Photo Gallery: Echo Enrichment Center Art Gallery

The is place where children, teens and adults with higher needs can call home. Proprietor, Mary Ann Pereira, a teacher with over 25 years experience helping students with higher needs, who has called her 9r Bedford Street location home for the past four years, wrapped up her summer season's art classes with a gallery showing and reception for her students.

“It's a big social experience to meet every Saturday that gives our students a sense of pride,” explained Pereira. “The fact that we collected it and put it on exhibit is a way for us to give our students a sense of accomplishment.”

The art that students worked on range dramatically in variety and scope. Photographs, collage work, water colors, pastels, clay, acrylics, weaving; all kinds of individual expression were on display that students were taught at Echo.

“I love it, it inspires everything I do,” detailed Donovan Robinson, a student at Echo. “I especially like the painting and drawing.”

Dozens of family members attended the showing to celebrate their family members achievement. Refreshments were also on-hand, including pizza provided by Flatbread Company.

“She's amazing, she is so very loving and caring and compassionate, you can feel her warmth,” explained one mother at the event, Carla Buonopane. “My daughter came from pre-school everyday and she had a hard time socially developing. But, through the program, she has become ready for Kindergarten and I can't thank Mary Ann enough.”

This round of Echo art is soon to be on display in the Burlington Library, although no exact date has been set.

For more information up the next upcoming session of The Echo Enrichment Center's art and other programs, please visit their website by clicking here.

Be sure and check out Patch's photo gallery of all the action including pictures of some of the student's artwork.