Call him ambitious. He is clear in his goals, and he dreams of what most young men dream: Independence, his own family, a successful career. He faces two challenges that he welcomes: turning art into money, and Down Syndrome.
“I dream big,” said Dylan. “This is good and not good. I want my photos to be for everyone young and old. I want people to feel the passion I feel for nature, landscapes, and classic cars as art. I want to drive my photography company into something huge and great.”
He has exhibited his work in the Berkshires with scheduled shows to come. He has worked at the Red Lion Inn through BCArc’s Employment Services, but had other ideas about making money, which led to a Mass. Dept. of Developmental Services grant called self-directed funding.
“I dream big,” said Dylan. “This is good and not good.”
Dylan’s family praised BCArc’s Adult Family Care team for supporting and embracing Dylan’s goals. Thad, the father, credited BCArc’s caseworker Ida Patella, and the nurse Angie Raciti for their valuable and steady guidance. He also named Jason Mach as a key part of the team for spending time with Dylan every week to hang out, play videos, hike, or just talk.
Dylan’s motto
Dylan recited his motto from a folk song about a Scottish Sailor : “I am hurt. But I am not slain. I bleed. But I fight on again.”
He and his dad drive through upstate New York and Vermont searching for landscapes and classic car collections. Dylan gets the benefit of his father, a professional fine art photographer with a successful career who also teaches. Asked if it gets difficult to take advice from his father, as it does for many fathers and sons, Dylan said tactfully: “He has a lot of good tips and he knows how to handle our difficult situations.”
“When they see a car, they will knock on the person’s door and ask if Dylan can photograph the car,” said Dylan’s mother Maria. “And almost always the owner is excited to show the car.”
“Last week we found a Plymouth Barracuda, a Dodge Charger, and a 1934 Chevy Street Rod,” said Dylan. “They opened up the hoods for me. One said to me that he rarely meets a person my age who understands the beauty of these cars. That felt good. I want everyone to see what I see.”
“Essentially,” said Maria, “he is educating people about Down Syndrome. He is capable and passionate and knowledgeable and his enthusiasm is infectious. When people meet him he turns upside down their perception of a person with Down Syndrome.”
Dylan also drums and proudly calls himself the modern Keith Moon of drumming. Along with keeping beats to Queen and the Beatles, he also likes, as he says, the “early crooners like Frank Sinatra.” But photography is his focus. Along with amassing a large portfolio, he plans to sell prints of his photos and postcards.
Dylan noted that a lot of his confidence and success is a result of spending quality time with his brother Nick.
“Nothing is impossible for Dylan, that’s the beauty of Dylan,” said his mother.
“This is not just an interest. This is passion. I always reach for the stars,” he said.
Sample of Dylan’s Work
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