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Asperger's Artist Showcase

Sharleene Hurst

698 Lafayette Rd., Apt. 511
Hampton, NH 03842
(603) 926-3795

Sharleene Hurst is a member of the New Hampshire Art Association. She was born in Northampton, MA and currently resides in Hampton, NH. She turned to art when she was a child as an escape from her struggles with joint problems, autism, and dyslexia.

Sharleene has exhibited her art in several shows and galleries throughout the New England area. She believes her art should be available for everyone to enjoy, so she keeps her prices affordable. She feels art serves no purpose if it spends its life in storage and there is no greater form of respect than when a piece is purchased and displayed prominently.

Sharleene’s artwork is usually painted with acrylic or glow-in-the-dark paint and is sealed for protection. She thinks of each painting as being similar to a “mental vacation” or “intellectual diversion.” They are meant to be a unique blend of surrealism and the abstract. In a world where many artists use their art to shock, protest, or create controversy, Sharleene seeks to add balance with whimsical visions and absurd images that are beautiful, fun, silly, entertaining, or enthralling. Each is an experiment with light, texture, composition, mood, motion, and technique. She strives to achieve an airbrushed or 3-dimensional effect using traditional techniques. Sharleene likes to use traditional and non-traditional mediums in new and unique ways, and recycle discarded and unwanted materials. She also uses a great deal of found and recycled materials in her sculptures. When she is not painting or sculpting, she makes sterling silver jewelry.

John Williams

10 Mayflower Rd.
Winchester, MA 01890
(781) 729-8695

I am an artist with Asperger’s Syndrome. Living with this disability is like having a TV turned on in your head with the channel changer broken. Thoughts and images swirl around endlessly, making it difficult to stay calm and focused. Art has helped me find a way to calm down and channel my energy into my work. It is a refuge from the fast-paced chaos of the world around me.

I began creating artwork with clay when I was about four years old, creating fanciful creatures from my imagination. Today, I work in several media, including printmaking and collage, as well as clay sculpting. My work is energetic and animated as I enjoy combing different materials in my work and use lots of color.

Art helps me live with my disability. I can escape from the world and channel my nervous energy into creations. I am a visual learner and see the world with a different eye, which adds originality to my work. Asperger’s people typically have very specific interests. My passions are history and science fiction, and much of my artwork reflects these areas.

Another characteristic of Asperger’s is the inability to read emotions in other people, making it hard to pick up visual cues in social situations. I find it easier to reflect emotions in my artwork than in real life. In my “face” collages, I try to show emotion that I imagine the person represented would feel. All in all, art lets me expand my horizons and feel part of something great.

Jonathan Dosick


(617) 947-6624

I am a resident of West Boylston. I grew up in Longmeadow, MA and received a degree in Graphic Arts from Franklin Pierce University. Photography runs in the family, as my maternal grandfather was a camera designer for the Keystone Company, as well as a superb photographer. I have an aunt who has a lifelong passion for photography, and interest in the arts abounds amongst my relatives.

Particularly due to digital photography, I have taken a renewed interest in the art form. As I have a very strong visual sense, composition comes easy to me, and I enjoy taking pictures of nature and architecture.

Nicholas Weglowski


(401) 598-6684

Nicholas Weglowski was born and raised in Fall River, MA, and currently lives in Woonsocket, RI. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth in 2003, concentrating on charcoal figure drawing and intaglio printmaking. His work relies heavily on expressionism through mark-making and often takes the form of varied self-portraiture. Typically without a narrative subject, the handling of materials conveys a strong emotionality heightened by the artist’s personal struggles with tragic loss and mental illness. With the help of mental health providers and supportive group environments, he has returned to the pursuit of his talent, skill, and strong university training as a positive goal in his recovery from disabling mental illness. Mr. Weglowski has also become actively involved with teaching and mentoring others in visual arts in the mental health community.

Kimberly Tucker

10 Seymour Ave.
Seymour, CT 06483
(203) 888-3638