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Sher Stewart
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Sher Stewart of Memphis ADAPT
is attending her tenth national action since her first action in Atlanta in 1996. Most everyone in ADAPT
and the Independent Living movement know of
Sher because of her sepia pencil work Patriots of the ADA printed during the
1990 Americans with Disabilities Act 10th anniversary events. The piece, in the Smithsonian collection, depicts many important figures in the Independent Living movement, like Ed Roberts and Judy
Heumann, as well as significant figures in the passage of the ADA, like Even Kemp and Justin Dart. |
Of course, most of the patriots are ADAPT
members like Wade Blank, Stephanie Thomas, Diane Coleman, Frank Lozano, Bob Kafka and Mike
Auberger. To help raise money for the action in San Francisco, Sher has designed a Patriots of the ADA tee-shirt that highlights ADAPT. Additionally,
Sher knows how indispensable art is to social movements and is providing a limited number of shirts that have been individually tinted by the artist.
"I hope to create a pictorial history of ADAPT," says Sher. "If you have a mental image of the heroes and leaders of ADAPT
you can explain 'I was with them when they did this.'" |
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One autobiographical event depicted in Sher's work, Patriots of the ADA, was her arrest a couple of years ago. At the action in Washington DC this particular time,
Sher was the only person arrested for a non-violent civil disobedient traffic violation. Officer
K.M. Allen detained her alone with literally hundreds of ADAPT
activists blocking traffic.
Sher keeps an eye out when ADAPT
goes to DC. She is able to spot Officer Allen at most of the targets and feels that he has an axe to grind with ADAPT. |
| Recently Sher has donated a beautiful likeness of Justin Dart to the Memphis Center for Independent Living. The artwork is done in pencil and hangs in the foyer of MCIL.
Sher's creative mind is always full of ideas. Sher suggested Justin Dart buttons as a further fundraising plan and collectable buttons of others portrayed in the Patriots of the ADA. |
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- Tim Wheat
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