Today we’d like to introduce you to Bonnie Reber.
Hi Bonnie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Bonnie Reber and we have a daughter named Grace who is 24 with Down syndrome. Grace has always loved doing art. During Covid we saw her doing this repetitive pattern of art she called WORK. We decided to do something nice to others that might be lonely or sick and sent out bundles of cards to people asking them to share a note with someone. This was just a great success by giving Grace opportunities for growth in her office , art and communication skills. Grace was completing her public school program and we didn’t know what we were going to do so we decided to turn her art into cards and build a website so we can tell her story! That is where GracePlace Art business begin. The business has grown and she continues to make art and sold on her website!!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Challenges we have faced are having the business in our home and it takes up a lot of space. We recently moved and it has the space we need. Grace is not very social so getting videos for social media has been quite challenging too.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have become the best art teacher for her as I was a former teacher and know best how to communicate with her. We will scroll through books, magazines, Pinterest etc and find something we like. I then have to practice the art and figure out how to explain it to her and then she can paint it and put her own little twist in each one. Grace takes great pride that she had signs every single card she makes.
What are your plans for the future?
We have been fortunate to work with some bigger companies that use her art and will tell her story. This is an area we are working in now. We are also getting some wholesale accounts all across the USA.
Pricing:
- A2 boxset of cards- $24.95
- A7 boxset of cards -$30.00
- individual cards -$5.00
- we also have candles, tags and wrapping paper
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.graceplaceart.com
- Instagram: graceplaceart
- Facebook: graceplaceart
- LinkedIn: graceplaceart
Image Credits
Bonnie Reber
Ana Netto
Grace Reber