"SFMOMA's investment marks a historic milestone in the contemporary art world," said Ginger Shulick Porcella, Executive Director at Creative Growth Art Center. "It has been far too long that art institutions have ignored or underrecognized artists with disabilities. These talented creators can no longer be relegated to the category of 'outsider artists' as they firmly occupy the walls of museums worldwide."
Creative Growth was founded in 1974 by Elias Katz and Florence Ludins-Katz as a pioneering non-profit art center providing a platform for artists with disabilities to express themselves. One of the first U.S. organizations dedicated to supporting artists with disabilities, Creative Growth serves as an international model for the field of art and disability. The organization remains artist-run, serves over 140 artists in its studio weekly, and presents artists' work in galleries and exhibition venues around the globe. NIAD (Nurturing Independence through Artistic Development) and Creativity Explored were also founded by the Katzes – in 1982 and 1983 respectively – and are similarly devoted to artists with developmental disabilities. The three organizations, with their trailblazing histories and deep connections to decades of practicing artists, are together one of the most distinguishing facets of the Bay Area arts ecology and equally hold international importance.
"We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with a groundbreaking organization like Creative Growth and to establish another lasting relationship with a cultural leader in our community. This partnership celebrates the work of an extraordinary group of artists as well as the visionaries who have championed them for decades, well before the international art world began to take critical notice. We are thrilled to provide an additional platform for the work of these highly talented creators and to bring much deserved visibility to their distinct voices, perspectives and works," said Christopher Bedford, the Helen and Charles Schwab Director of SFMOMA. "This partnership is part of our ongoing effort to fulfill SFMOMA's vision to present and collect a more diverse range of artists, expanding our understanding of art history and the narratives and artists that have shaped it. It is one important step of many in the museum's overdue commitment to prioritize accessibility and artists with disabilities."
EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS
In 2024, SFMOMA will open an exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Creative Growth and featuring a selection from the 114 works by 10 Creative Growth artists acquired by the museum this fall. Among the artists are Joseph Alef, Camille Holvoet, Susan Janow, Dwight Mackintosh, John Martin, Dan Miller, Donald Mitchell, Judith Scott, William Scott and Ron Veasey. The exhibition will also include gifts and promised gifts, as well as a selection of archival materials. Together, the works date from 1980 to 2022, and range in media from acrylic and oil pastel to video, ceramic, drawings and papier-mâché.
The exhibition program will also include a commission by Creative Growth artist William Scott, as part of SFMOMA's ongoing Bay Area Walls series. Well-known for his paintings and drawings of detailed cityscapes that express faith and hope in San Francisco, as well as portraits of family members, public figures and fantasy people, Scott will create a mural at the entryway to SFMOMA's second floor galleries, located within SFMOMA's free art-filled public space.
SFMOMA will also host a series of events with Creative Growth, including the 5th annual Creative Growth Creating Community symposium. Several talks for the symposium will be jointly organized by Creative Growth and SFMOMA; talks will be hosted both at SFMOMA and in Oakland in Spring 2024. The museum will additionally host Creative Growth's extraordinary Beyond Trend Gala, marking the organization's milestone anniversary. The gala is slated to include the annual must-see showcase that features original designs created and modeled by Creative Growth artists.•
UNIQUE VISION: (Above left) Dwight Mackintosh, 'Untitled,' 1988; (Above right) Ron Veasy, 'Untitled,' ND; "This partnership celebrates the work of an extraordinary group of artists as well as the visionaries who have championed them for decades, well before the international art world began to take critical notice."