Nov 26, 2025 – San Marino Tribune News
Art Expo Offers Visibility in ‘Be the Miracle’
By Natalie Miranda, Nov 26, 2025, Updated Dec 3, 2025
Delivering a message without a single word is a gift — a mark of an artist who has something to say.
Twenty-seven canvases with intense color, unfiltered emotion and distinct visuals spoke volumes at the “Be the Miracle” Charity Art Expo on Nov. 15, with each artwork created by a child with autism and developmental differences.
The art expo was hosted by the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women — Southern California Chapter (GFCBWSCC) in collaboration with IN YOU — Art for Good, Cornerstone, and Villa Esperanza Services, which opened its doors to the approximately 100 guests who came out to support the event.
The occasion was a celebration of the creativity of the featured artists who are not always recognized for their unique gifts.
GFCBWSCC President Mindy Ying, a San Marino resident, said she believes the art expo helped reshape the way neurodiverse individuals are perceived.
“Many guests left with a deeper understanding of their extraordinary abilities, and with a renewed desire to support them,” Ying said. “It felt like the beginning of a movement — a community choosing to ‘See the Miracle, Be the Miracle’ in everyday life. We are honored to help ignite this momentum toward greater inclusion, understanding, and hope for the future.”
Many autistic individuals possess remarkable abilities: intense focus, strong visual-spatial reasoning, extraordinary attention to detail. They see the world with unusual clarity — noticing patterns others miss, sustaining concentration others may find impossible. Yet these gifts are not always seen as such, obscured by a communication gap between different ways of experiencing the world.
Connie Sun, who founded Cornerstone, puts it plainly: “The problem is not ability; it is access.”
The distinction shifts the burden from people who communicate differently to a society that hasn’t yet learned their language.
Milestones matter. To the outside world, a first word or meaningful interaction might seem small, but to families navigating autism, these milestones are everything.
Gioia Pastre, vice president of Villa Esperanza Services, said each one of them is worthy of celebration.
“Every child deserves to be seen with gentleness and dignity,” Pastre said.
The statistics are stark: 85% of autistic adults remain unemployed, their talents overlooked, their potential untapped. But Shana Tan, founder of IN YOU — Art for Good, sees something different when she looks at those numbers — an abundance of underestimated ability.
Her approach is unconventional: harness art, merge it with AI technology. The goal is to make visible what has long been hidden — the creativity that exists but goes unrecognized because the world hasn’t known how to look for it.
“Through art, AI technology, and cross-sector collaboration, we’re transforming hidden creativity into opportunities the world can finally recognize,” she said.
For Tan, the exhibition unfolding around her represented something larger than simply an art show — it was a blueprint for change.
“Today is more than an exhibition,” Tan added. “It is a movement — a new wave of art-driven, tech-powered social impact.”
As spectators viewed the art, they felt the emotion circulating around them. “Every corner of this place is filled with love,” guest Jia Jia said.
The overarching theme of the expo — “See the Miracle, Be the Miracle” — resonated with many, including Ying.
“Its message — one eye looking inward to recognize our God-given gifts, and one eye looking outward to serve others — truly captures the heart of the event,” she said.
One of the artists, Kelvin Sui, reflected on his passion to create.
“Drawing makes me feel happy,” Sui said. “When I learned that my artwork could help people, it made me even happier. So I just wanted to draw something that came from my heart — something that feels bright and positive.”
He added: “When I finished the painting, my mom told me, ‘One painting at a time.’ That helped me remember that I only need to focus on one thing at a time, and do my best. Hearing that made me feel proud of myself and confident to keep creating more.”
At the art expo, Sui recalled the response to his artwork, which he donated to the event’s live auction.
“My favorite moment was seeing people look at my painting and clap,” he said. “I liked hearing the applause. It made me feel encouraged and made me want to keep painting more.”
The live auction didn’t just raise funds — it united the room.
Led by Claudia Lin and Anita Huang, paddles were raised in support of not only the art itself, but the artists who made them.
Each paddle that shot up felt powerful. It filled the room with a strong sense of community.
When the highest bid hit $1,000, the moment was met with joyful applause and cheering.
At the end of the day, artists and guests alike chanted in unison: “See the Miracle, Be the Miracle!”
The words were both a declaration and a promise — to continue being the miracle they were born to be.