Exploring Spasticity: learn About Advocacy Resources

VISUAL ARTS CENTERS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

The following art centers provide artists with disabilities the opportunity to learn how to produce art through training by professional artists. Typically, the visual art centers are designed to provide the artist with art studio space to create their work, an opportunity to exhibit their work, and a gallery to sell their work. Some visual art centers offer mainstream or inclusive art experiences, others offer specialized programs for individuals with disabilities.

Accessible Arts, Inc
Alan Short Center
Art Enables
Braille Institute
Creative Growth Art Center
Creative Spirit Art Center
Creativity Explored
Creativity Unlimited
Dancing Tree
District 7 HRDC GROWTH THRU ART
Exceptional Children's Foundation Art Center
First Street ../ Art Center
Gateway Arts Vinfen
Center for Accessible Technology (Integrated Arts)
Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts
Intersection for the Arts
Koyemsi Designs
NIAD
Neighborhood Center of the Arts
Options for Individuals
Passion Works
Short Center South
SoHo Artists
Southern Exposure
Southside Art Center
St. Madeleine Sophie's Center
The Arts of Life
The Enrichment Center
The Little City Foundation Multidisciplinary Art Center
The Marnie Paul Arts Center
The Studio
UCP of Central Ohio (Cincinnati)
UCP of Baton Rouge
UCP of Rhode Island
Visionaries And Voices
VSA arts
William Grants Still Art Center
Yerba Buena Center for The Arts

VISUAL ARTS CENTERS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES:

Accessible Arts, Inc

Martin English
Executive Director
1100 State Ave
Kansas City, KS 66102
Phone: (913) 281-1133
TTY: (913) 281-1133
Fax: (913) 281-1515
Email: accarts@accessiblearts.org
Internet: http://accessiblearts.org

Accessible Arts is a non-profit organization that works with educators and other caregivers, organizations, and institutions such as museums and galleries to facilitate making all the arts accessible to and participatory for persons with disabilities--especially children. The mission of Accessible Arts, Inc. is to champion the arts for children with disabilities and advocate access to the arts.

Alan Short Center

Yvonne Soto
Director
928 E. Rose St
Stockton, CA 95202
Phone: (209) 948-5759
Fax: (209) 948-9042
Email: ascddsostk@aol.com
Internet: http://www.ddso.org

The Alan Short Center, a division of Developmental Service Organization, supports adults with developmental disabilities who have requested services to live, recreate and work in their community. Their purpose is to provide opportunities for consumers to make their own choices and decisions regarding everyday life, and to provide opportunities to contribute to their community through community association, volunteer activities, the arts, and work.

Joyce A. Muis-Lowery
Director
65 I (Eye) Street SW
Washington, DC 20024
Phone: (202) 554-9455
Fax: (202) 237-8903
Email: info@art-enables.org
Internet: http://www.art-enables.org/

The mission of Art Enables is to help adults with developmental and/or mental disabilities pursue the creation of outsider and folk art as a way of developing their skills, achieving self-expression, finding a meaningful role in society and moving toward economic independence.

Braille Institute

Rosalie Copeland
Art Program Specialist
741 North Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90029
Phone: (323) 663-1111 ext: 325
Fax:(323) 663-0867
Email: info@brailleinstitute.org
Internet: http://www.brailleinstitute.org
Ages Served: Children and adults

The Braille Institute of America is a private, non-profit organization providing free programs and services for Southern California residents who are blind or visually impaired. The Institute has a creative arts program which enables individuals who are legally blind to develop skills that lead to independence, personal expression, and social community involvement.

Creative Growth Art Center

Tom di Maria
Executive Director
355 24th Street
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (510) 836-2340 ext. 13
Fax: (510) 836-0769
Email: info@creativegrowth.org
Internet: http://www.creativegrowth.org

The Creative Growth Art Center was founded in 1974. The center provides a national model for the integration of the visual arts into the lives of individuals with physical, emotional, developmental, and mental disabilities.

Creative Spirit Art Center

122 Wells Street
Toronto Ontario, M5R 1P4
Phone: (416) 588-8801
Fax: (416) 588-8966
Email: csac@creativespirit.on.ca
Internet: http://www.creativespirit.on.ca
Creative Spirit Art Center's for persons with disabilities.

Creativity Explored

Amy Taub
Executive Director
3245 16th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: (415) 863-2108
Fax: (415) 863-1655
Email: info@creativityexplored.org
Internet: http://www.creativityexplored.org

Creativity Explored is a visual arts center for adults with developmental disabilities. The purpose of the center is to provide a stimulating open-space studio environment in which the members/artists can express themselves. Member artists participate in a six day open studio program supervised by a professional staff of trained artists.

