PD News

By Jack Smiles jsmiles@psdispatch.com
Times Leader Staff Writer

Billy Sukus, a 32-year-old autistic man from Jenkins Township, doesn’t speak more than a few rudimentary words, but he communicates in a universal way – through art.

click image to enlarge

This example of Billy’s work, which by the way was sold, was made from components with various media which he then pieced together.

click image to enlarge

Gwen Harleman, the Arts Coordinator at Verve Vertu in Wilkes-Barre, watches as Billy Sukus works on an art project.

Photo courtesy of Pam Raney

Select images available for purchase in the
Times Leader Photo Store

Billy creates mixed media art works at the Verve Vertu art studio at Arts Youniverse, an art co-op in a former church at 47 North Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre.

For the decade between when Billy got out of high school when he was 20 until he was 30, his father Bill and stepmother Bonnie strived to keep him busy and help him reach his full potential. He went to a United Rehabilitation Service employment training program where he learned to do assembly work.

He excelled in the Special Olympics in bowling, swimming and track.

While he has since retired as an athlete, he still works out regularly at a gym. He likes video games and he goes to a speech program at College Misericordia. He likes to go to restaurants, movies and plays.

Bill and Bonnie have taken him on trips from the Jersey Shore to Alaska. They’ve seen Cape Cod and Disney and Yosemite in California.

Even with all that, Bill and Bonnie felt there was something missing until two years ago when they found Verve Vertu, from the Latin words for high energy or spirit and excellence in art, an art apprenticeship program for people with special needs associated with the Deutsch Institute at Misericordia University.

“We’ve tried to find what is a good fit over the years,” Bill said. “Billy tried different things, but it seemed like he was looking for something more. He seems to do very well at the art studio and we see a side of him we haven’t seen before. We didn’t know he had an aptitude for art, we just thought we’d try it.”

Gwen Harleman, the art director at Verve Vertu, said while Billy and her other students don’t work entirely independently, they pick mediums and colors and control the creativity of their projects.

But it’s about a lot more than just the finished pieces of art. “It opened up a lot expression for him,” Harleman said. “It keeps him focused. He’s peaceful when he’s working.”

Verve Vertu has a co-op agreement with a wool farm which supplies wool for art projects. The students dye the wool and sew patterns on it with a needle felting pen, a tool specially designed for such work.

The wool designs are used to cover wallets and purses and other “wearable art” creations which are sold at the studio and other outlets in the area, a First Friday event in Scranton in December and an art auction at Mohegan Sun being two examples.

Billy and the other artists also create greeting cards and framable art.

Some of Billy’s creations are displayed at Marquis Art and Frame at 122 South Main in Wilkes-Barre. Some of Billy’s works have sold and not necessarily out of the buyer’s philanthropy. One piece was sold at the Fine Arts Fiesta.

“He gets a great deal of joy and pride when he sees his work displayed,” said Harleman.

Harleman said the special artists at Verve Vertu work in mixed media such as stamping, paper, clay, gold leaf, acrylics, felting, quilting, batiking, oil and watercolor.

Bill said the art is helping his son get exposed to the community at large. “With his communication, speech and social skills delayed the program is helping in the social area.”

Visit vervevertu.blogspot.com. Call Gwen Harleman at 208-5305.