Justin Andrews

Justin Andrews has been making art since he was very young and took art classes at VisArts before joining VisAbility Art Lab in 2020. He works in a wide variety of media, including drawing, painting, photography, ceramics, collage, and pixel art. His imagery is highly imaginative, exploring rich and bizarre worlds of fantasy and personal expression. Many of his images have fine details and elaborate accompanying stories. Justin takes classes at Montgomery College and is also a writer and musician.

Corey Barbee

Corey Barbee joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2017 to focus on his ceramics practice. He enjoys experimenting with ceramic techniques, especially those that create patterns and textures. Corey loves to work with colorful glazes and create fun, playful pieces. His love for colors extends to his acrylic and watercolor paintings. He also enjoys music, swimming, and bowling with Special Olympics; he’s earned dozens of regional and state medals. Corey’s smile is infectious!

James Billian

James Billian has wanted to be an artist and create cool things since he was ten. His artworks are inspired by psychedelic bands, magical creatures, and cinema. He paints, draws, and creates ceramics and mixed media sculptures. He enjoys building movie props for films that he writes and directs; he completed three Doctor Who fan films and a horror anthology called The Basement of Dr. Widlow. “Artwork helps to expand my mind. It helps me with coping skills and to get things accomplished. I want people to see the amount of work that goes into a piece of art.”  Learn more at billian-productions.com

Pierre Alexandre Bouvery

Pierre Alexandre Bouvery is a French American performer and poet who joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2024. He’s a native of Washington, DC and Maryland and has lived in Rockville for several years. Pierre has studied abroad since high school and holds an MFA in advance devising practice. While training in physical theater in Berlin, Germany, Pierre was trained in visual arts as well. He wishes to continue expressing his creativity visually. Outside of VisAbility, Pierre is interested in film, occultism, and esotericism and works as a stage manager and performer when needed.

Edward Chance, Jr.

Edward Chance, Jr. has drawn since he was a child, when he would create versions of his father’s AAA road maps. His highly detailed drawings explore his varied interests and experiences. Edward started drawing pictures of actresses, actors, and comedians from magazines when he was 23 and began drawing pictures of cars when he was 26. In 2017, Edward joined VisAbility Art Lab, where he continues to draw and explore ceramics, painting, and mosaics.

Marti Clark

Marti Clark has been creating art for a long time. She joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2021 after taking art classes at VisArts. She especially loves painting animals and carefully creates each one. She’s broadened her practice to include work with ceramics, which she also loves. When not making art, Marti enjoys Special Olympics, cheerleading, Main Street, and activities with friends.

Mara Clawson

Mara Clawson is a self-taught artist who began painting visual stories using soft pastels, oil pastels, and an iPad while attending special education schools and camps in Maryland. She joined VisAbility Art Lab to focus on ceramics. Her raw, untainted works reveal her authentic self.

“Art is my life. I make art from my imagination of how I see the world. I work until ‘the colors get along.’ Art makes me happy and gives me lots of courage. My body cannot make tears, so my art tells how I feel. I enjoy how I feel making art. It becomes a part of me.”

Tara Click

Tara Click is a multimedia artist who enjoys working with various materials, especially acrylic paint. She focuses on symbolism and intention in her art, using it to explore themes like neurodiversity, mental health, and LGBTQ+ community issues. Each piece is often inspired by emotions and music. Outside of her art, Tara is a passionate musician who writes songs and plays guitar and bass.

Sarah Davie

Sarah Davie was born in Russia and has lived in Maryland for much of their life. Sarah finds art to be a wonderful outlet. They worked independently before joining VisAbility Art Lab in 2019. Sarah’s art shows their love of nature and the Capitals ice hockey team. Their abstract designs show careful attention to details and precise workmanship. Sarah’s highlights include a drawing displayed in Times Square for the Amazon Prime series As We See It and a TV interview with news anchor Alison Starling. They work in a school, play goalie for the Montgomery Cheetahs, participate in Special Olympics, and love to vacation at the beach and spend time with extended family.

Sarah Dorros

Sarah Dorros has liked arts and crafts since she was young and has taken many art classes, including digital photography and pottery. She joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2019 and loves fused glass, ceramics, painting on canvas, and being with friends in the studio. You can see her love of colors and patterns in her artwork. Sarah had a painting displayed in Times Square for As We See It, an Amazon Prime series. She enjoys meditation, yoga, socializing, her sorority, the Main Street community, and dance. She also takes classes at Montgomery College and participates in Spirit Club.