Creativity Unlimited

Katie Hutton
Acting Director
2715 Union Ave
San Jose, CA 95124
Phone: (408) 559-1847
Fax: (408) 559-1842
Email: cudc@att.net

Creativity Unlimited Diquist Center is a fine arts and education center for adults with mental, physical, and developmental disabilities. The nonprofit program provides a stimulating open-space studio environment in which the students can develop proficiency in artistic skills for personal expression. The program participants are instructed by professionally trained artists.

Dancing Tree

Amanda Coslor
Co- Founder
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: (510) 610-8915
Email: info@thedancingtree.org
Internet: http://www.thedancingtree.org/index.html

The Dancing Tree is an alliance of visual and performing artists who advocate for the artistic and human rights of people with disabilities. They develop body and spatial awareness, and the practice of self-understanding and acceptance, through movement, rhythm and visual art.

District 7 HRDC GROWTH THRU ART

Ian Elliot
Program Director
3116 First Avenue North
P.O. Box 2016
Billings, MT 59103
Phone: (406) 247-4785
Fax: (406) 248-4791
Email: growththruart@imt.net
Internet: http://www.imt.net/~dist7hrdc/growth.htm

Growth Thru Art offers arts programs in the performing arts, and visual arts for individuals with disabilities.

Exceptional Children's Foundation Art Center

8740 W. Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: (310) 204-3300
Fax: (310) 845-8001
Email: rreid@ecf.net
Internet: http://www.ecfartcenter.com

The Exceptional Children's Foundation Art Center offers professional arts training, studio facilities, creative arts, educational programs, rehabilitation, and vocational opportunities. Over the years, the Art Center program has become nationally recognized for the exemplary work produced by artists with developmental disabilities.

First Street ../ Art Center

Rebecca Hamm
Program Director
250 West First Street, Ste. 120
Claremont, CA 91711
Phone: (909) 626-5455
Email: rebecca_hamm@mail.tierradelsol.org
Internet: http://www.tstonramp.com/fsgac/

The First Street Gallery Art Center was opened in 1989 by Tierra del Sol, a private non-profit foundation. In the studio/classroom, professional artists provide instruction in drawing, painting, ceramics, and printmaking.

Gateway Arts Vinfen

Rae Edelson
Director
60-62 Harvard Street
Brookline, MA 02445
Phone: (617) 734-1577
Fax: (617) 734-3199
Email: jonesm@vinfen.org
Internet: http://www.gatewayarts.org

Gateway Arts provides creative, alternative vocational training and programs for adults with developmental and other disabilities such as mental retardation, head injury, autism, and visual and auditory defects. Goals of the art center are: prevocational and professional training in the arts, participation in the design studio, development of a line of work, competition in juried shows, sales, and publications.

Center for Accessible Technology (Integrated Arts)

Verna Lim
Associate Director
2547 8th Street, #12A
Phone: (510) 841-3224
TTY: (510) 841-5621
Fax: (510) 841-7956
Internet: http://www.csorat.org

Center for Accessible Technology (IArts), located in Berkeley, California, increases opportunities for people with and without disabilities to define and express themselves through the arts. IArts brings people with and without disabilities together by providing creative art-making opportunities.

Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts

Jeanne Calvit
Director
212 Third Avenue North, Suite 140
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 339-5145 ext. 12
Fax: (612) 339-7762
Email: icvpal@aol.com
Internet: http://www.interactcenter.com

Interact is a non-profit center for artists with disabilities. Through Interacts day program, actors, musicians, visual artists, and writers are able to develop skills, perform, and exhibit their work.

Intersection for the Arts

Deborah Cullinan
Executive Director
446 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: (415) 626-2787
Fax: (415) 626-1636
Email: info@theintersection.org
Internet: http://www.theintersection.org

Intersection is San Francisco's oldest alternative art space and presents new works in literature, theater, visual and interdisciplinary arts. We provide a place where provocative ideas, diverse art forms, artists and audiences can intersect one another. We are committed to involving people who are disabled with opportunities to participate in our programs as artists, volunteers, and audience members.

Koyemsi Designs

Cheryl Coronado-Bruton
Director
Alpine Resource, Inc.
P.O. Box 3418
Flagstaff, AZ 86003-3418
Phone: (928) 527-8489
Fax: (928) 527-1908
Email: Koydesign@hotmail.com
Internet: http://www.koyemsidesigns.com/

Koyemsi Designs is a unique vocational program provided by Alpine Resource, Inc which offers a unique artistic outlet program for Native Americans with developmental disabilities. One of the program's goals is to facilitate self sufficiency for the artists. The creations are Native American designs that help the artists develop their cultural heritage.

