by Noella Noelophile®
Happy Anniversary to Festival of Human Abilities! This weekend, January 28th and 29th, marks their twentieth event at Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.
Admittedly, this is one of my all-time favorite Aquarium events.
Rollettes wheelchair troupe, January, 2020.
Celebrating the creative talents of people with disabilities, Festival of Human Abilities features two days of free workshops, performances and art exhibitions.
There are also adaptive SCUBA diving exhibitions.
Sign language interpreters will be onsite, and visitor guides in Braille, as well as an audio tour, will be available for guests with visual impairments.
And a gifted abstract artist will be receiving an award at noon on Sunday!
Artist, businessman, educator, and advocate
(Michael Seale Jr., Festival of Human Abilities workshop, 2017.)
That would be Michael Seale Jr., recipient of this year’s Glenn McIntyre Heritage Award from the Aquarium.
According to Michael’s website, an art class at the Watts Towers Art Gallery fueled his passion for painting. Today, he has created more than 350 abstract works, teaches “Canvas & Coffee” art workshops and promotes awareness for cerebral palsy.
Michael will also be teaching a free hat-decorating workshop this Sunday, at 10 am.
(Photograph courtesy of Aquarium of the Pacific.)
“Never let your challenge stop you from living your dreams,” Michael commented, during his workshop at the 2017 Festival of Human Abilities.
(I’m looking forward to someday visiting his luxury art gift shop by the beach. That is Michael’s dream, as posted on his website. )
Center stage and wowing audiences
(Photo courtesy of Charles Whitehead, and used with permission.)
Meanwhile, performances are scheduled in the Great Hall, both Saturday and Sunday. Highly gifted musicians and dancers take the stage, with performances happening hourly.
(Festival of Human Abilities, 2020.)
At past Festivals of Human Abilities, the Rollettes dance team, Infinite Flow professional dance company and the late hip-hop artist Auti Angel have all wowed and inspired audiences with their exuberant performances.
(Photo courtesy of Aquarium of the Pacific, and used with permission.)
Personal favorite musicians (though I enjoyed them all!) included fusion ensemble Per Se and world music guitarist Dat Nguyen.
)Festival of Human Abilities. 2020.)
And if the Aquarium is in your weekend plans, be sure to allow enough time to spend the day. You’ll want to browse the art gallery in the Great Hall, and workshops and performances are ongoing throughout both days.
Long Beach’s Aquarium of the Pacific hosts their 20th “Festival of Human Abilities” this Saturday and Sunday, January 28th and 29th. Hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and the Festival is free with general admission. According to the Aquarium’s website, advanced online reservations are required for weekends and holidays. Here’s the link for more information.
(Festival of Human Abilities 2020.)
Last but never least–a tribute to Auti Angel, who passed away in March, 2022. A beautiful, kind and talented woman who met life’s challenges with, as she said at the end of one performance, her “Beyonce face on”. Auti, we miss you.