TEMPE, AZ — The rare gems at Miner’s Rock Shop in Tempe have drawn people in, but the story behind the paleoart on the wall is a different kind of uplifting discovery.
For many heading to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, a pit stop at Miner’s Rock Shop allows visitors to take home a piece of Arizona... or possibly something long before humans even walked the earth.
On the walls, the paleoart of those who lived in the prehistoric era is all signed by the same artist, ‘Alessandro.’
He’s a 15-year-old boy who is on the autism spectrum and comes from a family of artists and archeologists.
His mother Sonny Barr says he was non-verbal until he was three years old. Instead of focusing on his greatest challenges in communicating, she emphasized his strengths.
“I looked at where his gifts were, his gifts were in art,” said Barr.
What started as circle drawings of animals eventually hatched into the art of dinosaurs and prehistoric life. Talking about his art with others built his confidence in talking with other family, friends, and eventually customers.
The paintings started at $20 and went up as the prints became large canvasses.
The blank white space at times, seemed intimidating for Alessandro to know where to start. Barr said when she suggested he black-out the entire canvass and start with dark space, that helped him feel more comfortable.
Barr says some customers who left the store came back because the painting made them feel something. Other customers were in disbelief upon hearing who the artist was.
One woman didn’t believe her when she told them the story of her son, so she said, ‘Do you want to meet him?'
Just more than 20 paintings have already been shipped across the country.
“Makes me feel happy, exciting and amazing,” said Alessandro.
For the ones who worked hard as a rock, day in and day out, to make sure Alessandro has the same opportunities as everyone else – it can be overwhelming with joy.
“To see him be successful as a human being to see him being successful as an artist, it’s not easy making money as an artist doing anything,” said Barr.
If he wants, Barr says her son can one day run his own business.
In the meantime, his art is on display at Miner’s Rock Shop in Tempe, on TikTok and Instagram.