Patt Coleman
Executive Director
551 23rd Street
Richmond, CA 94804
Phone: (510) 620-0290
Fax: (510) 620-0326
Email: admin@naidart.org
Internet: http://www.niadart.org

NIAD's mission is to provide an art program for people with disabilities that promotes creativity, independence, dignity and community integration. Programs include the visual arts, poetry, computer literacy and independent living skills. The staff is composed of professional, working artists.

Neighborhood Center of the Arts

Ellen Persa
Executive Director
200 Litton Drive, Suite 212
Grass Valley, CA 95945
Phone: (530) 272-7287
Fax: (530) 272-7688
Email: nca@nccn.net
Internet: http://www.neighborhoodcenterofthearts.com/

Neighborhood Center of the Arts was founded in 1984 to provide adults with developmental disabilities a vehicle to achieve independence and community integration through the arts. The artists at NCA work in a variety of disciplines. Instructors are professional artists with college degrees and exhibition records.

Options for Individuals

Karen Baker
Director
2418 South 4th Street
Louisville, KY 40208
Phone: (502) 636-9198
Fax: (502) 636-9190

Options for Individuals provides services to 30 adults with severe developmental disabilities. Their mission is to provide a day-service program for adults with developmental disabilities which encourages each individual to grow and develop according to his/her own capacities.

Passion Works

Patty Mitchell
Director
21 S. Campbell Street
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: (740) 592-6659
Fax: (740) 594-7814
Email: patty@passionworks.org
Internet: http://www.passionworks.org

Passion Works Studio supports collaborative opportunities for artists with and without developmental disabilities.

Short Center South

Paul Sershon
Director
1250 Suttersville Road
Sacramento, CA 95822
Phone: (916) 737-2397
Fax: (916) 737-6145
Email: shortsouth@aol.com
Internet: http://www.ddso.org

The Short Center South offers art classes for individuals with disabilities.

SoHo Artists

2310 1st Ave.
Hibbing, MN 55746
Phone: (218) 263-9230
Fax: (218) 263-9240
Email: sohoart@uclink.com
Internet: http://www.rangecentersohoart.com

Range Center's SoHo Artists began as a group of adults with disabilities exploring creative expression in the arts. Artists participate in drawing, painting, printing, and puppetry sessions. SoHo Artists also own a computerized graphic arts business and are able to reproduce visual art images on marketable items.

Southern Exposure

Jen Lovvorn
Director of Gallery Program Administration
401 Alabama Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: (415) 863-2141
Fax: (415) 863-1841
Email: soex@soex.org
Internet: http://www.soex.org

Southern Exposure is non profit, artist-run organization that reaches out to diverse audiences and serves as a forum and resource center providing support to the Bay Areas' arts and educational communities. They offer programs in the visual arts. Individuals with disabilities are included in their art programs.

Southside Art Center

Robin Rhoades
Executive Director
8001 B Fruitridge Road
Sacramento, CA 95820
Phone: (916) 387-8080
Fax: (916) 387-2379
Email: info@southsideartcenter.com
Internet: http://www.southsideartcenter.com

The Southside Art Center offers a multitude of choices for individuals with developmental disabilities in the program. The classes represent a diversification of the typical art program, by providing opportunities for both art and non-art experiences.

St. Madeleine Sophie's Center

Beth Ann Levendoski
Human Resources Director
2119 East Madison Ave
El Cajon, CA 92019-1111
Phone: (619) 442-5129
Fax: (619) 442-2590
Email: able@stmsc.org
Internet: http://www.stmsc.org

The mission of St. Madeline Sophie's Center is to assist adults with developmental disabilities in realizing, discovering, and experiencing their unique potential. The center serves more than 200 developmentally disabled adults ranging in age from 22 to 66. Adults can choose from four program offered at the center, one of which is art classes.

The Arts of Life

2110 West Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60612
Phone: (312) 829-2787
Fax: (312) 829-0254
Email: info@artsoflife.org
Internet: http://www.artsoflife.org/

The Arts of Life is a nonprofit art studio that provides adults with developmental disabilities an environment to explore and enrich their lives. The studio is a collective of artists encouraging personal achievement and building an artistic community.

The Enrichment Center\

Sue Kneppelt
Assistant Director
610 Coliseum Drive, Suite G
Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Phone: (336) 777-0076. Ext. 116
Fax: (336) 777-0520
Email: skneppelt@ec-arc.org
Internet: http://www.enrichmentcenter.org

The Enrichment Center is an arts-based program which serves adults with developmental disabilities. Instruction by professional artists allows participants to earn money through the sale of visual art, published poetry, and tickets for performances.

The Little City Foundation Multidisciplinary Art Center

John Grody
Media Arts Manager
1760 W. Algonquin Road
Palatine, IL 60067
Phone: (847) 221-7764
Fax: (847) 358-3291
Email: kstudio@artistical.org
Internet: http://www.artistical.org

The Little City Foundation Mulitidisciplinary Art Center serves children and adults with developmental disabilities. The center hosts both visual and media arts programs. The visual arts studio program offers artists/students with disabilities an opportunity to work with professional artists in a variety of media.

