Art, Acceptance, and Community at Beyond I CAN
On any given weekday, the studio at Beyond I CAN inside MadJax is full of movement. Clay is being kneaded. Cards are being assembled. Conversations bounce across the room as people work on their latest projects.
Aaron Hughey laughs when he describes a typical day.
“The day center is chaotic but in a good way,” he says.
Hughey serves as the program coordinator for Beyond I CAN, a creative day services program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. His work focuses on helping the day center run smoothly and supporting the staff and individuals who spend their days creating there.
“It can be messy,” he says with a smile. “But it’s fantastic. Because that mess is 45 people out there doing different things, but doing it together.”
From a School Program to a Creative Community
The roots of Beyond I CAN go back more than two decades.
The program began in 2003 as a school initiative within Muncie Community Schools called I CAN. It served students with special needs. But when those students graduated, families faced a difficult question.
“What do we do now?” Hughey explains. “Their kids were now adults, and they were bored.”
The founder of the program responded by creating Beyond I CAN, a day program designed specifically for adults with disabilities. The goal was simple but powerful. Give people a place where they can stay active, creative, and connected to the community.
The founder identified a partner in Child Adult Resource Services, which helped carry the mission forward. Today, the program continues to grow as a creative and social space for individuals ages 18 and older.
Finding a Home at MadJax
Beyond I CAN moved into MadJax nearly seven years ago, first in a temporary upstairs space while their current studio was being built out. The organization settled into its current location in January 2020.
Hughey says the move made sense for two major reasons.
“One is the art community here,” he says. “That’s exactly what we need to build us up and support us. Being right in the center of such a big art space is a perfect opportunity.”
The second reason is location. MadJax sits in the heart of downtown Muncie, which makes it easier for participants to stay connected to the wider community.
“We’re just so centralized,” Hughey says. “We can walk to places instead of always using our vehicles. Whether it’s the YMCA, churches, or community events, we’re right here in the middle of everything.”
The Meaning Behind the Art
Inside the Beyond I CAN studio, creativity takes many forms. Participants make pottery, handmade cards, bracelets, diamond art, and other crafts, many of which are sold in the gift shop inside their MadJax space.
“It’s an open gift shop,” Hughey says. “A great place to find unique gifts. Everything here has been handmade by the individuals.”
Sales go back into the program to purchase materials like clay and glazes so the artists can keep creating.
But the artwork represents more than something to sell. For many participants, it is also a way to express themselves.
“A lot of our individuals struggle with how to express themselves,” Hughey says. “Art gives them a way to communicate.”
For Bianca, that creativity shows up in pottery. She rolls small balls of clay and presses them into pots to create textured designs, completing each piece from start to finish.
When someone buys her work, she says it simply.
“It feels good.”
Hughey says moments like that represent something bigger.
“I think the biggest thing it provides is acceptance,” he says. “That feeling of creating something on their own and having the community acknowledge that it’s unique and beautiful.”
More Than a Day Center
“There’s never a dull moment,” Hughey says.
When asked to sum up what Beyond I CAN represents, he answers with a single word.
“Community.”
Beyond I CAN continues to expand opportunities for its artists.
Soon, two participants who have developed strong pottery skills will begin helping lead workshops at MadJax.
“They’ve mastered it, and they love to teach,” he says. “This is an opportunity for them to show the public their passion and maybe inspire someone else.”
Inside their studio at MadJax, that community is constantly creating something new.
