Shawn's Gate The Shawn Fintak Collection
All of the artwork here was created by artist Shawn Fintak. Shawn was diagnosed with autism at the time of his passing. He produced these works in his last few years - after his talent was revealed by his friend Barbara Gray. Many of these works can be viewed at Shawn's Gate Art Studio & Gallery located at 247 Market Street, Lockport, New York.
 A Mother's Story
 My son Shawn was born June 29, 1962. He was my second child of a family that eventually became three children. Shawn weighed just under 8 lbs at birth and had a normal APGAR score. There was nothing to indicate what would lie ahead. That first year went well; he was a contented infant and related to those around him, as babies do during that time of wonder. However at 1 year he wasn’t making vowel sounds or walking. By 18 months he did begin to walk, although communication remained absent. It was at that time that I began to express my concern to his pediatrician. Shawn had begun making less eye contact and was also becoming very selective about what he ate. It was at that point we consulted Richard Slosson, PhD who was well known for developing the Slosson IQ test. Dr. Slosson diagnosed him as profoundly retarded. I was unable to accept this so we subsequently consulted the head of neurology at Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, NY. He too offered no encouragement, telling me that Shawn really didn’t know me, and never would, and that in order to preserve the lives of my other children Shawn would need to be placed in a developmental center. That was not in my plan, so I began looking for other options that would allow Shawn to remain at home while providing him a daily education program. To my dismay there were no such programs.
At that point we had an eight foot chain link fence installed in our backyard to keep Shawn safe while giving him the freedom of being outside. In December of 1967 my options and strength had run out. Reluctantly we placed Shawn in the West Seneca Developmental Center. There he spent a great deal of his time hanging around the staff. This should have clued someone that he was listening to and absorbing their conversations! He did come home weekends and was a part of our family but I had little hope that life for him would change. We were never given any hope, and since there was nowhere else to turn, we did the only thing we knew how to do…we simply loved him.
Shawn at 21 Years
Fast forward to 1983. By this time there was a trend to get individuals with varying abilities out of institutions and into group homes. We were able to enroll Shawn at St. Rita’s. This was because St. Rita's had been sold to the state and was now under management by United Cerebral Palsy. It was great. Shawn had a day program and a beautiful room all to himself that overlooked a wooded bike path. Things went well for a number of years and while Shawn attended a day program, a remarkable speech therapist, Barbara Trunzo, became aware that Shawn was capable of speech through facilitated communication. It was a fairly new concept at that time, first tried in Australia. Shawn took to it in a big way, unleashing his love of the color red, country music and his desire to have a job like everyone else. It was a significant breakthrough and represented my first real hope for what was to be realized for Shawn. Eventually Shawn was transferred at my request to Opportunities Unlimited and what was to be his last home. It was here he worked for 12 years with Tom Carter, a truly remarkable speech therapist. Shawn developed a trust in Tom that was never broken. Creativity Blossoms
Two years ago Shawn met his friend Barbara Gray. The instant I saw them together I knew someone special had entered his life. Barb opened up his heart and soul to his artistic ability, his true gift. The work that Shawn produced is remarkable as every successive piece became calmer and more serene. His last painting “Shawn’s Gate” is a beautiful little piece with an open fence, trailing flowers and a happy sky. Sadly on April 24, 2008 Shawn died unexpectedly of a seizure. I believe Shawn knew it was going to happen and left us this wonderful gate that he walked through. My message for parents reading this is: Never give up hope, always assume intelligence, and never stop fighting a system that discourages change and new ideas that lack “scientific evidence”. The doctors were all wrong about Shawn. Unfortunately, in 1964 there were labels like mentally retarded cast on people because nothing was known of autism or other newly discovered syndromes that account for the diagnosis of so many of our friends. When he died, Shawn’s diagnosis was autism at long last!
I wish you could have known him. He was a gentle loving man who liked quiet, listening to the birds, plants, Enya, Norah Jones, country music and cheese chips. He loved his family and we all loved him dearly…and he loved his friend Barb Gray. Without her gentle mentoring his gift may never have been released and he would have missed the happiness it brought him.
 Shawn's Gate Opens
Following his death we established a gallery-studio called Shawn’s Gate. Barb Gray is working in this happy place assisting people of varying ability to find their gift. Barb can be contacted at 585-733-2153 or e-mail barbara.gray41@yahoo.com Geclee prints of Shawn’s work may be purchased by contacting Jeanne Smith at 716-667-2555 or online at eugenia38@verizon.net Proceeds from the sale of his work help fund Shawn’s Gate. For more information on Shawn's Museum and Gallery-Quality Fine Art Giclée Reproductions go to http://www.pencilintheriver.com
  Serenity Prayer Rock at Sedona
  My Awakening Water Color
Shawn's Gate
  Rain Forest A Different Time and Place
  Troubled Waters My Dream Place
Flowers on Black Shawn's Gate Art Studio and Gallery
247 Market Street, Lockport, New York
|