The Marnie Paul Arts Center

Barbara Paul
Director
10214 North IH 35
Austin, TX 78753
Phone: (512)836-4266
Fax: (512) 836-4942
Email: mpac@marniepaul.org
Internet: http://www.marniepaul.org

The Marnie Paul Arts Center provides art expression through the arts and arts therapies to young adults 18-35 with disabilities. They provide programming in art, music and dance. Their mission is to enhance the quality of life for young adults with disabilities through the expressive arts.

The Studio

Kristi Patterson
Director
139 Third Street
Eureka, CA
Phone:(707) 443-1428
Email: thestudio@thestudioonline.org
Internet: http://www.thestudioonline.org

The Studio is a fine arts program for people with developmental disabilities. They provide a supportive and stimulating environment where their artists can express themselves creatively using a variety of media.

UCP of Central Ohio (Cincinnati)

3601 Victory Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45229
Phone: 513-221-4606
Fax: 513-872-5262
Email: dcgiesman@aol.com
Internet: http://www.ucp-cincinnati.org

Art Bridge Studio, at UCP of Central Ohio's Grace Kindig Adult Day Center, offers a variety of creative opportunities to individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. Art activities include painting (the program's emphasis), ceramics, pottery, and woodworking. The paintings created by participants are entered in shows, galleries, and museums all over the country, and the Studio gives 100% of any painting sold to the artist (minus the gallery's cut). Matting and framing of all the images is done in-house. The Studio helps artists to promote their own careers through the use of business cards, mailing lists, cover letters, artist statements, biographies, and slides and slide negatives.

UCP of Baton Rouge

1805 College Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Phone: 225-923-3420
Fax: 225-922-9316
Email: CDCJanet@aol.com

This UCP affiliate annually hosts a camp at the Capable Arts Center. More than 40 children from ages 6-19 participate in a week of adapted painting, pottery, dance, art, storytelling and photography. Participants showcase their art at the culminating event at the end of the week at an open house, which is attended by participants’ friends and family. The closing event also features a choreographed adapted dance for the guests.

UCP of Rhode Island

200 Main Street, Suite 210
PO Box 36
Pawtucket, RI 02862
Phone: 401-728-1800
Fax: 401-728-0182
Email: ucprisupport@ucpri.org
Internet: http://www.ucpri.org

UCP of Rhode Island's Adaptive Arts Program offers classes in nursing homes and in schools, taught by the affiliate's Adaptive Arts teachers. The program also includes a quarterly show, featuring artists with disabilities who sell their original work. Participants also are exposed to city arts events, community art shows, and poetry competitions. Media used in artwork includes watercolor, tempera, clay, and stained glass.

Visionaries And Voices

Shawna Guip
Studio Coordinator
Essex Studios
2515 Essex Place Studio 172
Cincinnati,OH 45206
Phone:(513) 861-4333

Visionaries and Voices' vision is to cast a spotlight on self-taught artists, especially those with disabilities. Visionaries and Voices has a two-fold mission: assisting self-taught artists with gaining access and success, and searching out ways that art can help people normally unheard find a voice.

VSA arts

http://www.vsarts.org/

VSA arts is creating a society where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. Designated by The United States Congress as the coordinating organization for arts programming for persons with disabilities, VSA arts offers arts-based programs in creative writing, dance, drama, music and the visual arts. Nearly five million people with disabilities participate in VSA arts programs every year through a network of affiliates in 49 states and the District of Columbia and 64 countries worldwide.

William Grants Still Art Center

James Burks
Director
2520 S. West View Street
Los Angeles, CA 90016
Phone: (323) 734-1164
Fax: (213) 485-1610

The William Grant Still Arts Center offers special art programs for individuals with disabilities in the performing arts, visual arts, drama, puppetry, sculpting, painting, museum tours, music, ceramics, photography, quilting, theater, graphics, and festivals. Services are accessible to individuals with physical disabilities, deaf and hard of hearing, learning disabilities, and seniors.

Yerba Buena Center for The Arts

Yoriko Yamamoto
Access Programs for Audiences with Special Needs
701 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: (415) 978-2710 ext. #114
Fax: (415) 978-9635
Email: yyamamoto@YerbaBuenaArts.org
Internet: http://www.YerbaBuenaArts.org

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is a unique multidisciplinary arts center. The Center maintains ongoing relationships with numerous organizations serving special needs audiences and presents work by disabled visual and performing artists and arts organizations including Axis Dance Company, Creativity Explored and D.E.A.F. Media.