Patchogue, LI— Wednesday, April 2: Legislator Rob Calarco joined with Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE), Village of Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri, and the Patchogue-Medford Library today to kick-off the opening of the “Chaos and Containment” exhibition, which is comprised entirely of art created by individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.

The artists are enrolled in the art therapy program at FREE, a not-for-profit agency founded in 1977, headquartered in Old Bethpage, which supports more than 3,500 individuals with different abilities on Long Island. According to FREE’s Director of Art Therapy and the curator of “Chaos and Containment,” Ed Regensburg, the pieces in the exhibition were “originally introduced as two separate artistic expressions of the feelings of chaotic emotional turmoil and the subsequent expression of containing this turmoil.”
Legislator Calarco said, “The artwork in this room is very impressive, and I truly commend FREE for their work with individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. Not only are they helping artists create beautiful art; they are helping these people find their voice and express themselves. I am honored to be here today, especially during National Autism Awareness Month.”

“Chaos and Containment” will be on display in the lower level of the Patchogue-Medford Library throughout the month of April.