About The Autists
Autism: Facts, Mysteries and Wonder
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is everywhere. It heeds neither racial, cultural nor economic boundaries. For the millions of children, youth and adults with autism, life is an ongoing struggle. For the parents and guardians who care for them, their greatest concern is “what will happen to our child after we’re gone?”
However, autism also happens to be, for some, the driving force behind astonishing intellectual and creative feats in areas such as drawing, painting, sculpting, filmmaking, music, mathematics, engineering and technical skills. For people who inhabit the autism universe – those who have it, those who care for them, as well as researchers, teachers and physicians, autism remains an enigma. What it does provide however, is a unique glimpse into the untapped potential that is the human mind.
The Event: An Overview
The inaugural event known as The Autists took place on Sunday, May 2nd 2010, at Koerner Hall in the magnificently restored Royal Conservatory of Music’s TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning in the heart of downtown Toronto. Reviews have singled out this performance space as as among the nation’s finest.
It was an extravaganza of art displays, music and talks with a Gala Reception, art auctions and live concert. The concert featured international R&B sensation Chaka Khan and gifted performers with autism, Samantha Mutis and Matt Savage.
The concert was preceded by live and silent auctions in which top international and Canadian artists exhibited their works together with Autists from Canada and abroad. The professional artists performing in this event used their star power to shine a spotlight on our multi-talented Autists.
The Purpose
1. To showcase and monetize the intellectual and artistic abilities of gifted individuals with autism, while putting them together with international stars — all in front of a wide audience of artists, musicians, collectors, curators, educators, arts patrons as well as the general public.
2. The gourmet champagne reception, live & silent art auctions and concert will support programs and services at Geneva Centre for Autism in Toronto as well as provide an income stream for the Autists themselves.
The Big Picture
The Autists has become an annual event that grows in scope with each passing year. Its goal is to provide both a source of income for a maximum number of gifted ASD children, youth and adults, as well as to support programs at the Geneva Centre for Autism that help children and youth with autism develop their gifts, integrate into society, get an education and reach their utmost potential.
For the gifted Autists featured at our event, this goal will be accomplished by pairing them with top professional musicians and artists in their fields who will perform and submit works alongside theirs. This will showcase and validate the Autists’ work, help them financially as well as benefit thousands of Toronto area children, youth and adults with an autism spectrum disorder.
Events
Music, Food and Revelry
Music features prominently, with Autist musicians and acclaimed professionals playing everything from classical to jazz. Since this is primarily a celebration of creativity, there will always be a cocktail reception, gourmet delicacies and a festive, fun, upbeat ambiance throughout the event.
Evening Gala Festivities: Cocktails, Cuisine, Schmoozing, Silent Auction and Live Auction
The evening featured aperitifs, gourmet delicacies and plenty of mingling. A welcome by the Geneva Centre’s Executive Director and our celebrity MC, along with a child with autism, opens the silent and live auction portion of the event. Here, local and international Autists’ creations — together with works by renowned artists — are sold to the highest bidders.
Guest Stars for Concert and Art Auctions
Alongside a great lineup of gifted Autists, we strive to enlist the participation of Canadian and international stars in the fields of music, TV and film, together with some of Canada’s most prominent visual artists.
When and Where
The Autists fundraising event is held in the month of May at the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Koerner Hall in downtown Toronto. This event will serve as the Geneva Centre for Autism’s signature annual gala.
Who’s behind all this?
The idea of The Autists was conceived by Paul Fenn, Creative Director of advertising and social media firm Uncle Charlie Creative Inc. The event is a non-profit collaboration between Toronto’s Geneva Centre for Autism Foundation and Uncle Charlie. This is a rare opportunity to witness the untapped gifts possessed by many with an Autism Spectrum Disorder as well as to support the Geneva Centre for Autism’s programs and services.
