Art is Art: Collaborating with Neurodiverse Artists at Creativity Explored
Description
Creativity Explored celebrates its 40th anniversary with a collection of powerful artwork and perspectives from its talented neurodiverse artists.
This vibrant book uplifts the voices of the artists of Creativity Explored, a nonprofit that gives people with developmental disabilities the opportunity to express themselves through art and share their work with audiences from their local community and in the contemporary art world.
Featuring hundreds of original paintings, drawings, illustrations, and sculptures-as well as quotes from and stories about the artists-this curated collection invites readers to examine and challenge their perceptions about disability. Some artworks are humorous and blunt, while others are affecting and abstract, speaking to the artistic community's diversity and creativity. This book offers an engaging introduction to person-centered thinking for art lovers or anyone interested in learning about disability justice in a visual way.
DEMYSTIFYING DISABILITY: This significant new anthology showcases an array of developmentally disabled artists and organizes their works into thematic chapters, such as I Speak Through My Art," "Blackiful," "Yes I Do Think About Sex," and "Fears." These chapters provide interesting stylistic juxtapositions and personal reflections that highlight both individual and shared experiences as diverse disabled artists.
BEAUTIFUL AND CONTENT RICH: This gorgeous hardcover art book features more than one hundred original artworks in full color, from lively portraits and detailed drawings to abstract paintings and captivating illustrations. Quotes, interviews, personal stories, and artist statements also give readers deeper insight into the artists' creative practices, processes, and rituals. This book is a rich visual trove and source of inspiration for any contemporary art lover.
SUPPORT A GREAT CAUSE: Creativity Explored was founded in 1983 with the belief that art is essential to life. This book celebrates the organization's mission and its talented artists after forty years of creating impactful arts and career programs with developmentally disabled artists. This collection is a meaningful way to learn more about Creativity Explored and the diverse community it continues to support today.
Perfect for: • Art lovers and activists
• The disabled community, allies, and educators
• Gift seekers for family and friends interested in learning more about disability justice
• Fans of self-taught artists, folk arts, and "outsider art"
• Contemporary art anthology and art book collectors
Shipping
Need it by December 25th? Please place your order by December 15th and choose Priority Mail. After December 15th, please choose Express Mail! Thank you!
Order Fulfillment & Shipping
We handle each order with care! And we are a very small team of just a few real life humans, so it generally takes us 1-4 days to fulfill (pack up and ship out) orders. If your order is urgent (e.g. you're hoping it gets fulfilled and gift wrapped in time for your dinner party tonight, just give us a call at 907-523-5053! Part of the beauty of being a small business is all of this is made up! Lol. Just communicate with us; we will always do our best).
After we pack up your order, we send it via the shipping method you choose at checkout. In general here are time estimates:
Free Local Pickup: these are often ready on the same day, but could take up to a few days if we have high volume in the shop. Call us if you need it asap and we can do that!
First Class: 4-8 Business Days
USPS Retail Ground: 4-8 Business Days if under 13oz, but if it's heavier than that then it goes on a boat and it can take 3-4 weeks to arrive to a destination in the lower 48.
Priority Mail: 3-5 Business Days. We love Priority Mail; it goes on an airplane and arrives to you within a week, generally.
Express Mail: 2 days!
***We cannot be used as a General Delivery pick-up location***
*** We are bonafide shipping nerds, so if you have a question about shipping estimates or times, just call or text us at 907-523-5053 and we can assist you before placing your order! ***
Returns and Exchanges
We want you to be happy with your goods! And, we're a small business, so returns and exchanges can be costly for us. Here's how we currently roll:
1 - We know shopping online is tricky but we are here to help! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions we can answer before you make your purchase, so that we can try to help bridge the gap between online and real life the best that we can! We are available via the chat function, or feel free to call/text/(even facetime us!) at 907-523-5053. We're happy to get you more images or video to help you with your choices!
2 - If there is a problem with your order or you receive an item that was damaged in transit, please contact us so that we can make it right! You can email us at [email protected] or call us at 907-523-5053 and we will facilitate a replacement or a refund, and we will cover associated shipping costs.
3 - We accept returns and exchanges within 30 days, as long as the item is still in new, unused condition, with undamaged packaging (basically, can we put it back in our collection?). (We extend the return window to January 15th for all orders placed online between November-December). We don't cover the shipping for these ones, sorry! Please reach out to us so we can help coordinate your return/exchange. [email protected] or call us at 907-523-5053.
We are a small team and we are growing and learning about e-commerce; we appreciate your grace and patience when we make mistakes. 🙏🏽