7 minute read
MADE IN CORONADO
Driven by passion
Artist with autism advocates for animals, environmental concerns in his works
Advertisement
By CATHERINE GAUGH
Jack Medved is an artist who specializes in his favorite subjects: animals and environmental advocacy.
As a toddler, Jack Medved was diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder. Autistic spectrum disorder refers to a range of developmental disabilities, and it affects everyone differently. Medved lost his fine motor skills. After years of therapy, concentration and practice, the 25-year-old Coronado resident is now an accomplished artist.
His achievements include a residency and collaborations with local artists through the Revision Creative Arts Program. His work was part of the first Radical Inclusion Traveling Art Exhibition, a project started in
KEL CASEY
« The mural of colorful animals on the side of a structure at Whispering Winds Catholic camp in the Cuyamaca Mountains is one of two whole-wall artworks Jack Medved has painted in San Diego County. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARIA NAGY
COURTESY OF MARIA NAGY
Medved works on a mural at Whispering Winds camp near Julian.
JACK MEDVED
2019 by writer Andrea Moriarty, who has a son with autism. It’s an effort by several galleries and studios to spotlight emerging artists.
Medved has painted whole-wall murals at Whispering Winds camp near Julian and Ride Above Disability Therapeutic Riding Center in Poway. He has produced stickers, pins, specialty T-shirts and an endangered animals coloring book (a second edition is coming soon). All are for sale at Revision (revisionsandiego.com/shop).
“It all began many memories ago,” Medved said of his interest in art. “I was always good at trying stuff. But one day, I had a problem: I was not as good as I thought. It took a lot of time and practice to build up my confidence.
“Sometimes I draw things from a picture in my head. When I am looking at something, I draw the design exactly right.”
With help from his parents Maria Nagy and Marko Medved, he appears in and narrates videos of a wide range of animals at the San Diego Zoo. He shares fun facts about the creatures and their habitats. The videos, which appear on an Instagram channel, are fun to watch, as Medved’s commentary is both interesting and humorous. (instagram.com/jacksanimalfunfacts)
“The videos are a big hit around here,” Medved said. “I have a great sense of humor.”
For example, he quips that you can tell alpacas from others in the llama family by “their cute hairdos.” Watching the tree- and post-swinging antics of the siamang gibbon, Medved says, “Now that’s what I call a jungle gym!”
“I am the greatest animal expert …. in my family,” he added with a smile.
Nagy, an advocate for the special needs community, said, “Jack is an artist who experiences autism.” That allows him to see the world in a unique way. Medved studies topics of interest with great intensity and depth, and he can retain the information, she said.
His work includes several mixed media
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARIA NAGY
“Jack’s Endangered Animals Coloring Book” (top) will soon have a second edition. Medved was commissioned to paint a piece (above) for the cover of the book “Beyond Awareness.” projects, such as the “Harmony Ferry,” a kind of updated Noah’s Ark with pairs of animals and Medved as the lookout in front. He’s also painted a scene of the rainforest in Africa’s Congo Basin, “the second largest rainforest in the world,” he explained. “Have a Heart for the Earth” is a global view of the planet with the continents and oceans made from a hundred-plus paper hearts. And a fanciful illustration of “Humphrey, the Lost Whale,” is based on a true story about a juvenile humpback whale that swam into San Francisco Bay, the Sacramento River and other California coastal areas for short visits in 1985 and 1990.
Some of Medved’s works are the results of collaborations with local artists including Hanna Gundrum and Amanda Saint Claire.
During COVID-19 shutdowns, Medved did sidewalk chalk drawings to lift not only his own spirits, but also those of his neighbors. One message: “Everything will be okay.”
He is always learning, whether it be about animals, art or anything he finds interesting.
The artist plans to design new T-shirts and newborn clothing with his animal drawings as well as make longer videos for a YouTube channel and podcasts about wildlife conservation. He hopes to soon have a gallery showing of his work. Medved also is looking to design more murals in the area; his mother mentioned the possibility of painting on city utility boxes.
Painting images on big public spaces is challenging, he said. In his previous efforts at the camp and horse stables, he first painstakingly drew outlines of the animals he wanted to show.
“Then it gets a little harder,” Medved said. “It takes a lot of concentration. That’s the key to getting it right. It takes a while to fill everything in [with paint]. It is a messy job.”
Outdoor murals offer the greatest opportunity to educate people about the most important message he advocates.
“The murals are all about taking care of the environment: conservation, recycling and protecting animal habitats,” Medved said. “You can say I am an animal lover. There are so many amazing animals in countries all over the world. They really need protection, especially of their habitats.”
“We all share the same world. We should take care of it. Humans and animals are all earthlings.” ■
Catherine Gaugh is a freelance writer.
Spirit of cooperation
Initiative designed to bring community together
By LESLIE CRAWFORD
It has been a rough couple of years with the pandemic and the country’s divisiveness spilling down to the local level.
Many residents are tired of the negativity and want to find a place of common ground and positive action. A new initiative, One Town, One Team, is aiming to help that happen. And it’s catching on around town. You may have seen a flag or a T-shirt bearing the phrase.
No one owns the concept, so anyone can be part of One Town, One Team. That includes schools, nonprofits and clubs — and even families and individuals.
“One Town, One Team really hit home with me. Everything in Coronado is so interrelated, and I really love how this simple statement reminds us to step back and look at the big picture and recognize how exceptional our town is,” said Rena
Clancy, executive director of the Coronado Chamber of Commerce.
Maria Simon, public information officer for the Coronado Unified School District, has taken on the role of being the point of contact for One Town, One Team.
“Coming out of the pandemic, I feel like there has been what feels like a collective sigh,” Simon said. “People are ready to feel connected to each other and their community. You can feel it at gatherings like Concerts in the Park; you can definitely feel it in our schools.”
The One Town, One Team concept didn’t originate in Coronado. It’s been used across the country and has been popular with sports teams nationwide. Several local entities considered ways to bring the community together and this idea took hold in July. It gives people a place to meet in the middle and work collaboratively toward the greater good.
“I have had the privilege of sitting down and sharing the One Town, One Team logos with community leaders, individuals and businesspeople,” Simon said. “The best part of those conversations was watching and listening to every one’s reaction. People really connect with the visual right away, it’s often an emotional response.”
The One Town, One Team website (onetownoneteam92118.com), which the Coronado Schools Foundation volunteered to host, includes the branding kit for One Town, One Team. Anyone can use it to create T-shirts, stickers or other personalized items. Local merchants are creating products for purchase with the phrase. Those businesses are listed on the website, too.
Coronado is “a place where there is much to celebrate. We are one of the most philanthropic, lively and livable communities in the state. One Town, One Team embodies the sentiment that represents our unified community. Whether you live in Coronado or come here to work, learn or play… we are all Islanders when we are in the 92118,” Simon said, referring to the Coronado High School mascot.
A small slogan is ready to make a big impact. ■
