Autism Diagnosis Puts Axtell Print Maker On A New Path

As the days pass the anxiety level increases for Beth Hanson, 33, of Axtell.
Although she is a third of a way toward the $6,500 she must raise for Kickstarter funding, only five weeks remain before the May 26 deadline.  
She must hit the mark or her Autism Art Project will not be funded.
The project emerged from a mother’s heartbreak and her desperation to tell a story­ through her art.  A story that centers around Beth’s 3 1/2 year old son, Derek and her determination to bring him back from the abyss that is autism.
The Autism Art Project began with a single art piece created after her son was diagnosed with autism at 20 months.  
Beth Hanson is a print maker. She has three art degrees, including a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Comprehensive Studio Art, a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and a Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the University of Tulsa.  She primarily creates monotypes by building up numerous layers of ink on a sheet of paper.
“Originally, I wasn’t planning on doing any project,” said Beth. “I went down to Tulsa, where I went to grad school, as basically, an escape. It was three months after he was diagnosed and I just needed to get away for a little bit, because the last nine months had been a nightmare.  At the time, I couldn’t even get Derek to make eye contact.  I was literally watching my son disappear day by day.”  
While in Tulsa, Beth created the first piece, “Look At Me”, a monotype print of Derek.

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