US Museum Acquires Large Collection of Overlooked Art

SFMOMA has acquired a significant collection of works by developmentally and intellectually challenged artists, many of whom were nurtured by Creative Growth a vibrant studio and gallery in Oakland, Calif.

Article excerpt: “SFMOMA has purchased the entire Creative Growth exhibit, plus an additional 43 pieces from Creativity Explored and NIAD, for $578,000, the largest acquisition of works by disabled artists by any American museum. The museum is dedicating three galleries to the Creative Growth show with all the works remaining in SFMOMA’s permanent collection for inclusion in future exhibits”, writes Michael Janofsky, reporting from Oakland, Calif.

An eclectic mix of objects is being shown in the “Into the Brightness” exhibition at the Oakland Museum of California, which features pieces by nearly 300 artists from Creative Growth and its two Bay Area sister organizations. Credit...Leopoldo Macaya, Oakland Museum of California, source The New York Times.

“What you lead with matters,” said Tom DiMaria, Creative Growth’s director since 2000 and chief marketer. “If it’s the art that interests you, then the conversation is first about who made it and the story behind it. If disability leads, then it’s a charity case.”

—

Read the full New York Times article here.