Jeremy Foster

Jeremy Foster has been interested in dinosaurs since he was little; they were a focus of his early life and drawings. His art changed a lot when he attended Make Studio in Baltimore, Maryland, where he learned to add more details and use watercolor paint. Jeremy enjoys reading Asian mythology; Yokai are some of his favorite legends and a focus of his art. Recently, he has been creating images of fairies. Jeremy loves music, which he listens to while creating. He also likes playing adventure-based video games, going to the gym with his siblings, and eating at restaurants with his mother.

Sam Fratantoni

Sam Fratantoni joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2019. He’s always enjoyed creating and took art classes in school. One of his art teachers inspired him to create at home. Sam makes art with found objects, sews felt figures, builds with wire, explores with collage, and creates with ceramics and paint. His art is about the world around him. Outside the studio, Sam works in hospitality and enjoys performance art and outdoor activities like running, swimming, walking his dog, and using his remote-control car.

“I like to create with found objects. I like to draw in my sketchbook. Art is fun!” 

Camille Galli

Camille Galli has been making art for a long time and joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2023. She enjoys exploring with paint, fused glass, and collage. Her art features animals and bright colors. She loves to make things for others and is proud when her work is on display and sold.

Thea Hensler-McGinnis

Thea Hensler-McGinnis is from the Washington, DC area. When she was about eight-years-old, she realized that art was her thing. She likes to draw and paint using a lot of intricate designs. Since she joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2024, she’s discovered an interest in creating with fused glass. Thea spends a lot of time in school programs and likes to play soccer when she has time.

Andrew Holton

Andrew Holton has always enjoyed art and aims to create as he sees things. His art reflects his love of nature, animals, and fish. Many of Andrew’s images depict fish in their natural underwater habitat. His work is filled with vibrant colors and lots of details. Andrew has explored painting, drawing, and ceramics and is excited to be working on the potter’s wheel.

Heather Ingle

Heather Ingle has been drawing since she was a child; she started after her mom gave her a sketch book. When she was 12, she took an art class; other than that, she’s a self-taught artist. Heather joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2023 and draws mostly in colored pencils and occasionally with a pen. Sometimes, she creates digital drawings of cartoons.

Maven Kahn

Maven Kahn is an outsider artist specializing in sculpture and mixed media. She’s worked with the Washington Glass School, interned with jeweler Nick Barnes, and has been with VisAbility Art Lab since 2016. Maven had a solo show in VisArts’ Common Ground Gallery in 2018 and has participated in many group art shows at VisArts and other galleries. She started teaching at VisArts in 2023.

“My heart is often most absurd. I play with music, and I play with words, I form with clay, and I build with wire, and I make whatever my heart desires.  I make fine art of the low brow kind. I manifest what’s in my mind. My art is colorful, strange, and queer.”

Aya Kuzbari

Aya Kuzbari is an artist who makes fused glass jewelry, occasion cards, and paintings. She feels relaxed and calm when creating art. She enjoys making art because it’s inspiring to her and others, and likes designing pretty things that make people happy. Aya graduated from Ivymount School in 2008 and from Montgomery College’s Graduate Transition Program in 2015. She completed the Project SEARCH program in 2017. In addition to working at VisAbility Art Lab, Aya works at Strathmore.

Ivan Leavens

After Ivan Leavens graduated from school, a cousin who’s an artist inspired him to try art. Ivan uses pencils, crayons, collage, and mixed media to create his works and adds lots of details and layers to each piece. Ivan also likes to write journals. Outside of art, he journals, volunteers, and works as an ambassador at Main Street. He enjoys books, movies, music, and spending time with family. “I can express who I am and always can add and build off whatever happens. I like to draw anything that comes to my mind. I like flags and I like colors.” 

Uriel Levitt

Uriel Levitt has enjoyed creating art since he was young. He was a winner in the 2016 VSA International Art Program for Children with Disabilities and joined Visibility Art Lab in 2018. Uriel laughs and is playful as he explores his ideas. He’s fond of spooky themes and likes to illustrate characters from Five Nights of Freddy. At Visibility Art Lab, Uriel enjoys drawing, painting, ceramics, and exploring with found objects. He’s very proud of his business, Shred Support, and participates in several groups at his synagogue.

