January 22, 2010 - Everything is oversized in the exhibition opening February 5 in the Spaulding R. Aldrich Heritage Gallery at Alternatives' Whitin Mill. From an outsized M&M to an artist's passion for their craft, participants in Alternatives' Arts and Culture Program have been living large.

Alternatives' Art & Culture Program creates opportunities for people with disabilities to make connections they wouldn't otherwise make. Through inclusive activities ranging from photography, fine art and jewelry making to dance, music and white water rafting, the Arts and Culture Program has significantly increased the number of opportunities for community collaborations for the individuals who participate.

The magnification project is just one of the activities run by Alternatives' Art and Culture Program. The Art Exploration Workshop was developed in conjunction with Creative Communications Art Studio of Leicester. Owner/Instructor Monique Pappas has guided participants through fun and unique uses of a variety of mediums for over three years.

The sculptural portion of this exhibit is the result of much planning and collaboration between workshop participants. Unexpected financial restrictions brought about an increased effort to conserve materials. For this project, materials were gathered from recycle centers, donations from community members and local companies as well as left over supplies from previous projects. The group truly followed the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle paradigm. Ninety five percent of the materials used to create these objects were recycled, reused or donated.

Utilizing this focused approach, participants were asked to choose an item they could magnify. Objects which existed on a large scale in the real world were ruled out. The closed fist of each participant became the measure of whether or not an object could be scaled up.

The results are fun and thought provoking. They are certainly one way to magnify life. Another is to encapsulate that which becomes our life's passions through more traditional means of photography, painting or through a craft like jewelry making. The scale of the objects may be very different, but the scale of their significance within each individual's life is the same. The exhibit opens with an Artists' reception on Friday, February 5 from 5 to 8 p.m.. The public is invited. Life Magnified continues through March 28 at the Spaulding R. Aldrich Heritage Gallery at Alternatives' Whitin Mill, 50 Douglas Road, Whitinsville. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nights and weekends by appointment. For information call 508-266-6502.