California Story Fund
Abled Artists:
In Their Own Words
Creative Growth Art Center
Oakland
Project Director: Leon Borensztein
Stories and photographs challenge stereotypes about the disabled
Judith Scott has Down syndrome. Institutionalized as a child, she was brought to California by her fraternal twin sister and began attending Creative Growth, an art program for the disabled in Oakland. Today, she is well-known fiber artist whose work has been reviewed in the "New York Times."
Scott was one of the artists at Creative Growth -- most not as acclaimed as Scott -- featured in this project that combined photographs of the artists at work and the artists' personal stories.
An exhibit of the photographs and stories took place in January 2004 in San Francisco.
"Our goal for the project was to challenge common stereotypes about the disabled and engage a wider public in questioning popular assumptions about the nature of art and human creativity," said Project Director Leon Borensztein.