BEVERLY — The warm feeling you get from the Starbucks in Beverly soon won't just be from the coffee.
The shop at 1933 W. 103rd St. will begin displaying the work of local artists with special needs on Sept. 13. The new gallery will be unveiled between 2-4 p.m.
"There will be a designated wall that will invite people to get to know someone who is a little bit different," said Holly Simon, founder of I Am Who I Am.
Simon's foundation was created to encourage people to get to know special children and adults beyond their diagnosis. Indeed, the Beverly mom has first-hand knowledge of the importance of interacting with these individuals.
Simon's youngest son, Nate, was born on Nov. 26, 2003, and showed early signs of Down syndrome. Rather than congratulate the exhausted mother, the nurse apologized.
Since then, Simon has made it her mission to celebrate the spirit and personalities of all children and adults. She founded I Am Who I Am in January of 2012. The foundation distributes baby blankets to three area hospitals for children born with special needs.
Simon, the wife of a lieutenant in the Chicago Police Department, also works with maternity doctors, nurses and medical staff to train them on how to communicate with parents, friends and family of newborns who arrive to the world a bit different.
One way to make such connections is through art. Thus, Simon reached out to Kunsthaus, an art studio at 10552 S. Western Ave. in Beverly. On separate dates in July and August, artists with special needs gathered at the studio and put their talent on canvas.
Simon also reached out to the Beverly Area Arts Alliance, founders of the Beverly Art Walk. This event transformed area businesses, including Starbucks, into art galleries last year and are busy finalizing plans for a second such walk on Oct. 3.
"Art is such a simple, beautiful medium for bringing people together," Simon said.
With the help of The Alliance, Simon was able to secure a previously bare portion of the wall near the entrance of Starbucks in Beverly. One artist per month will be featured on the wall through the new partnership with Simon's I Am Who I Am.
Beside the artwork will be a small biography and picture of the artist.
Jake Scheid will be the first featured artist. The boy with the big smile was born with eyesight, but cancer took away the use of each eye. He had never painted before and managed to create a beautiful picture of flowers, Simon said.
"We have a community that nobody knows about," she said. "My favorite quote is, 'Broken crayons can still draw beautifully.'"
Jake's painting and others will be for sale at Starbucks. Interested buyers can own the paintings for a $100 donation to I Am Who I Am, Simon said.
For information on the Starbucks gallery opening, contact Holly Simon at 773-547-3300 or via email at holly@iam-whoiam.com. For information on the Simon's foundation, visit http://www.iam-whoiam.com.
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