Alaya Manning

Alaya Manning has always been an artist and has been greatly inspired by and influenced by animated shows. Her images are created in mixed media using markers, crayon, pencils, and watercolor.

“I like to draw characters because it’s fun. I sometimes draw food characters. It’s fun to make cute outfits for them.”

Jared Max

Jared Max joined Visibility Art Lab in 2018; he’s always enjoyed creating art. In high school, he created stop motion animations that were used for Tsunami preparation in Japan; he also designed the t-shirt and mural logo for his school store. He studied at Howard County Community College and earned his BA in visual arts with a concentration in animation from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. At VisAbility, Jared creates art with colored ink, pencils, and colored pencils. In his home studio, he enjoys creating digital art.

Shaun McDonald

Shaun McDonald has always loved making movies and art. As a kid, he liked drawing dragons and other mystical creatures. Shaun had been working independently until he joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2018. He enjoys working digitally on images and movies. In the studio, he paints, draws with colored pencils, and builds figures with wire. Shaun works in a school cafeteria and spends much of his free time playing guitar and bass guitar. He’s been in a band and is cutting solo CDs.

Julia Meryl

Julia Meryl was born in Fairfax, Virginia and has been interested in art her whole life. She uses original, unorthodox techniques to create her collages and likes to personalize Guardian Angel portraits for people. Julia’s work is based on instinct, intuition, and color theory, which is why it’s so abstract yet visually pleasing.

“My art represents the connection between spiritual, physical, and emotional worlds. It brings together colors and textures designed specifically to evoke an emotional connection to each piece and make you think about things in a different and abstract way.” 

Kaly McKibben

Kaly McKibben is a 39-year-old artist with autism, originally from Massachusetts. She studied at Ringling College of Art and Design for three years and is especially drawn to acrylic paints, colored pencils, and mixed media. She doesn’t stick to one style and enjoys exploring new techniques and materials.

Kaly has always loved animals—especially cats—and was once a devoted Disney fan. The work of classic Disney artists, from the 1930s to the 2010s, had a strong influence on her as a young artist. Today, much of her inspiration comes from the Bible and her connection to the Holy Spirit. Her spirituality continues to shape both her life and her art.

Faith McLuckie

Faith McLuckie was born and raised in Washington, DC and joined Visibility Art Lab in 2018. She enjoys exploring with various materials, including painting, drawing, ceramics, and mixed media. Aside from art, Faith is active with Special Olympics, where she participates in cheerleading, tennis, and golf. She led a Polar Plunge team in 2020. Faith volunteers at Comfort Cases and works at the front desk at Main Street. One of her paintings was selected for display in the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development building.

Amit (Sonny) Mittral

In 2023, Amit Mittral started volunteering with VisArts’ Galleries department, where another volunteer encouraged him to check out Visibility Art Lab. Amit, who goes by Sonny, is an emerging artist who loves drawing and painting. He worked on logos before moving on to anime-inspired characters. Now, he’s exploring and capturing scenes and places from around the world in his art.

Tyler Mountford

Tyler Mountford joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2017. He loves to create and is particularly fond of drawing with markers and colored pencils. Much of his art is organized into patterns with words, shapes, and bright colors.

Outside of VisAbility, Tyler enjoys participating in a music therapy class and studying library books that illustrate cathedrals or other ornate architecture. He lives in Gaithersburg with his immediate family and is especially fond of visiting his maternal grandparents.

Alexander Moy

Alexander Moy can’t remember a time when he wasn’t an artist. In 2022 he joined VisAbility Art Lab, where he draws characters from movies, shows, and the world around him. He enjoys using pencils, markers, and watercolor pencils in the studio. At home, he works with digital art and is in the process of writing and illustrating a book. Aside from art, Alexander enjoys spending time with family and works in his family’s accounting business.

Sebastian Nkongolo

Sebastian Nkongolo immigrated to Maryland from the Congo in 2005. A self-taught artist, Sebastian started creating art in 2016; it kept him busy while he was in the hospital. He joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2019. His rich use of color is striking in his paintings and drawings. When not drawing, Sebastian likes to watch movies and basketball.