Sponsorship Opportunities for a One-Of-A-Kind Event
Corporations, foundations and individuals interested in sponsorship of The Autists event are invited to contact:
Hindy Abelson, Director of Development, Grants and Events
Geneva Centre for Autism
Telephone: 416.322.7877 ext. 307
Email: habelson@autism.net
International ARTISTS
Gala Art Auction Curator for The Autists 2010
Charles Pachter – Artist, Tastemaker, Chevalier,
Charles Pachter (cpachter.com) is one of Canada’s leading contemporary artists. He holds degrees from U of T, the Sorbonne, Cranbrook Academy of Art and honorary doctorates from Brock University and the Ontario College of Art & Design. He is a member of the Order of Canada, a Chevalier of France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and a recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee medal. His works hang in public and private collections around the world. His queen, moose, and flags are pop icons of Canadian art. His flag paintings hang in the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Canadian Embassy in Washington and the Parliament buildings in Ottawa. Pachter exhibitions have toured France, Germany, Japan, and India. McClelland & Stewart publications include an illustrated biography, and The Journals of Susanna Moodie, his celebrated collaboration with poet Margaret Atwood. He lives and works in downtown Toronto in a residence designed by award winning Canadian architect Stephen Teeple.
Boris Brott – Conductor, music director, knight in shining armour
Boris Brott (borisbrott.com) has served as: Conductor and Music Director of the New West Symphony in California; McGill Chamber Orchestra in Montreal; the National Academy Orchestra of Canada; Principal Youth and Family Conductor of the National Arts Center of Canada and Artistic Director of the Brott Musical Festivals. Boris served as Assistant Conductor to the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein; Music Director & Conductor for the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden; Chief Conductor of BBC National Symphony of Wales and Music Director of the Northern Sinfonia of England. Boris conducted Leonard Bernstein’s The Mass for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican; was awarded Officer of the Order of Canada; an Honorary Doctorate of Law at McMaster University; made a Knight of Malta; selected International Man of the Year by the International Biographical Center in Cambridge, England; elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts of Great Britain and appointed to the Order of Ontario. Mr. Brott conducted, produced, and and hosted over 100 TV programs and recorded for CBC, Septre-Mace, Mercury, Pro-Arte Records and Sony Classical.
Lindsay Fischer, Artistic Director -YOU dance, National Ballet of Canada, Doctor of Dance
Lindsay Fischer is a native of New York City. He graduated from National Ballet of Canada School in 1978 and began a dance career that took him to Lisbon, Amsterdam, New York City and back to Toronto. During that time, he performed as a Principal Dancer with the Dutch National Ballet and New York City Ballet and as a guest artist with some of the greatest ballerinas of the era, including Margaret Barbieri, Cynthia Gregory and Evelyn Hart. Upon his retirement from performing, Mr. Fischer joined the artistic staff of Canada’s National Ballet School, where, in addition to teaching, he created a structure to guide the school’s graduates to professional employment. Most recently, Mr. Fischer was appointed Director of the Professional Dance Program at The Banff Centre. Mr. Fischer has created works for senior students of Canada’s National Ballet School and has overseen the production of ballets by George Balanchine, James Kudelka, Rudi van Dantzig, Peggy Baker, Christopher House, Matjash Mrozewski and Toer van Schayk. He has staged ballets for and been a guest ballet master with a variety of professional companies in Canada and abroad and was a guest repétitéur for The National Ballet of Canada from 1999 to 2007, becoming Ballet Master in 2007. Mr. Fischer is currently Artistic Director of the highly successful YOU dance program, a joint initiative of the National Ballet and Canada’s National Ballet School, whose goal is to engage young people in the world of dance and ballet.
International AUTISTS
Matt Savage — Pianist, composer, jammer
Matt Savage (savagerecords.com) is a 17-year-old award-winning and internationally celebrated Jazz pianist with autism. In 2000, when Matt Savage was just 8 years old, he played piano for Dave Brubeck and jammed at a sound session with Chick Corea. The following year he was invited to a soundcheck to jam with jazz great McCoy Tyner and his sidemen, Avery Sharpe and Al Foster. In 2003, at the age of 11, Matt debuted at the famed Blue Note in Manhattan. The following year he debuted at Birdland, performing with the legendary Clark Terry on trumpet, Jimmy Heath on sax, Jon Faddis on trumpet, Marcus McLaurine on bass and Kenny Washington on drums. By 2005, Matt had performed twice with Chaka Khan. In February of 2007, Matt made his first appearance at the prestigious Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center. At 16, Matt appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman” as the musical act, released his newest CD, hit #11 on the JazzWeek radio charts, garnered the #2 position in LIVE JAZZ sales on Amazon.com (behind only Keith Jarrett) and signed an international sub-publishing deal with SONY/ATV.
See Matt get ‘Infected with Hemiola’
Further studies
See a prodigious savant recite Pi to 22,500 decimal places, learn fluent Icelandic in a week and other mild pursuits (First of 5 videos)
More Artists & Autists to come soon, so check back often.
