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DisArt is an arts-centered nonprofit dedicated to cultivating and celebrating Disability Culture through creation, conversation, and consultation.

We work to redefine perceptions and practices, embracing the beauty of disability history, community, and identity beyond medical diagnosis and legal compliance. Join us on this journey!

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DisArt

disart_now

710 Posts

DisArt advocates for disability culture.

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A Message from the Board Chair of DisArt I am writing as the current and founding board chair of DisArt. For ten years, DisArt has been one of the country’s top organizations supporting disability art and culture thanks to the vision and work of our founder and leader, Chris Smit. Since Chris’ death, however, DisArt has faced a challenging period. Now, the Board is taking steps to secure the well-being of the organization and those it serves. We are examining our history, impact, practices, and structure with the aim of emerging as a better and more powerfully focused, helpful, and functional organization. Please know that our core mission and commitments remain intact, as does our focus on platforming and giving presence to disabled artists and culture in all its stunning variety and educating those who are distant from or misperceive the power of disability culture. We have already begun the process of reformation by transitioning to a volunteer and board-run organization. For the next nine months, we are pausing all but core activities so we can reflect and plan. While that means pausing major events, it does not mean that you will not hear from us or about us. Work will go forward, just at a much more modest pace and scale. As we go through our change process, we invite your thoughts and would love to discuss our current plans and progress. Thank you for your support. We believe we can do better and produce more good. David Rosen, Chair, DisArt Board of Directors Image Description: White text on dark blue textured geometric background reading, “Help DisArt Pivot” with smaller text below, “An important Update on the Future of DisArt”. At the top left of the image is the DisArt logo.
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EVENT(Captioned): Tune into a Conversation on #AudioDescription with Lizzie Kazmierski Dunn & Tyle Zehnke with Zoe Pentaleri on Thursday, July 27th 12-1PM CST via zoom (Registration link below) as they discuss #DisArt’s role in the 2018 Process & Presence: Contemporary #Disability Sculpture exhibition at Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. #DisCo #DisabilityCulture @ArtSparkTX @MeijerGardens Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/conversation-on-audio-description-tickets-925459082027 Article on exhibition: https://therapidian.org/meijer-gardens-fall-exhibition-celebrates-contemporary-disability-sculpture @TheRapidian A video of the sculptures on display (NO AD): https://youtu.be/z2o_DnvqUL4?si=kC1VY-7rIIIzG_zf Image Description: An image of about 10 people admiring an exhibition. Three people in focus in the front all have light skin, short hair and are in formal attire. The person to the left uses a wheelchair and wears glasses, a boutineer and a suit and tie, looking up at the two people standing to the right of him with a smile. The visible background wall is white and the floors are light wood, there is a colorful sculpture on display resembling coral on a white stand cut off on the left of the image.
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AUDIO: Has #InternalizedAbleism stopped you from doing something you wanted to do? In this ep of #4Wheels, Dominick (@FourWheelz1313) uses his own experiences to unravel some of the knots that ableism can tie us into and ponders other possibilities we might adopt going forward. https://www.disartnow.org/podcast/4-wheels-episode-5-internalized-ableism/ Image Description: In the center of the image are four overlapping black circles in a line that match the red background in the spaces they overlap. Below, in black, is the title “4 Wheels”. At the top left of the image is the DisArt logo, and in the top right is the text “A DisArt Project”. Below the circles is the text “Internalized Ableism”. “Hosted by Dominick Harper”. The entire image is textured with a distressed effect scratching the surface white in places.
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The @DisArt_Now team joins the nation in celebrating #Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. This tutorial from The Named Advocates & @KeriGray90 considers Juneteenth through the eyes of #Black #Disabled leaders. @NamedAdvocates https://withkeri.com/disability-justice-juneteenth/ Image Description: Two people, one standing tall above the other with short dark hair from the chest up and the lower one from the shoulders up with long dark braids. They both have darker skin with white butterflies around their eyes and wear nude shirts. They have neutral expressions and are standing in front of a grey background. In the upper left a logo for “The Named Advocates”, yellow lettering with a black silhouette of a person in a wheelchair. In the upper right “The Named Advocates” running down the side of the image in black letters.
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SCIENCE/LEISURE/ACCESS: The biggest astronomical event of the year − the April 8 total #SolarEclipse − was a once-in-a-lifetime inclusive spectacle for the #DisabilityCommunity due to the winning combo of high tech and increased awareness. Reports @USAToday @EclipseSoundscapes https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/03/30/how-people-with-disabilities-watch-total-solar-eclipse/72943311007/ #DisCo #DisabilityExperience Image Description: a photo of two eclipse observers wearing eclipse glasses. They are both sitting in camping chairs with light hair and light skin wearing cream coats, the right one patterned and long jeans. The person on the left is looking down at a piece of paper while the other looks up at the sky. There is a black dog between them with brown spots on its chin. They sit in front of a grassy yard with a log cabin and expanse of trees behind a wooden fence.
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WELLNESS: How adaptive #gardening shifted my self-perception as a #DisabledWoman @WashingtonPost #DisCo #DisabilityExperience #DisabilityCommunity https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/08/20/adaptive-gardening-comic/ Image Description: A colorful illustration of two people, one with a medium skin tone in a wheelchair with a support dog, gardening, the other with a dark to medium skin tone, standing with a colorful clipboard, and pointing at a bush. The garden beds are blue and there is a variety of green leafy, bushy, and grassy plants with tomatoes at the front. Image Credit: @Sonaksha for #WashingtonPost
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ART: 20th anniversary of the annual #LibertyFestival celebrating #Deaf, #Disabled and #Neurodivergent #Artists takes place in South #London. @BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-66682836 #DisCo #DisabilityExperience #DisabilityCommunity #Art Image Description: A light skinned person with short hair and people lined up behind them to make it appear they have 5 arms on either side. They all wear red jumpsuits and stand in front of a grey brick wall. Image Credit: Graeme Braidwood Photography @graemebraidwoodphotography
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