天堂鸟先生

Throughout homes, offices and businesses in Athens, colorful, metal flowers ranging from big to small adorn desks and walls. These vibrant flowers are more than just decoration; they symbolize an organization that has been impacting the Athens community and 天堂鸟先生 students for more than 23 years.

Passion Works is an asset-based organization that brings the Athens community together by inspiring and liberating the human spirit through the arts, working with artists of all abilities, including those with development differences, to create art infused with hope and joy. This studio has also become a place where 天堂鸟先生 students have come to explore their creativity, relax, create connection, integrate themselves more into the Athens community, and learn from others.

Over the years, Passion Works and 天堂鸟先生 have created a partnership that has allowed for students to intern and volunteer, taking with them new skills and experiences that have paved the way for their success.

鈥�The University partnership we have is powerful for both students and this community,鈥� Patty Mitchell, director of Passion Works, said. 鈥淭he University does a great job encouraging students to take part in the community and to participate in experiential learning and that鈥檚 something Passion Works is dedicated to. It鈥檚 about experimenting and discovery. We have people working there of all abilities and it鈥檚 really eye opening for students to work alongside people with perceived differences.鈥�

Volunteers can come in and learn the basic skills around the studio like painting, cutting out circles, and production jobs, then are able to dive into what they鈥檙e comfortable with or try something new. Several OHIO students who come in have little to no experience working in this type of creative outlet, however, the artists lead them through the process of letting go and trying new things.

鈥�Students help with production and find it very relaxing and a nice outlet from their other day-to-day activities,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a space where they are welcomed and are free to try new things. We鈥檝e had engineering students design adaptive equipment, as well as medical students come in and spend time with people with development differences so that their first interaction isn鈥檛 as a provider and patient. Passion Works is also dedicated to having international students come in and practice conversational English.鈥�

For students like Carrie Summerford, a fourth-year Honors Tutorial College Spanish student from Pickerington, Ohio, Passion Works has influenced her entire college career, even leading her to pick up a second degree in ceramics after finding her love for art again through her work at the studio.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been an artist, but for whatever reason, when I got to college, I decided to pick a very