sisters and secrets in the silent world of artist Judith Scott
Judith and Joyce Scott were fraternal twins. From birth they lived as though they were one person in two bodies, understanding instinctively what the other wanted and felt, despite the fact that Judy had Down Syndrome, profound deafness, and never learned to speak or sign. But this connection ended abruptly when, at age seven, Judy was taken from their shared bed to be institutionalized while Joyce slept. For the next thirty years, Joyce grieved her unexpected loss while navigating her relationship with an emotionally distant mother. In college, Joyce became pregnant and she, too, was sent away to give birth and relinquish to adoption the secret daughter she bore in hiding. Decades later Joyce resolves to reunite with her sister and hopefully fill their remaining years with joy. After becoming Judy's legal guardian, she enrolls her in an art center for adults with disabilities. Eventually Judy connects with fiber art and works relentlessly for the next eighteen years producing fiber sculptures. Unaware of her growing fame, she remains immersed in her artistic vision until her death in 2005. Today Judith Scott's contemporary fiber art work is displayed in museums and galleries around the world.
