifts actually were.”
A friend suggested Byrd hold an art exhibit. She went to the Sam & Bonnie Pannell Community Center to inquire about space and reconnected with Steve Johnson, a 20-year employee. He remembered Byrd from when she visited the center as a youth.
Johnson told Byrd about a sponsorship through City Council member Mai Vang’s office. The sponsorship helped Byrd launch the first ART-TISM interactive exhibit.
Word spread. Other parents approached Byrd about including their children’s art. The small event to celebrate her son’s creativity grew into a community event that celebrates its fifth anniversary April 25 at Luther Burbank High School.
ART-TISM still includes an art exhibit, but there’s much more. It has interactive sections where kids play with Lego and Play-Doh, create arts and crafts, draw in sketchbooks, do yoga and enjoy musical performances.
As Byrd came to know more people who work with special needs kids, the event expanded to include a grooming station with haircuts and dental kits. This year, there’s nail care.
ART-TISM provides a calming room where kids rest and reset with books from Sacramento Public Library. There’s also a resource room, Byrd’s proudest addition.
“There can be a lot of gatekeeping and things people don’t tell you about,” Byrd says. “It can be difficult for parents to navigate this journey, and I didn’t want that for them.”
Byrd’s mission expanded to advocacy. She attends Individualized Education Plan meetings to help parents advocate for their special needs students with school administrators. She attends City Council meetings to speak about the autism community. She serves as chair of Sacramento City Unified School District’s special education advisory board.
Byrd offers professional development training through ART-TISM for arts integration to help teachers understand the nuances of art in special education.
“This has become my life,” Byrd says. “What started as a way to celebrate my son and the people in his community turned into, how can I help and how can I fight for them? The mission is no longer specifically an art exhibit or resources. It’s about providing safe spaces for special needs people to create, learn and connect with their community.”
The fifth annual ART-TISM Interactive Art Exhibit is April 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Luther Burbank High School. For information, visit art-tism.org.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
