Seth Chwast, a 2005 graduate of the Monarch school for Children and Adolescents with Autism and a graduate of Cleveland Heights High School, has become known locally and nationally for his colorful paintings.

At Monarch, speech pathologist Christina Stancato worked on problem solving with Seth, as well as language.“What Seth needed most was in the world was language,” says his mother, Debra Chwast. “He had words, but no language.” A dramatic change came in 2003, when at age 20 Seth took an oil painting class at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Soon after, he began painting regularly in a studio at the Monarch School, with artist/mentors hired by Debra Chwast. She says “I wanted him to have meaning in his life, admiration, a sense of accomplishment.” Stancato helped each artist communicate effectively with Seth.

Now graduated from Monarch and 24 years old, Seth paints daily in a studio he shares with other artists or in his home studio, communicating through his art and through the words he speaks and writes about it. A prolific artist, his paintings fill nearly every wall of the home he shares with his mother, Debra. His paintings have been purchased and commissioned by prominent art collectors and loyal patrons and are included the collections of The Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve’s University Hospitals, and The Cleveland Foundation, as well as The Francis J. Greenburger Collection in New York, as well as in Nashville, Aspen, and San Francisco.

To learn more about Seth's journey, his upcoming exhibits or to see his artwork visit www.sethchwastart.com. Follow this link to learn more about the Monarch School.