SFMOMA Acquires Artwork From Three Pioneering Centers for Artists with Disabilities
Serpiente by Bertha Otoya, 2010, sharpie and ink wash with acrylic block print on Chinese Celebration paper, 22 x 30 inches
In a very welcome recognition of the importance of the art made within organizations that support the creative careers of artists with developmental disabilities, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) acquired work from three pioneering Bay Area studios: Creativity Explored, Creative Growth, and NIAD.
Creativity Explored, Creative Growth, and NIAD, which operate independently, were founded by two visionaries of the art and disabilities movement, Florence Ludins-Katz and Elias Katz. The husband-and-wife, psychologist-and-artist duo saw the creative potential in individuals with developmental disabilities who were being deinstitutionalized in the 1950s and 1960s— and created a methodology for supporting and developing their artistic talent and fostering a sense of community.
At all three centers, artists work in a communal environment, with a staff of professional artists who assist with the exploration of artistic mediums and creative ideas. All support the exhibition and sale of artwork, which provides the artists with income, and fosters inclusive opportunities for artists with disabilities to work and develop relationships with the wider art community. These three Bay Area centers helped refine and scale the Katz model, with over 100 progressive art studios currently operating throughout the United States, and many more internationally. As the Bay Area was the epicenter of the disability rights movement, so too is it the center of the movement for the recognition of disabled artists by the mainstream— and this momentous acquisition is just the beginning.
SFMOMA acquired a total of 31 works by 9 Creativity Explored artists. We couldn’t be more excited for these artists! Keep reading to learn more about these artists, and see some of the works that were acquired.
“Creativity Explored, NIAD and Creative Growth were dreamed into existence by our visionary founders, Florence Ludins Katz and Elias Katz. Their innate understanding of the value that disabled artists bring has meant better lives for people with disabilities worldwide, and a richer, realer art world for everyone. This historic acquisition by SFMOMA recognizes the significance of the Katzes’ dream and underscores the museum’s commitment to a more inclusive arts landscape.”
A small selection of Creativity Explored artworks acquired by SFMOMA:
SFMOMA acquired works by the following Creativity Explored artists:
b. 1944, San Francisco, California
Using an array of media, former Creativity Explored artist Mary Belknap subjects each artwork to her rigorous patterning and mark making. She uses repeated small marks coalescing into larger structures while discrete bits of color generate action and movement. Her short swatches of scribbled color and intersections of loose lines make her work hover between the formal and the gestural. In her time at Creativity Explored, her style evolved to open up more white space, and her palette softened from one of electric vibrancy into a quiet elegance.
b. 1966, Philippines
Peter Cordova references memories of his birthplace in the Philippines and his interest in Indigenous American cultures in his practice. His detailed depictions of cultural activities and stylized figures are illuminated by his application of rich and earthy palettes.
b. 1985, San Francisco
Daniel Green's artwork conveys an intense and playful fascination with American entertainment and popular culture. Working on wood, cardboard, and paper, Green uses ink to draw figures from television, politics, sports, or history, and then carefully lists dates, titles of shows and songs, cities, and names.
b. 1952, San Francisco
Camille Holvoet's artwork is deceptively sweet. Her practice tends to draw on remembrances of life's anxieties and forbidden desires. Holvoet’s process is an endless discovery, in which – through repeatedly drawing in oil pastel her sacred objects: desserts, Ferris wheels, and crossed eyes – the pressures of the past are relieved by the joy of the creative process.
b. 1957, Ontario, Canada
Walter Kresnik is known for his portraiture in which he captures physical qualities and personality effortlessly with very few marks. Charlie Chaplan, Liz Taylor, Bill Clinton, Gandhi, Chuck Close, and Yo Yo Ma are just a few of the subjects of Kresnik's portraiture. Kresnik is no longer active at Creativity Explored.
b. 1962, Philippines
John Patrick McKenzie uses text for both its visual and semantic qualities, creating work that simultaneously serves as both image and poetry. McKenzie’s process is based on a complex, repetitive sequencing of calligraphy that methodically adds layers of nuance to his chosen subjects, which are most often people and objects from pop culture, current events, and his immediate surroundings.
b. 1936, Marin County, California
Montgomery worked at Creativity Explored from 1993 until his death in March 2008. The iconography of Montgomery’s art centered on watches, numbers, sewer covers, and bridges. Watches were especially relevant as James collected them, often wearing eight at one time. His graphically powerful works were often composed of line drawings of repeating watches, covering the picture plane in overlapping layers.
b. 1979, Peru
Bertha Otoya joined the Creativity Explored studio after moving to the United States from Peru. Originally focused on textile work, Otoya used traditional Peruvian techniques to create tapestries and quilts as she enjoyed the repetitive process of sewing. In 2009, her practice grew exponentially as her focus shifted to printmaking. Stripping her color palette to black and white (occasionally red and blue), her print work has achieved an iconic status and is avidly collected by patrons. Otoya is no longer active at Creativity Explored.
b. 1957, San Francisco, California
Evelyn Reyes worked at Creativity Explored from 2002 to 2017 and was known for her repeated abstract shapes in oil pastel on paper. Working on one specific shape at a time, her periods of abstract depictions included cakes, garbage cans, and carrots. With ritualistic reverence for each aspect of the process, Reyes’ art practice mirrored the repetition and order that were central to her daily life.
About SFMOMA
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. SFMOMA’s remarkable collection of painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design and media arts is housed in a LEED Gold-certified building designed by the global architects Snøhetta and Mario Botta. In addition to their seven gallery floors, SFMOMA now offers more than 62,000 square feet of free art-filled public space open to all.
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