Well, now we head to a place where creativity and community come together to uplift the human spirit in the heart of the Queen city, the Charlotte Art Center empowers adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live full expressive lives through art and employment.

Videographer Marcellus Jones and producer Russ Hunsinger, take us inside where talent, purpose, and passion shine beyond labels.

(upbeat music) - When I do art, it makes me feel excited.

- So I've always believed that people with disabilities deserve to have everything that anybody else does.

And as adults, there's not as many services for people with disabilities as when they're in school.

And everyone deserves to have a purpose.

They deserve to wake up in the morning and feel like they're accomplishing something.

Being here and being part of the work that we do is amazing because everybody here gets a commission check for all of the work that they do.

- I'm painting a U on the tree.

Well, it's full of Yogi Bear and a bear picnic.

- My name is Calin Bethune and I'm having so much fun in here with my friends.

- [Russ] What are some of the tools you like to use in art?

- Markers, color pencils, or brushes, anything that says awesome with arts and crafts.

- I love art and I love to help people.

It's just people you know.

It is like your neighbor, your family.

- We help people we support, build life skills, socialization skills.

We help with job readiness.

We help build creativity, form relationships, and that's what these day programs do.

(upbeat music) - Every single day, we have groups going out and doing outings at all kinds of locations across the Greater Charlotte area to be involved.

At the McGill Rose Garden, we are incredibly lucky to be partnered with them.

They have a whole section that is designated for our folks to go and maintain a part of that.

(somber music) - People with this population didn't have the same opportunities in the past, and it's good to see them be able to have the freedom to do what they like.

Be able to spend time in fresh air, get outta group homes, get outta the art center, and come out here and spend time with their friends.

And like I said, reconnecting with nature.

(upbeat music) - Today we are putting in flowers.

We like to get outside or here at McGill, we come here often because we need to water our plants or check on our plants and make sure they're happy.

It's a very therapeutic activity for our folks.

They get lots of pride in seeing their work.

- We make chandeliers out of mosaics, like made out of beads, metal wires.

Sometimes we do art in there too, that have a coffee shop in there.

- Art empowers people because it is a way for them to express themselves.

Not everyone communicates in the same ways, and that's whether you have a disability or not.

So art expression, it provides an opportunity for them to share their inner thoughts and able to express themselves while also being contributing members of society so that way they can make money by expressing themselves, - Seeing our folks have a chance to give back.

They're, they're often the recipients of giving and generosity from the community.

This is their opportunity to give back.