Oakland Museum at the Oakland International Airport

July 22 – October 12, 2005
Creative Growth: Oakland Visions
Oakland International Airport

Airport Exhibition Archive

Creative Growth Art Center’s mission is to serve adults with developmental, physical, emotional and mental disabilities from around the Bay Area. The Center provides a stimulating environment for artistic exploration, gallery promotion and personal expression. Creative Growth also serves as an advocate for the disabilities community and provides services to teachers, caregivers, families, therapists and other persons who work and do research in the field of arts and disabilities.

Creative Growth offers one of very few life-enrichment programs for adults with disabilities in the Bay Area and provides visual art programs, educational and independent living training for more than 145 artists annually. Creative Growth’s programs include:

• Intensive studio art immersion opportunities serving adult artists with disabilities and offering more than 4,700 classes yearly including a rug/tapestry workshop, woodworking, printmaking, ceramics, cooking, movement, painting and sculpture.
• A summer scholarship program for younger artists with disabilities, providing them with an opportunity to work in a rich and diverse art environment.
• An on-site gallery featuring the sale of work of Creative Growth artists. The gallery is a local, national and international resource for vernacular art and is open to the public Monday – Friday from 11 – 5:30.
• External and international involvement, including programs that extend beyond the boundaries of our own community. From presenting at international conferences to mentoring peer organizations to exhibiting our artist’s work internationally, Creative Growth is known by many as the leading organization for arts and disabilities.

All Creative Growth programs are held in our 12,000 square foot facility, a former historic car dealership located at 24th Street and Broadway in downtown Oakland. We are located in a region with the one of the largest populations of people with disabilities in the country. We have been proud residents of Oakland for our entire 32-year history and take very seriously our role in the community. From attracting thousands of people per year to our exhibitions, to our emphasis on employing local vendors and serving local residents, we endeavor to make tangible contributions to the vitality of our city.

I look forward to welcoming you to our gallery at 355 - 24th Street, or to our web site www.creativegrowth.org. Thank you for looking!

Tom di Maria,
Executive Director Creative Growth Art Center