Creative Growth is a nonprofit art studio for artists with disabilities, providing a professional environment for artistic development and representation. Founded in 1974, Creative Growth is a leader in the field of arts and disabilities, establishing a model for a creative atmosphere guided by the principle that all people gain fulfillment from the arts and are capable of producing work of great cultural merit.
The Creative Growth studio in downtown Oakland, California is home to over 150 artists
working in a variety of media. Facilitated by professional artists, the studio provides
non-directive artistic support, museum-quality materials, and space to explore painting, drawing, ceramics, woodworking, fiber arts, printmaking, and digital media.
The gallery exhibits and represents artwork created by artists at Creative Growth, securing a place for their work in major collections and institutions while cultivating world-wide renown. For example, works by the late sculptor Judith Scott can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Others who have found international recognition and success include Dan Miller, Donald Mitchell, and John Martin. The work of Judith Scott and Dan Miller were shown at the Venice Biennale in 2017.
Creative Growth has also negotiated commercial partnerships with companies like Target, Vans, and Nordstrom. Levi’s has not only sponsored a “Beyond the Trend” fashion show, featuring artwear of Creative Growth artists (who also model the clothes), but it recently created one-of-a-kind vintage jackets embellished with the work of Creative Growth artists. Proceeds from the sale went to the organization, and commissions went to individual artists.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Creative Growth has had to move its classes online. This taxed a program designed to provide on-site training through personal and group exercises; but staff members responded by bringing supplies to the homes of individual artists and by using Zoom to offer virtual field
trips, readings, discussions, and time-lapse videos to facilitate interaction and learning. Though Creative Growth was forced to reduce some staff member hours, Creativity Explored has kept over 90 percent of its staff employed full-time. These efforts demonstrated the dedication and resilience of both staff and artists.
For more information on Creative Growth, or to donate to the organization, please visit: https://creativegrowth.org/
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Meet the Artists of Creative Growth