Interact Artists Online Exhibition to Raise Money for Disability Visibility
Author: Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts
Published: 2020/05/15 - Updated: 2023/09/12
Publication Type: Announcement / Notification
Topic: Disability Art and Artists - Publications List
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main
Synopsis: Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts presents We Are Not Disposable online exhibition by Interact artists to raise money for disability visibility during coronavirus pandemic. At 20% of the entire population, people with disabilities are the nation's largest minority, and yet consistently omitted from policy decisions around equity and self-determination.
Introduction
Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts presents We Are Not Disposable, an online exhibition (shop.interactcenter.org) by 44 Interact artists, to raise money for disability visibility during the coronavirus pandemic.
Main Item
- What: We Are Not Disposable: An online exhibition by 44 Interact artists
- When: Opening May 11, 2020
- Where: shop.interactcenter.org
At 20% of the entire population, people with disabilities are the nation's largest minority, and yet consistently omitted from policy decisions around equity and self-determination. Now, the stark reality of treatment scarcity and overburdened medical systems threatens to push people with disabilities aside, where their quality of life may not be seen as having equal value when prioritizing who gets treatment and who does not.
Featuring original work by 44 Interact artists, We Are Not Disposable is an ode to the vitality of the disability community. The exhibition features an array of paintings, drawings, fiber works, jewelry, and sculptures created by artists who are recognized for their fresh perspectives and creative voice.
In conjunction with the exhibition, Interact artists Jill Reedy, Bart Bartholomew, and Emmanuelle Quinn will lead a series of public interviews wherein they ask fellow participating artists to share about their creative practice and career aspirations, as well as desired superpowers and greatest fears. As Bartholomew says, "We're here, we're human. We are a part of the community."
The exhibition is inspired in part by the work of Alice Wong, creator of the Disability Visibility Project, an online platform that creates, shares, and amplifies disability media and culture. Wong puts the threat of COVID-19 medical decisions in a nutshell: "People see me and presume that I have a poor quality of life because I have a tube attached to my face and that I sound different."
Artwork purchased from the exhibition will support the artists who created it and their voices in shaping change. Artists receive 50% of the value of sales, and Interact will contribute the remaining 50% to support the work of the Disability Visibility Project.
Exhibiting Artists
Bart Bartholomew, Katie Bretzman, Katie Brinkman, Kenneth Bowling, Carl Clark, Bill Crane, Koko Dehn, Vance Diamond, Rachel Esparza, Janice Essick, Devra Goldstein, Ingrid Hansen, HML, Mike Harris Jr., Linda Hines, Sidney James, Ashlea Karkula, Andie Kiley, Victoria LaCroix, Luke Lyons, Daniel Metchnek, Zack Mohs, Evita Newman, W.S. Norton, Carol O'Connor, Rosemary Perronteau, Lucy Picasso, Philip Price, Emmanuelle Quinn, Jill Reedy, John Riddle, Andrew Seymour, Briana Shelstad, Eric Sherarts, Dakotah Simonson, Linda Strong, Bonnie Thorne, Virginia Townsend, Timothy Traver, Victor Van, Alicia Wiese, Devin Wildes, Ona Williams, and David Wright.
Interact Center for Visual and Performing Arts
Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts is a progressive visual arts studio and theater company whose work challenges perceptions of disability.
Since 1996, Interact has created space for artists with and without disabilities to work side by side every day as peer creators.
Accessibility
Interact strives to make its programs a welcoming and accessible experience for all.  If there is something that we can do to make it easier to experience an exhibition, please contact us at ​gallery@interactcenter.com​. ​We welcome all suggestions and requests.
Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts and published on 2020/05/15, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, Interact Center for Visual & Performing Arts can be contacted at interactcenter.com NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.