KNOWAutism's 'As I Am' Art Festival will 'celebrate a day of artistry' in Houston

The KNOWAutism Foundation hosts its first "As I Am" Art Festival in Houston, which will showcase the many talents of children with autism, including more than 200 pieces of art, stilt walkers, balloon artists, vocal performances and magicians.

The festival is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 23, at the Fish Plaza at Wortham Theater Center at 501 Texas Ave.

"This event is free and open to the public," KNOWAutism said in a post to its Facebook page on May 14. "Tiffany's & Co will be providing lemonade and sweet tea to the public. They donated four Tiffany's charms as our door prizes. Look forward to seeing you to celebrate a day of artistry."

Vocal performances by KNOWAutism's arts group are also planned.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability that impairs social communication and social interaction. Autism is the fastest-growing disability nationwide with 1.54% of children in Texas alone having being diagnosed with autism between 2016 and 2017, according to an Autism Council report published in 2019.

More than 5.4 million adults, or 2.21%, in the U.S. have ASD, including almost 450,000 in Texas, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The KNOWAutism Foundation was founded in 2013 by Tammy Tran Nguyen. The foundation's purpose is to help families of children with autism navigate the process of diagnosis, treatment, intervention and education. KNOWAutism also provides financial assistance for diagnostic testing, therapeutic treatments, special interest programs and disaster relief, in addition to creating community partnerships to serve children with autism and their families.

KNOWAutism launched its pilot "As I Am" last fall in which children with autism completed 29 pieces art pieces, according to the "As I Am" Festival page on the foundation's website.

"They were amazing," the page says. "Following the pilot, it was obvious that we had provided a healthy distraction from the COVID-19 pandemic and a project that could involve families. We also learned that we had unleashed a vibrancy in our autistic children that had not been realized before. In short, there are incredible artists among our children with disabilities."

Grand Marshall of this year's event is Dr. Sippi Khurana. Co-chairs are Amy Pierce, Michelle Bohreer and Marian McClendon.