As this year comes to an end we would like to thank the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities (ACBDD), our parent company ATCO, Inc., and you for your support.

2011 was a year of loss, change and exciting new things.

On February 20th we lost our friend and artist Jonathan Salzman who’s joyful laugh delighted the studio and who’s whimsical animal art delighted art collectors. Jonathan is truly missed by all and wecelebrate his life!

On March 31st Joyce Frank retired as Studio Coordinator but stayed on as Passion Works National Sales Representative.

Wayne Savage was hired as the new Studio Coordinator, he was Cofounder of the Rendville Art Works in Perry County.

We had a family reunion, of sorts, with our “One Big Family” exhibit which featured collaborative artwork created by past and current Passion Works artists featuring a collaboration with Mark Hackworth and his Hocking College Printmaking class. We were pleased to welcome back both Wendy Minor-Vinny and Patty Mitchell for this artistic reunion.

We were honored to have Director John Martin of the Ohio Department of DD visit Passion Works! We were honored to have Patty Mitchell bring a group of ladies from Argentina into the studio and we were pleased when the nice folks of Rendville Art Works came to visit us bearing gifts and showing off what they claimed to be the world largest shoestring ball.

Our own Fred Cremeans was the featured artist in an exhibition in the Old Gallery in Allenspark, Colorado where he attended and did a two hour demonstration of his art and sold many pieces. Fred represented himself and Passion Works well!

We held our 1st Annual Cake Fight & Auction. It was a huge and fun success. Our 2nd Annual Cake Fight & Auction will be held in the spring of 2012 and every spring thereafter. We had 50 businesses and organizations donate cakes and many others donate services. Wonderful community support.

We won 2nd place in this years Ohio University Homecoming Parade for our float and 1st place for having the best window display, (three years in a row!). This years theme was beyond the bricks so we went with “Follow the bricks beyond the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City” as we recreated Oz.

Visiting Artist Migiwa Orimo came to us in a two week Visiting Artist Residency from Yellow Springs and worked with Passion Works artists doing a spectacular installation “This is Where”, assisted by Passion Works artist Kai Wilhere who did her own display “This is Wear.” Ohio Arts Council granted this project!