Resources:
A VERY basic accessibility guide
"Eliminating Ableism in Education"
Books:
*Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century by Alice Wong
*Sitting Pretty: The View From My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig
*Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann with Kristen Joiner
*Broken Places & Outer Spaces: Finding Creativity in the Unexpected by Nnedi Okorafor
*Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
*Crip Theory: Cultural Signs of Queerness and Disability by Robert McRuer
*Criptiques by Cailtin Wood
#CripClay: The Exhibition
March 12-18, Cincinnati OH
#CripClay is an exhibition of disabled artists by disabled artists. We are not here to be an inspiration, to showcase how much we’ve overcome or to be asked what’s wrong with us. We are here to be recognized and acknowledged. The world is currently in an ongoing pandemic in which disabled lives have been treated as disposable for the sake of comfort. Add to that, many of our spaces remain inaccessible, whether they are not suitable for mobility devices or service animals, openly hostile or disrespectful of disabled individuals, or simply lacking experience with making accommodations despite a desire to be welcoming. It’s time for that to change. Social media and the internet have leveled the playing field for disabled activism, the winds of change are blowing, the tide is changing. Disability does not mean an artist cannot be successful or a valuable member of a community; this is not a one size fits all abled-bodies only medium. Disability is the only minority group that anyone can join at any time. Let’s show what we can do.
Every artist included in this exhibition is a disabled artist working in clay. Their diagnosis are varied and will not be disclosed by the exhibition, only by personal discretion. Some have visible disabilities and use mobility aids, service animals, alternative communication methods, et cetera; many others have invisible disabilities: physical, mental or neurological conditions that are not visible from the outside, yet can limit or challenge a person’s movements, senses, or activities.
Exhibiting artists include (but are not limited to)
Victoria Walton, Carly Riegger, Amanda Barr, Heidi McKenzie, Eva Polzer, Darcy Delgado, Ze Treasure Troll, Annie B Campbell, Allee Etheridge, Megan Whetstine, Elizabeth Peña, Samantha Wickman, Alicia van de Bor, Topher Surnome, Zys West, Coco Raymond, Felicity Jacques, Hayley Cranberry, Kelvin Crosby
Exhibition will be available in-person in Cincinnati March 12-18 AND online here at We Aren't Invisible
We are fundraising to help artists get their work to Cincy. Donate at givebutter.com/cripclay
#CripClay: The Panel
March 2023, Cincinnati OH
Moderated by Amanda Barr
Panelists Carly Riegger, Victoria Walton, and Dr. Cecily Whitworth
Disability is the only minority group that anyone can join at any time. Yet many of our spaces remain inaccessible, whether they are not suitable for mobility devices or service animals, openly hostile or disrespectful of disabled individuals, or simply lacking experience with accommodations despite a desire to be welcoming. It’s time for that to change. Disability does not mean an artist cannot be successful or a valuable member of a community; this is not a one size fits all able-bodies only medium. At the same time, accommodations are not universal; disabilities are as diverse as the people they affect, and as such access needs must be individualized. ASK us what works best for US!
We will address disability etiquette, preferred language, laws, best policies and practices, and share our own experiences. We will talk about barriers and success stories, share testimonials gathered from other members of the community, and in general help bring awareness and understanding to the field we love. We welcome anyone who wants to expand their space for disabled voices. Join the conversation to expand our community.
Our panelists, much like the community at large, have a wide variety of experience as people with disabilities, though not all of us are comfortable sharing our precise diagnosis. Some of us use mobility aids and have visible disabilities, others are invisibly disabled. Our panel will require the stage be wheelchair accessible and an ASL interpreter. We would also request an ASL interpreter for the audience, so that this panel will be accessible for all.
We will be using a questionnaire that is being created and will be sent to self-identified disabled artists soon.
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Amanda Barr is an artist, activist, writer, and curator who lives and works in Montana. She has an MA in Modern Languages, an MFA in Studio Arts, and an MA in Art History. She founded We Aren’t Invisible in 2016 and works with various non-profits. She is disabled.
Carly Riegger (they/them) is a chronically ill and disabled artist from Michigan. They completed a BFA from BGSU and are currently a Post-Baccalaureate in Ceramics at IUS, and a MA student in Disability Studies at CUNY. Both Carly’s artwork and career goals involve disability inclusion and activism in art.
Cecily Whitworth (MA, PhD) is a deaf artist, advocate, and educator based in Missoula, MT. Inspired by many experiences with lack of accessibility, she is working to identify barriers disabled artists face that prevent their participation in art spaces and how art communities and events can work towards removing them.
Victoria Walton is a 2023 Ceramics MFA Candidate at NYSCC at Alfred University. She is a chronically ill, disabled artist from MD. Victoria creates sculptural work that centers Black women and gender-expansive people and investigates facets of identity, historic societal factors, and personal traumas.