At the age of 3, Malcolm Corley, a Hempfield senior, was diagnosed with PDD-NOS, At about the same time, he began to draw the sketches from Blue’s Clues. Recreations of Dr. Seuss’s illustrations came next, some of which he drew from memory.
He has been blessed to work with excellent instructors who have nurtured his artistic talent. Highlights include receiving art awards in elementary and middle school, having his art hung in the Hempfield Administration building, and winning a gold medal for his oil painting, “Kiana.”
A few years ago, Malcolm became obsessed with visiting a Dutch amusement park he’d seen online. www.malcolmstiles.com was born in August, 2015 as a way to fund his dream. By January of 2017, he had sold enough hand-drawn tiles to travel to Europe with his mother and his sister. Malcolm continues to sell his work online and at local craft shows. He was also invited to be a recurring vendor at the State College National Autism Convention
When he’s not drawing or painting, Malcolm loves to indulge his eclectic musical tastes—Al Jarreau, Michael Jackson, Handel, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, rap and classic rock, to name a few. He also likes to perform, occasionally playing drumset or singing in church, either solo or with the choir (he takes private lessons with Rebecca Achenbach and can sing in 6 languages). In addition, Malcolm likes zumba (Gold’s Gym) and tap (Encore Dance). And he’ll never turn down a party if there’s music and—above all else– pizza.