By Jeannie Fleming-Gifford
When Xavier Sledge was 4 years old, his mother, April, noticed his interest in shapes and colors. April quickly leaned into these interests and Xavier’s artistic talents as a way to support his development and growth. With support (including Mr. Antoine Pastor, a high school art teacher and Mrs. Beard, an aide) Xavier, 19 and a University of Akron student, has blossomed into a young artist who is now sharing his work professionally, including with Art Possible Ohio. We talked to Xavier and his mother, April about his work.
How did Xavier first become interested in the arts?
Xavier’s first arts explorations were a result of occupational and physical therapy sessions. Xavier was asked to draw simple shapes. April quickly noticed that Xavier saw other things in those shapes and loved adding color.
Tell us more about Xavier the artist.
Xavier loves creating with pastels, pencil and, most recently, acrylic paints. From landscapes to portraits, Xavier creates works that have special meaning to him. His favorite piece he created is a pencil drawing that includes 174 small pieces of paper, each shaded and coming together to create a portrait of sports legend LeBron James .
How has Xavier made connections through his artistic journey?
During his high school years, Xavier’s art drew attention from outside the school’s walls. Through connections with organizations such as the Autism Society of Greater Akron, where one of the Society’s marketing pieces includes Xavier’s art, selected through a contest. April then saw an ad on social media about Art Possible Ohio and submitted one of Xavier’s favorite pieces of art, the one of LeBron James.
What benefits have you observed in Xavier since he started participating in the arts and with Art Possible?
April and Xavier agree that the visual arts has benefitted Xavier by making him more confident which has inspired him to do more art and explore various mediums. As Xavier’s works have grown in number, so has his community connections. Xavier and April shared that they have received kind emails from individuals — even from out of state — after seeing Xavier’s art displayed. Through the visual arts, Xavier has met many individuals who continue to help identify new opportunities for Xavier to display and sell his work. And, Art Possible has become a platform for Xavier to sell his work, earning some dollars while creating in mediums he loves. Visit artpossibleohio.org
