Jane Manthei is a 27-year-old self-taught autistic artist from Bryan, Texas. Her very first form of communication was through pictures. Being non-verbal, she began attending school at age 3 in College Station, learning how to communicate using the PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System). Because autistic people think in pictures, this became a more natural way for her to "speak" so that she could not only understand the world around her, but also communicate her thoughts and feelings to other people. At age 11, Jane began drawing vibrant comic stories to express her thoughts and feelings. Although, she could speak by then, she was stull not completely fluent in the spoken language. Throughout the years, she has enjoyed drawing and painting as a way to communicate all the beautiful, intricate details that she sees and feels. For the past 8 years, she has been accepting commissions for portraits and paintings.
In 2019, Jane participated in an event at the Davis Gallery in Austin, Texas called "The Possibility of Disability" which featured 3 autistic artists selling their artwork as a fundraiser for the Autism Society of America. Jane feels very honored to have her first solo exhibit at The Wynne Home. In addition, she works as an apprentice sign artist with her father, Ken Manthei, a graduate of SHSU. She also has prints and note cards of her artwork available.
For more information about Jane's exhibit, give us a call at (936)-291-5424.