Accessibility colors the canvas at Stony Point Art Studio

Jeannine Pelusio opened Stony Point Art Studio on Fairport’s Main Street with an eye on accessibility. The space partners with the On the Canals Accessibility Education Program and Rochester Accessible Adventures. Credit: PHOTO BY PATRICK HOSKEN

Fairport’s Stony Point Art Studio looks and functions like any gallery. But several tweaks have turned it into an accessible space for art education.

Owner Jeannine Pelusio has taught art classes for more than 20 years to all kinds of creatives, so she knows the importance of a studio’s front entrance.

At a ribbon cutting in January, she said she renovated hers to make it more accessible.

At a ribbon cutting in January, Jeannine Pelusio said she hopes the studio can “cultivate an inclusive space where creativity flourishes and artists are inspired to learn, create and connect.” Credit: PHOTO BY PATRICK HOSKEN

“There’s a 40-inch width from the door to the back of the space,” said Pelusio, a longtime art educator with a focus on inclusion. “So it’s wheelchair accessible. It’s also a no-step entry.”

Her work toward a more inclusive space comes from a place of understanding.

“The older I get, the more I understand the need for self expression, and it comes in all different forms,” she said.

Inside what was formerly a hair salon on Fairport’s Main Street, Pelusio now offers art classes for all ages and abilities.

To do that, she partnered with Anita O’Brien, the founder and executive director of Rochester Accessible Adventures. Together, they developed programming with inclusivity in mind.

“[Pelusio] is aware that people paint with their feet, they paint with their mouth,” O’Brien said. “So she’s looking at all of the accessories that people could use for that.”

O’Brien pointed to the distinction between offering accessible programming and creating a physical space that invites people of all abilities to enter.

“One of the things when we’re looking at inclusivity is who can get in there and actually participate, and then once they’re in there, how does that feel when they’re in there? How welcoming is it?” she said. “Physical access is a big part of that.”

Pelusio also widened the restroom for wheelchair access and added grab bars. The studio’s walls move on rolling casters to create room as needed.

Pelusio said she aims to hang work from local artists of all abilities on those walls.

“It should just be an assumption that the accommodations are built into the programming,” she said.

Find more information on Stony Point Art Studio’s classes and gallery shows here.

Patrick Hosken is an arts reporter at CITY. He can be reached at patrick@rochester-citynews.com.