Amoako does most of his talking with a paintbrush, piano, or microphone – and he speaks volumes through his art and music.
Over the years, Amoako, a CFS participant with I/DD, has nurtured his love of music and built a body of artwork that has earned him recognition from none other than the Metropolitan Museum of Art all the way to the United Nations Headquarters Gallery in New York City. And, this September, his work will be featured in an exhibition at MyTime, Inc.
For Amoako’s Direct Support Professional (DSP), George Marengo, Amoako’s art and love of music are more than talent. They are some of the most important ways he expresses himself.
Amoako is largely nonverbal and often finds it challenging to communicate what he is feeling to others. He also has sensory sensitivity and often wears earplugs to manage the overstimulation and anxiety caused by the clatter of the city.
But George has learned that when Amoako is deeply engrossed in his painting, music, or other activities he loves, his anxieties abate considerably.
Take karaoke. George brings Amoako to a karaoke lounge every week, making sure they arrive as soon as it opens to avoid the crowds and long waits. Because once Amoako gets started, there’s no stopping him. George remembers one day when Amoako sang 30 songs in a row for two hours straight!
“Amoako compulsively washes his hands,” George says. “But when he’s painting or deep into karaoke, that just disappears.”
Perhaps it is fitting, then, that George and Amoako’s story began with art.
George is an artist himself, specializing in abstract painting. He first met Amoako in April 2025 at a MyTime, Inc. awards event, where a friend who worked with CFS introduced them. George remembers seeing Amoako with his mother, singing and playing piano. They connected and talked about art, and several months later, Amoako’s mother reached out to ask whether George would be interested in working with her son.
George was more than happy to take on the opportunity, and the story of George and Amaoko began! By March 2026, George joined CFS as Amoako’s Community Habilitation (ComHab) staff.
From the beginning, George has worked very hard to understand Amoako: what interests him, what makes him happy, what overwhelms him, and what might open doors to new experiences for him. He has witnessed Amoako’s talent first hand and wants to help him build on it while helping him develop more independence in other areas of his life.
“He’s actually fearless. So I’m always looking to expand his horizons,” George says.
When George first started visiting Amoako’s Brooklyn apartment, he also noticed that the space could use some updating. Drawing on his former experience as a mover in New York City, George began seeking out newer furniture and other items for Amaoko through Facebook Marketplace.
That’s where he found a digital piano. The programmable piano replicated a variety of instruments and could replace an old upright piano Amoako had been using. It immediately caught George’s attention and most definitely captured Amaoko’s heart – and, it was free!
Week in and week out, Amoako’s days are always full of activities. He attends piano lessons at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and takes private online lessons. George also introduced him to dance at Mark Morris Dance Studio and helped him explore new gyms. Together, they cook, do laundry, go grocery shopping, and work on skills that support greater independence. George has taught Amoako how to use GPS, and they are even working on learning to drive.
But supporting Amoako has also taught George that expanding someone’s horizons isn’t always about pushing forward. Sometimes it means knowing when to step back.
Recently, George suggested adding speech-therapy homework to their driving-test studies. It became overwhelming for Amoako and triggered his anxiety. George gave him space. About an hour later, Amoako was calm, reassured, and ready to consider what had felt impossible just a short while earlier.
After the episode, George says he explained to Amaoko that, “He’s an adult and he’s in control of his choices. If I say something to him and he doesn’t want to do it, or it’s something that bothers him, he only has to say one word: No. And I’ll know what it means. It isn’t always about pushing him to do more. It is about recognizing what he is communicating, encouraging him when he is ready, and giving him room when he needs it.”
The more time they spend together, the more George has come to understand how much Amoako has to offer.
“He’s so sweet,” George says. “To be honest, I just love him.”
From a Childhood Talent to a Future in Art
Art has been part of Amoako’s story since childhood. After a difficult experience in high school, his mother moved him to another school, where a teacher named Miss Lacey discovered his love of drawing cartoons, including Looney Tunes characters, and introduced him to painting.
Over the years, Amoako developed his own distinctive style, and his work began reaching far beyond Brooklyn.
Earlier this year, he was invited to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, to participate in an exhibition featuring 26 savants, including artists, musicians, physicists, and mathematicians. George accompanied him for the four-day trip on his personal time.
Together, they set up Amoako’s booth, prepared prints of his artwork, and sold several pieces. George also used the opportunity to make connections with people who might help Amoako turn his talent into something more.
“We’re trying to make his art into a career for him, so he can be more independent,” George says.
That goal is important to Amoako’s family, too. He lives with his mother and brother, and his mother has spent years advocating for and supporting him. Like any mother, she thinks about his future and wants to know that Amoako can build a fulfilling, safe, and increasingly independent life of his own.
“His paintings are a chance for people to discover him, and to see what Amoako is capable of expressing,” George says.
Because while Amoako may not always have the words, he has found so many beautiful ways to make himself heard.
For Amoako, that might mean another karaoke night, playing piano, dancing, or sharing his artwork with the world. As George says, there’s always something new with Amoako – new horizons, new things to learn, new ways to share, and new ways to grow.
Whatever comes next, they plan on doing it together.
