By Naomi Morrow
When I was seven years old, I showed up on the first day of art class at school, excited and eager to create art, express myself, and bring beauty into the world. But because my elementary school lacked the adaptive tools necessary to accommodate my visual impairment, I was told I couldn’t participate.
My initial excitement quickly turned to despair because my school had failed to provide an inclusive learning environment. I had wanted so much to enter the world of artistic expression, to explore my own creativity, and to share my art with my peers, but that door was suddenly closed to me. Imagine how that feels to the many kids and adults who are shut out and excluded from the arts every single day.
Fortunately, I’ve learned to advocate for myself and open my own doors over the years. I’ve searched for a supportive, diverse, uplifting, and encouraging creative arts community, where everyone is welcomed and valued. As a result, I’ve found lots of organizations that appreciate unique artists with unique abilities, including people who access the creative process in different or unexpected ways due to a disability.
If you’re looking for a welcoming creative space here in the North Denver Metro area, there are several organizations that will allow your creative voice, spirit, and form of expression to shine—be it through dance, visual arts, or performance/theatre arts.
Let’s explore three such organizations that promote the power of artistry for everyone.
The author at work in her studio at Main Street Gallery in Brighton, CO
Spoke N Motion
Love to express yourself through dance? Spoke N Motion is a Colorado-based integrative dance company that brings together dancers with and without disabilities. Its mission is “to create an integrated dance community of safety and respect by providing classes and performance opportunities for dancers of all ages and abilities.”
Cofounded by Artistic Director Teri Wagner—who has been using a wheelchair to dance since she was 11 years old—this organization breaks down barriers for dancers with disabilities and brings all individuals who love to dance together.
According to their website, Spoke N Motion promotes an art form called Integrated Dance, which “allows people of different abilities to dance together and ensures dance opportunities are available to all. Movement and dance provide artistic expression and have many physical, social and mental benefits for participants. Integrated Dance is also a powerful tool to overcome stereotypes, for both dancers and our public audiences.”
Spoke N Motion offers choreographed dance performances throughout the year at various locations in and around Denver and beyond. They also offer a weekly performance studio space at the Littleton Youth Ballet on Sundays. For more information, visit www.spokenmotiondance.org.
Phamaly Theatre Company
Love to express yourself through theatre arts and are an artist with a disability? Or, do you or a loved one aspire to the stage but don’t yet know what options are available to you? Phamaly Theatre Company is a top-notch theatre company created in 1989 by a group of individuals with disabilities who wanted equal access to a creative space within the theatre arts community.
Phamaly puts on Broadway musical productions as well as original sketch performances within the Denver area. Likewise, they offer acting classes for artists with disabilities—free of charge—at the Denver Center for The Performing Arts Complex. Phamaly’s offices are located at 3532 Franklin Street, Suite #T2, Denver, CO, 80205.
Phamaly also produces a podcast, called Disabled & Dramatic!, which you can find here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6eXgUuauwNEZ9umUt6JZRe?si=e941a3a643404215
Their website states that Phamaly’s vision is “to create a world in which disability and the differences within the human condition are celebrated and the theatre experience is accessible and welcoming to all.”
Don’t miss Phamaly’s performance of Pippin this August. For more information, visit www.phamaly.org or call 303.365.0005.
Access Gallery
Love to express yourself through visual arts, such as painting, sculpting, drawing, mixed media, and textile arts? Access Gallery—a nonprofit art gallery and studio space in the Santa Fe Arts District in Denver—allows artists with disabilities to showcase their talents through gallery shows, First Friday Art Walks, and Third Friday events and exhibits.
Artists can also hone their creative skills and follow their artistic pursuits while working in the nearby studio space at 998 Navajo St. or by attending Access Gallery’s educational workshops.
According to their website, “Access Gallery is an inclusive nonprofit organization that engages the community by opening doors to creative, educational and economic opportunities for people with disabilities to access, experience and benefit from the arts.”
The gallery itself, located at 909 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204, is open to the public on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 1:00 – 5:00 pm; on Saturdays from 1:00 – 4:00 pm; and during special extended hours on the first Friday, third Friday, and last Sunday of each month. Please check their website at www.accessgallery.org for details before planning your visit, and note that the gallery will be closed from May 19th through June 5th for an exhibit installation.
To learn how you can become an Access Gallery artist, click here https://www.accessgallery.org/become-an-access-artist, or call 303 777-0797.
If you’re an artist with a disability and have ever felt lost, devalued, or excluded from creating your art in unique ways, please don’t give up on your passions. Artistic expression is for everyone, and you are not alone! If you’re looking for a supportive creative space that embraces accessible and adaptive arts, look no further than these empowering local organizations: Spoke N Motion, Phamaly Theatre Company, and Access Gallery.
About the author: Naomi is a local artist who is visually impaired and who is a passionate Licensed Social Worker, Disability Advocate, and Adaptive Expressive Arts Facilitator. She believes in the boundless possibilities and freedoms to create for all individuals.