Studio By The Tracks stays connected to its students despite COVID-19

Established in 1989, Studio By The Tracks in Irondale is a nonprofit that provides adult artists with autism spectrum disorders the space, materials and instruction they need to make and sell their work.

The artists receive a 60% commission of all art sales from the organization’s gallery, online store and fundraising events.

“Our primary goal is to enhance the quality of lives of our students and to provide an avenue for self-confidence and social interaction through art,” said Suzanne Boozer, SBTT executive director.

The nonprofit seeks to “bridge the gap” between the artists and “the outside world from which they are most often isolated, ”Boozer said.

SBTT also serves about 25 children diagnosed with severe emotional disturbances with a weekly art curriculum, she said.

Best of all, the Studio provides its services free of charge.

Like many organizations, the Studio was forced to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by closing the facility to its students and the public beginning March 18.

Fortunately, the Studio was able to use  the internet, including teleconferencing, to continue to engage with and support its students.

The staff “developed a successful and meaningful ‘wire around,’” SBTT board member Mike Battle said.

Recently, The Studio began bringing its students back to the Irondale facility for outdoor classes.

At press time, the Studio was scheduled to host a holiday open house Nov. 21 featuring art made by students, as well as such items as jewelry, pottery and handmade cards from other makers.

The Studio tried to adapt as quickly as possible after closing in mid-March.

The staff started a Zoom program for children in about two weeks, Boozer said. The facility began hosting Zoom meetings for adults in July.

In normal times, the Studio serves about 50 adults each week in its building, located in an old Pure Oil gas station.

During the pandemic, the situation with the Studio’s adult artists has been “difficult to manage,” Boozer said.

“Since all of our adult artists are considered to be at high risk for COVID — most of them have several other underlying health conditions — we have exercised extreme caution regarding in-person meetings,” she said.

Staff members and volunteers “still greatly miss the personal time with our students and the ability to see in person their interaction with others, smiles, laughs and expressions of self-confidence and their development of self-esteem,” Battle said.

However, the online program has been successful, and staff did other workarounds, Boozer said.

“We made individual packets of art supplies for each adult artist to continue doing their artwork from home,” Boozer said.

“For several months, we had one-on-one Zoom calls for all of the adults who wanted to participate in online classes,” said Boozer, who noted that not all of their students and their caregivers had the equipment or technical knowledge to participate.

The staff has discovered some unexpected benefits of technology.

For example, the Studio was forced to convert its annual Art From The Heart benefit this summer from a live party with about 400 attendees to a virtual auction.

Staffers were anxious about making the switch but the event proved to be successful, Boozer said.

“Now we feel so great that we can sell art online, and not just once a year but we can do it that routinely,” she said.

In addition, learning about Zoom has shown the Studio a way to serve even more students in the future with online-only classes, even after the end of the pandemic, Boozer said.

The Studio has continued to serve the children in the residential treatment program at Glenwood near Cahaba Heights.

“The Studio has continued to provide all of the supplies needed for each class and we generally make a delivery to Glenwood once a week to get them their supplies,” Boozer said.

In mid-September, the Studio brought the children in for an outdoor class. “They really loved being back,” Boozer said.

When the Studio brought its adult artists back for outdoor classes, it reduced class sizes from eight or 10 students down to four, she said.

“We have a little covered area, and we brought out tables,” Boozer said. “Everyones at at a different table, so we are socially distancing.”

The efforts taken by the Studio to keep its programs going during the pandemic have a deep importance to its students, particularly the adults, Boozer said.

Many of the adult students “just thrive on routine and continuity,” Boozer said. “That is what keeps them feeling safe and secure.”

When the students are able to attend in person, they all have their regular seats, she said.

“They will never take another seat,” she said. “They always sit by the same people. Without that, it really affects their well-being.”

Some of the Studio’s students have attended classes there for 30 years, she said.

“This is what they do two days a week,” Boozer said. “We are trying to be something continuous in their lives.”

The use of online means has been important in maintaining this sense of continuity for students and “providing them positive artistic experience,” she said.

“Our students struggle more than most with isolation and lack of contact with others, and technology has played a major role in helping us stay connected,” Boozer said.

The effort to encourage these adult artists — to nurture what the SBTT values statement calls their “entrepreneurial spirit” — has a positive impact beyond the walls of the Studio.

“Many of our artists have become quite accomplished and are known and collected,” Boozer said.

She cited Linda Cooper, Michael Hall and Ines Orihuela as a few of the SBBT artists who have shown their work at galleries and at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

“Our overall belief at Studio By The Tracks is that our students and their art add great value to the Birmingham community,” Boozer said.

Studio By The Tracks is located at 301 20th St. S. in Irondale. For information, call 205-951-3317 or go to studiobythetracks.org.