Joey Travolta's NJ Short Film Camp Premiere on November 4, 2011!

For Immediate Release                        
Contact: Susan Kotlyarsky 
susan.kotlyarsky@marblejamkids.org
201-274-4754

Red Carpet Reception & Film Premiere of "The Bizarre Zone" Friday - November 4^th SAINT PETER'S COLLEGE
Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Englewood Cliffs, NJ - Friday November 4th, 6:30 pm - Saint Peter's College hosts the East Coast Premiere of 'The Bizarre Zone', a short film created by participants of the 2011 Joey Travolta Short Film Camp. Joey Travolta, special educator and film maker, along with his crew of professionals travel to college campuses around the country teaching children both with and without Autism and special needs, the art of film making.  MarbleJam Kids, a 501c3 non-profit organization, produced the camp in Bergen County, NJ for the second time this past August.  MarbleJam Kids makes the camp possible and affordable through the 'Send A Kid To Film Camp Campaign' and the generosity of their sponsors: Saint Peter's College, Sal Electric Company, Mariners Bank, Learning by Design, Clinton Inn Hotel, Rudy's Restaurant, and contributions from friends and families.  

Tickets are $35.00 per person, $10.00 per child under 18.  Light fare and soft drinks served.  Red Carpet Reception and Awards Presentation.

Purchase your tickets online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/205212 or contact MarbleJam Kids – 201-497-6512 or email info@marblejamkids.org 

More information about MarbleJam Kids and The Joey Travolta Short Film Camp can be found at www.marblejamkids.org 

Dani Bowman of Powerlight Studios Hires Her First Employee!

I had the pleasure of meeting 16 year old Dani Bowman of Powerlight Studios at Joey Travolta's Short Film Camp in Englewood, NJ this past summer. Joey recognized her amazing talents and asked Dani to join his film camp team. As a result, she taught campers computer animation during Joey's summer film camps at various locations throughout the United States. This was a new addition that Joey Travolta made to his summer film camp and the campers and (quite frankly I) enjoyed this added component to an already outstanding summer film camp. Dani Bowman started her business at age 11 with the help of her Uncle Patrick and Aunt Sandy. She is an animator and illustrator who loves to create entertainment for both audiences young and old. Dani just so happens to be on the autism spectrum, however, that has not stopped her from fulfilling her dreams but has rather helped her reach her full potential at such a young age. Dani just recently announced that she has hired her first employee, Connor who also happens to have autism. In the picture above she is amidst training Connor on his first day on the job! I am sure we will all be waiting on the edge of our seats waiting to see what this sure to be dynamic duo will create. Keep abreast of Dani's and her new employee, Connor's doings and whereabouts at:  http://www.powerlight-studios.com/

The ART of AUTISM: ARS Spectra @SoHo Gallery for Digital Arts - October 27-30th

The ART of AUTISM- ARS SPECTRA: The Artistic Autistic

Where: The SoHo Gallery for Digital Art

             138 Sullivan St. New York, NY 10012

             Phone: (212) 228-2810 - Contact: sgdaintra@gmail.com

When: October 27th-30th, 2011

What: A four-day extravaganza showcasing the wide-ranging artistic talents of people on the autism spectrum. Free and ticketed events will include an art exhibition, live performances, art workshops and more.

Special Guests will include producer Keri Bowers (Normal People Scare Me), author/curator Debra Hosseini (Artism: The Art of Autism), artists Justin Canha and Esther Brokaw, musician and Adelphi University Professor of Special Education Stephen Shore and Dr. Rosa C. Martinez (Strokes of Genius)

Four-Day Pass: $35 at www.bit.ly/arspectra or $40.00 at the door.

Gallery Proceeds to benefit The Reach For the Stars Learning Center: A School for Autistic Children.

Individual Events – Details and Pricing

Thursday 6pm – 9pm The Visual Spectrum Art Exhibition Free to the Public. Speaking will be Debra Hosseini, author Artism: The Art of Autism (book signing as well), artist Ben Cole, artist Justin Canha, artist Esther Brokaw, and Dr. Rosa Martinez (Strokes of Genius)

Friday 7:30pm – 9:30pm The Performance Spectrum, $25 door or $20 at www.bit.ly/arspectra

Saturday 2pm – 4pm The Spiritual Spectrum, Free To the Public

Saturday 5pm to 7:30pm, Mapping the Spectrum, $15 door or $10 at www.bit.ly/arspectra 

Sunday 2:30pm to 6:30pm, The Advocacy Spectrum, $15 door $10 at www.bit.ly/arspectra

**This is a small venue so get your tickets now while they last:>)

Your Beautiful Child & Friends Host A Day of Joy in NY on October 23rd

Shane B. Kulman of Your Beautiful Child & Friends will be hosting A Day of Joy in New York City on October 23rd at Little Radish Studios, 45 East 34th Street, 3rd Floor (Between Park and Madison) from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Learning By Design, LLC is a proud sponsor of this event which will provide parents of children with special needs a day of relaxation and pampering and allow them to take just one day to rejuvenate themselves. Shane, myself and all of her sponsors and friends are firm believers that it is SO important for parents/caregivers to be able to take some time, even a minute or two, for themselves. For this will help them help their children and themselves at the same time. In fact, all parents, whether they have a child with special needs or not, deserve some time to themselves. We are not saying to be selfish, in fact we are saying the opposite, be selfless for your children and yourself. Tickets are selling quickly and are only $1.00. YES, just $1.00. So if you are able to come out even if it's for just a little while please do. We'd love to have you. Click here for more information, to sponsor and purchase tickets: http://www.dayofjoy.mynetworksolutions.com/

Artist/Illustrator/Animator Justin Canha Shares His Journey to Independence via New York Times

Justin Canha is an amazingly talented 22 year old artist, illustrator and animator who also happens to have autism. He carries around his composition book with hundreds of his favorite cartoon characters inside that he has sketched himself using a mechanical pencil that he sands down with sandpaper to make the point even finer. If you are lucky enough to meet him and have him show you his work you will be astonished. Justin recently graduated from the transition program in Montclair, NJ. Kate Stanton Paule is the Director of the Transition Program and has helped Justin learn how to use his art to learn social skills, employment skills, life skills and how to become part of the community. I have had the privilege of working with Justin as he assists a Montclair, NJ art teacher teach kindergarten, first and fifth grade students art. Kudos to the Montclair Public School District and all of those who have supported Justin and took a chance on him, realizing his potential and welcomed him into their schools to help students not only learn art but learn about someone who they may not have exposure to otherwise. The students absolutely adore Justin as do the teachers. Justin also has other jobs at a local bakery, art supply store and library - some are volunteer and some are paid. While he enjoys each and every one of these opportunities greatly, his dream is to work for either Disney or Sesame Street as an animator. Justin's work precedes him. He can draw Mickey Mouse so precisely and in just less than a minute. He was kind enough to draw the classic Sesame Street characters for my daughter first using pencil and then adding watercolor. He also so kindly drew a picture of Shakespeare out of charcoal for my husband which is now hanging in his law office. Please take the time to read the front page article, with videos, published in the New York Times on Sunday, September 18th. Many doors are beginning to open for Justin that his family may have never imagined, however, the one thing they always had was HOPE and NEVER gave up on their son. May all of Justin's dreams come true! Click here to be directed to the article:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/us/autistic-and-seeking-a-place-in-an-adult-world.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=autism&st=cse