NAIT recognizes International Day of Persons with Disabilities with special guests

Angela Marino’s mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis nine years ago. Although it’s been a difficult road, Marino uses her experience and her art to create awareness for those living with disabilities.

“I want people to understand that this is a disease that affects the internalization of a person. So being confronted by an image of someone that doesn’t look right, I hope that brings them this sense of uncomfortableness or uneasiness, because that’s what my mom has to deal with every day,” Marino said.

Angela Marino is a Canadian artist, pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at the U of A. She was one of the guests featured at NAIT’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities event.

Marino featured three portraits she created: one of herself, her brother and her sister. The portraits are imposed with features her mother has developed through her journey with MS. Marino says immersing herself in her mother’s experience hasn’t been easy.

“It’s really difficult. It challenges me every single day. I’m healthy and to have someone you love in that situation, it’s hard,” said Marino.

Marino wasn’t the only guest artist at the event. CRIPSiE, an Edmonton-based group of performers with disabilities, spoke and performed. The group says that a “disability” can be many different things and aims to include them all.

“We try to think of disability, super inclusively. We hope to welcome anybody that might experience barriers accessing artistic expression. This means we have a lot of seniors in our group, we have newcomers to Canada and people that couldn’t access art education because of class,” said Kelsie Acton, Co-Artistic Director of CRIPSiE.

The event happened a couple days before the official day of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which is on Dec. 3. NAITSA (NAIT Students’ Association), said it was important for the student body to be a part of this day and know that NAIT is here for those with disabilities.

Comments