Daniela Noboa

Daniela Noboa was born in Quito, Ecuador; lived in Caracas, Venezuela; and then moved to the US. As a toddler, she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy. When she was 6, she was treated for leukemia. Daniela has studied painting, acting, and singing and is currently taking classes at Montgomery College. She’s a multimedia artist at VisAbility Art Lab and exhibits her art at Shop Local in Rockville, Maryland.

Island Oates

Island Oates took art classes in school and started creating more during the pandemic, when she felt more isolated. She found that making art was relaxing and helped her get through tough days. An emerging artist who loves to paint and draw, Island enjoys exploring her creativity and is excited to keep growing in the studio. Outside of art, she’s into poetry, open mics, and karaoke.

Naomi Peel

Naomi Peel is a born artist who’s been creating art for as long as she can remember. She creates with Sharpies  and has explored working with colored pencils, acrylics. and watercolors. She’s currently a student at Montgomery College, where she’s pursuing a degree in the arts. She enjoys visual, musical, and performing arts.

“I have always liked rainbow colors and patterns in any shape you can think of.”

Max Poznerzon

Max Poznerzon is an accomplished artist who’s been painting for a long time. In 2021 he joined VisAbility Art Lab, where he paints highly detailed, colorful scenes. Max enjoys sharing his love of music, fishing, food, and places in his imagery – along with the many tales that accompany his works. In addition to art, he likes watching movies, karate, the beach, and driving choppers.

Robin Rankin

Robin Rankin has been making art since she was in high school and has sold her jewelry and art for years. She joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2023 and feels at home in the community. She enjoys creating a variety of art and is mainly focused on working in clay. She has created a series of works featuring islands and fish families and envisions turning many of her small pieces into a larger installation.

Ellis Rogers-Archer

Ellis Rogers-Archer became interested in art in second grade; he descends from a line of artists who specialize in costumes and interior design and has a degree in digital animation from Montgomery College. Ellis dreams of being an artistic jack-of-all-trades, specializing in painting but working with a range of media – including painting, animation, comic book art, and toy design – in addition to authoring children’s books. VisArts has helped Ellis hone his craft in painting, design, and fused glass. His YouTube channel, Magnetoon Studios, showcases his animations.

Stanley Roth

Stanley Roth has been drawing since he was a little kid. In 2017 he joined VisAbility Art Lab, where he works with different materials in a variety of styles. He especially enjoys drawing and you can see his love for design, detail, and pattern in each of his creations. Stanley likes to solve Rubik’s Cubes, has taken classes at Montgomery College, completed training at Café Sunflower, and worked locally before moving to Texas, where he participates in Special Olympics and makes art at a day program. He remains an active virtual participant in VisAbility Art Lab.

Max Rubenstein

Max Rubenstein joined VisAbility Art Lab in spring 2025 and enjoys taking classes at VisArts. He’s passionate about art and loves drawing and painting dragons, nature, and animals. In the studio, he’s excited to keep creating and building his skills. Outside of art, Max runs a DJ business—and when the music’s vibing, you’ll catch him dancing right along with it.

Carly Ruderman

Carly Ruderman joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2021. She discovered her passion for art through classes at Ivymount School and is thrilled that her grandmothers are also artists! In the studio, Carly explores with painting, drawing, mosaics, fused glass, and digital art. She’s also a performing artist and musician, and enjoys scriptwriting and theater classes, performance dance, and competitive cheerleading. Carly has been a Global Messenger for Special Olympics Maryland, has spoken to elementary school children for Disability Awareness Week, attended Montgomery College, and will transfer to the University of Maryland for a degree in the performing arts.

Nadia Sarfarazi

Nadia Sarfarazi likes to paint, draw, work with clay, and create with fused glass. She took classes at VisArts before joining Visibility Art Lab in 2019. Nadia used to work as a weaver for St. Colletta. She’s a cheerleader on Team Explosion and is very family-focused.

“I like art. I am talented in my own way. I am creative. I like VisAbility Art Lab. I like to be able to work with other adult artists around my age. They are my friends.”

Will Sandstedt

Will Sandstedt lived in Boston, Massachusetts before moving to Maryland. He’s been making art for as long as he can remember and studied at the Riverview School, Cape Cod Community College, and with an art instructor in his hometown of Newton, Massachusetts. His carefully detailed paintings have been exhibited throughout Cape Cod. Will joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2019. He’s often inspired by the masters and explores with a variety of materials, although he prefers painting. Will likes traveling to art museums and is an avid researcher of paintings and artists.

