Creative! Growth!

Creative! Growth! is the first exhibition to consider the history of Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, California.

Founded in 1974 by artist Florence Ludins-Katz (1912–1990) and her psychologist husband Elias Katz (1913–2008), Creative Growth emerged from the larger social, cultural, and political narratives associated with the Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s—including the women’s, gay, and civil rights movements. The arts and disabilities movement, which championed the civil rights of disabled persons and fought against their marginalization in arts and culture, flourished during this era. The Katzes were among that movement’s most farsighted and committed advocates.

Creative! Growth! is curated by Matthew Higgs and considers the organization’s history and legacy through the lens of the present. Now approaching its fiftieth anniversary, Creative Growth is the preeminent center for artists with disabilities in the United States, and has, in turn, become a model for similar centers nationally and internationally. At Creative Growth, the Katzes established a unique and fiercely independent environment where disabled individuals are empowered to explore their creativity at their own pace.

The staff at Creative Growth, almost exclusively practicing artists, are not teachers in any conventional sense, as no formal instruction takes place. Rather, the staff members work alongside the artists with disabilities, introducing them to new materials and processes, offering practical and technical assistance where necessary, and supporting their idiosyncratic approaches to self-expression.

There are a number of discrete solo presentations by key artists who were—or remain—affiliated with Creative Growth, including Judith Scott (1943–2005), Dwight Mackintosh (1906–1999), William Scott, Dan Miller, Monica Valentine, Tony Pedemonte, Nicole Storm, and John Martin. Photographer and documentary filmmaker Cheryl Dunn presents a selection from her twenty-plus-year archives documenting the artists at Creative Growth.