This Oakland-based non-profit art studio houses over 140 artists with disabilities every week, providing them with the space and tools for creative expression.
At 9 am in Oakland, California, the artists of the Creative Growth studio begin trickling into the light-filled studio space, located inside a 12,000-square-foot former auto repair shop. They settle in at one of the open workspaces, the layout designed to foster community and collaboration. With paintbrushes, thread and clay at the ready, the creatives get to work in every visual medium imaginable, from dynamic sculptures to tufted rugs. Around them, every wall and surface bears the work of generations of artists, telling stories of joy, resilience, and unwavering creativity.
Creative Growth first opened its doors in 1974, designed to provide opportunities for artists with disabilities to thrive. It started in the East Bay home of founders Florence and Elias Katz, who believed in art as a universal language. It was 16 years prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the civil rights law that prohibited discrimination based on disability.
Before the ADA, people with disabilities faced significant physical and social barriers in their daily lives. Individuals were often denied employment opportunities despite their creative talent, and few workplaces provided the accessibility measures needed for the community to thrive. Social stigma prevented artists with disabilities from accessing professional studio spaces or galleries that would exhibit their work.
Against a cultural backdrop of growing civil rights movements, Florence and Elias Katz set out to form a community that would transform the art realm, and create professional opportunities for disabled artists. Today, Creative Growth remains the oldest and largest centre for artists with disabilities in the world.
In its current location, the studio hosts around 140 artists every week. They work alongside a team of professional, practicing artists, who support them in their creative expression, and have access to a range of high-quality materials and facilities. Their work is showcased in the gallery space and is available to purchase online, with proceeds split between the artist and the studio, allowing the non-profit to pay for professional art supplies.
Over a span of 50 years, many of Creative Growth’s artists have been recognized and exhibited by landmark institutions within the contemporary art world. One of the studio’s most renowned artists is Dan Miller, a mixed-media artist known for using ink, acrylic and pencil to create visually explosive forms of communication. Miller has autism and is limited in expressive language. He learned to communicate through writing and typing from an early age, an experience which informs his artistic perspective. His layered abstractions focus on a particular object, usually a hardware tool, such as a lightbulb or power socket, which he deconstructs, layering numbers, words, shapes and images associated with that object. The result is an alternate means of perception: a way of viewing objects, people and places in a way that is dizzyingly vibrant and poetic.
Miller’s work is included in the permanent collections at galleries such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, and was featured in the 57th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, alongside the work of another Creative Growth artist, Judith Scott. Largely considered one of the most prestigious cultural events in the world, the inclusion of Miller and Scott’s work in the “Viva Arte Viva” exhibition was a significant step towards increased representation for artists with disabilities.
Creative Growth has affirmed itself as a collaborative force in the local community and beyond. In 2015, they partnered with 25 Oakland restaurants to create the Arts and Eats Cookbook, featuring the works of 16 artists alongside popular local dishes. They were also involved in revamping Method’s soap bottle designs in 2018, showcasing the vibrant designs of Sher-ron Freeman, Edward Walters, Cedric Johnson and Aurie Ramirez.
Alongside its in-house gallery exhibitions, Creative Growth also organize a yearly runway show, featuring the wearable art pieces from the studio’s Beyond Trend line. Artists are encouraged to design and produce visionary clothing items, using embroidery, fabric printing, painting, and crochet techniques. In 2024, the non-profit celebrated its 50th anniversary with a spectacular Beyond Trend fashion show at the SFMOMA, where the artists donned their creations on the catwalk.
Throughout over half a century of operation, Creative Growth has seen rapid evolutions within both the contemporary art realm and the civil rights space. It has grown from a community arts initiative, based in the Katz’s own home, to a globally renowned institution. All the while, its mission remains clear: to introduce revolutionary voices to the art world and give them the tools to tell their own stories.
Homepage banner image by Dan Miller. Homepage image the space at Creative Growth. Top inside image sculpture work by Judith Scott. All images courtesy of Creative Growth.
