Academy of Special Dreams Foundation Awards for a second time a Working Artist Grant to Aspiring Painter Jhovana Cecena from Riverside, California.

Pasadena, California, October 2012 – The Academy of Special Dreams Foundation announced today the award of a Working Artist cash grant to Jhovana Cecena to further her professional career as an artist. 

Jhovana was born in January 19, 1991 in the city of Riverside California. She showed an interest in drawing at the age of 6 and has not put the pencil down since. Over the years she’s been discovering new mediums. Her favorite now is painting in acrylic. In her words “I want to paint to give money to poor people, oh yeah and buy more canvas too.”

"One way we achieve our mission to increase public awareness of the creative talents of people with disabilities is to arrange for cash grants for disabled artists who are following their dreams to participate in the Arts," said Michael Dergar, President and CEO of the Pasadena-based Academy of Special Dreams Foundation.

Thanks to our many supporters such as Patsy Herrera-Loya and her husband Mario Loya, the Academy of Special Dreams Foundation provides semi-annual web-based opportunities for the special needs community to express themselves in competitive short film visual arts and writing projects. All projects must involve or be created by members of the special needs community and the Special Academy especially seeks artists with disabilities who need financial support to promote and pursue their artistic talents.

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About the Academy of Special Dreams Foundation

The Academy of Special Dreams Foundation is a California non-profit public benefit corporation based in Pasadena, California, and is recognized as a tax-exempt IRC 501(c)(3) publicly supported charity.

The mission of the Special Academy is to increase public awareness, appreciation and recognition of the creative talents of people with disabilities by providing opportunities that encourage, promote and showcase their artistic expressions. More information about the Special Academy can be found at www.specialacademy.org.