Project Description:
Two decades ago, the public profile of artists with disabilities was obscure and diffuse. Occasionally, a particular art project or exhibit dedicated to the work of people with disabilities
might have been publicized, or a particular individual with a disability might have been
spotlighted in a news story and lauded for producing art despite his or her condition. There was,
however, little awareness of people with disabilities as vital contributors to the world of artistic
production.
Since the mid-1980s, however, a vigorous disability arts and culture movement has
emerged, giving voice, visibility, and affirmation to artists with disabilities in the U.S., U.K., and
other places in the world. This movement and the artists who advance it have commanded
unprecedented attention, reflected in: disability press coverage (Disability Rag, New Mobility),
special issues in journals (Public Culture, Disability Studies Quarterly), mainstream newspaper
articles (New York Times), university courses, conferences, and documentaries (Vital Signs, King
Gimp) dedicated to disability art and culture. The portrait of artists with disabilities emerging
from this coverage attests not only to the value of their work but to the complicated impact of disability on their creativity. Rather than lauded simply for producing art despite their disabilities, artists with disabilities are beginning to gain recognition for enriching the art world with new perspectives. Many are finding gainful opportunities in previously closed arenas, such as local theater, dance companies, major publishing houses, galleries, community arts programs, and university art and humanities departments.