Lindsey Schaufelberger

Lindsey Schaufelberger has always loved art and has studied at VisArts, Ivymount School, and in private studio sessions. She enjoys many art forms and particularly likes painting, ceramics, and mosaics. Her works feature birds, animals, and figures in bright, bold colors. Lindsay joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2016. When she’s not creating art, she works at Brookdale, a senior center. She also spends time in Maine, where she hikes and collects items for collages.

Yelena Simpson

Yelena Simpson immigrated to Maryland from Russia when she was seven; that’s when she started drawing. Following high school, Yelena took an in-home art class before she discovered VisArts; she started taking classes at VisArts and joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2019. Although she’s explored a variety of modalities, Yelena prefers painting and drawing. Many of her images explore popular culture and social media. Yelena has worked at Dawson’s Market and a restaurant in Olney. She enjoys basketball and won a gold medal with her Special Olympics group.

Ella Smith

Ella Smith has been making art since she was two-years-old. She’s explored ceramics, fused glass, liquid acrylics, and watercolors and is particularly fond of painting; her detailed compositions feature brightly colored shapes. Ella joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2022. She graduated from the GTP program at Montgomery College and has continued to work with the MOST program. She also likes to exercise and swim.

James Edward Styslinger

James Edward Styslinger is a painter and sculptor based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Working primarily in acrylic on canvas, he creates compositions inspired by nature, movement, and inner reflection.

He earned an A.A. from Montgomery College in 1994 and a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2006. Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in 1991, James has pursued his creative and academic goals with resilience and determination.

Alongside his art practice, James finds inspiration in athletics and meditative walks that deepen his connection to the natural world. His work transforms personal experience into imagery that evokes presence, emotion, and clarity.

Cara Thompson

Cara Thompson realized she loved creating art when she was a senior in high school. She joined Visibility Art Lab in 2018, where she gets support and feels inspired to create as a way to express herself. Cara enjoys drawing, painting, and experimenting with shapes, textures, colors, and patterns. Outside of VisArts, she likes writing stories, is a reality TV fanatic, swims regularly, and spends time with her family and friends.

Justin Valenti

Justin Valenti is an artist from Gaithersburg, Maryland. He works in digital media, drawing, painting, printmaking, and ceramics. His artwork showcases his interest in nature, animals, and pop culture. In his digital pieces, he superimposes images and symbols to create unusual contexts for viewers to explore. Justin has published four books and designed a playground mural for Wheaton Regional Park. He received the 2023 Maryland Governor’s Award for Disability Culture, is an advocate for people with autism, serves on the Arc of Maryland’s board of directors, and is a drummer for the band Neurodiversity. He graduated from Project SEARCH and works at NIH.

Learn more at jkvalenti2014.wordpress.com/home/

Louis Von Rago

From an early age, Louis Von Rago was told that his artwork was special. He attended a gifted artists’ program in high school and studied graphic design and commercial art at Broward Community College, the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Louis is prolific and works on his numerous artistic endeavors at VisAbility Art Lab and in his home. He completed a mural in Cleveland Park, painted a lunch truck, and loves to upcycle furniture with paint. His art delights with bright colors and playful animals and figures.

D’Anté Whitlow

D’Anté Whitlow grew up in Detroit; he started taking art seriously when he was in third grade. In middle school, he discovered pop culture – a perfect fit for his art, which is influenced by TV shows and features heavy lines and superhero-style comics. D’Anté moved to Maryland when he was 14. He graduated from Gaithersburg High School, earned a certificate in fine arts from Montgomery College, and works at Creative Edge Signs and Graphics, where he designs logos and signs. He’s been a VisArts gallery assistant since 2014 and in 2016 he joined VisAbility Art Lab, where he creates imagery that depicts figures, animals, and logos. He brings paper and a pencil everywhere.

Kate Whitmore

Kate Whitmore has always enjoyed arts and crafts and has taken painting and drawing classes. She joined VisAbility Art Lab in 2021 with her husband, who’s also an artist. Kate loves being part of the community and has developed a passion for drawing and design. Her art is brightly colored and often features animals and seasonal themes. She occasionally creates in paint, but always returns to her favorite medium – colored markers.