Creativity Explored

Creativity Explored (CE) supports over 130 artists with developmental disabilities annually. We provide each artist with workspace, supplies, and mentorship from professional artists. CE also helps artists exhibit and sell their artwork to earn income. In fact, nine of our artists had work exhibited and purchased by Berkeley Art Museum last summer!

Many CE artists have difficulty communicating verbally, but they speak volumes through their art. Thanh Diep is one of our artists who has cerebral palsy and speaks with an augmentative and alternative communication device. With the assistance of this device, she has written a book, Thanh, and created soundtracks for three animated films.

Diep was the first graduate of The Bridge School in Hillsborough, and is the first Bridge School alumna to graduate from college. She received her BA in 2005 from San Francisco State University where she majored in Liberal Studies.

Diep addresses sensitive issues such as sexuality and prejudice as it relates to her disability. She works with both traditional media (e.g. pencils, charcoal, markers, and acrylic paints) and film and animation. Media works include a film based on her poem “Shining Into,” and two short films, “Nature of Pleasure” and “Thanh.” Her films and artwork have been featured at MadCat Women’s International Film Festival, Artists Television Access, The Mission Cultural Center, Noh Space/Theater of Yugen, Brava Theater, as well as at the Picture This Festival in Calgary, BC. In 2011, CB2, one of our Community Arts Partners, used Diep's work as the basis for a pillow design.

Your tax-deductible gift supports:

• 130 adults with developmental disabilities in developing a meaningful arts practice
• 2,000 hours of mentorship from professional artists each week and opportunities to develop meaningful careers in the arts
• 300 outings each year to galleries, museums, and other destinations to actively engage with the arts community
• 6 exhibitions in our gallery and dozens of off-site exhibitions that promote the contributions of artists with disabilities to the contemporary art world
• Stipends for 5 guest artists to teach new techniques in our studios each year