WHAT'S HAPPENING

SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM HONORS 50 YEARS OF CREATIVE GROWTH AIDING ARTISTS WITH DISABILITIES

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and Oakland-based Creative Growth Art Center announced today an unprecedented partnership that honors the emergence of the art and disability movement in the Bay Area and brings to the fore a critical and often overlooked aspect of the region's artistic richness.

Coinciding with Creative Growth's 50th anniversary, the partnership encompasses the acquisition of more than 100 works created by artists associated with Creative Growth; the development of two exhibitions with Creative Growth artists; and the presentation of a series of events that will be activated over the course of three years. Additionally, SFMOMA will acquire works from Creative Growth's two Bay Area peer organizations, with 31 objects from San Francisco-based Creativity Explored and 12 from Richmond-based NIAD (Nurturing Independence through Artistic Development). Together, the acquisitions make SFMOMA home to one of the largest collections of art by artists with disabilities, a historic moment of recognition for a group of artists long underrecognized by the art world.

"We are thrilled to embark on this remarkable partnership with SFMOMA that further diversifies the museum's collection to include more than 100 works by marginalized Bay Area artists," said Tom di Maria, Director Emeritus at Creative Growth Art Center. "This collaboration builds critical bridges between different communities of artists, disability activists, and cultural leaders and viewers, strengthening the artistic landscape of the Bay Area."

CITY CONQUEST: William Scott, 'Untitled,' 1998; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; The acquisitions signal a historic moment of recognition for a group of artists long underrecognized by the art world.