The beauty and possibilities found within chaos

The United States, as much of the world, has failed to provide a equal environment and life to people labeled as “intellectually disabled”. Historically, this group has been subjected to forced sterilization, institutionalized, exploitation, and abuse. While the disability rights movement has improved the conditions for many, people continue to live out their lives in segregated environments such as group homes (staffed housing for people with disabilities) and sheltered workshops (vocational training facilities that offer rote piece work for pennies per hour). In 2009, I was part of a group of artists, makers, and thinkers who co-founded a radical space of possibilities within a sheltered workshop located in Portland, Oregon on the west coast of the United States.  This art studio, community gallery, event space, and functioning urban farm was collaboratively shaped by the participants (formerly occupied with factory related work in the sheltered workshop) and myself, as well as dozens of community members and volunteers. We called it Project Grow.  Before this space could morph into a space of possibilities we had to interrogate the language we used to define others and ourselves.  No labels available whether developmentally disabled, mentally retarded, or intellectually disabled were acceptable. We felt that all available words were not only inadequate but inflicted significant epistemological violence. At the core of our space was the elevation and appreciation of ambiguity. Rather than seeking an alternate label for the group that was historically segregated (and in many aspects of their life continue to be so) we resisted categories. Project Grow curated gallery events  involving artists from all over the world, ran a monthly lecture series that provoked conversations related to our experiences as system transformers and other topics relevant to our world. We grew vegetables  year round and delivered them by bike to our members of the community and restaurants who supported us. We directed monthly art workshops that problematized the meaning of teacher and student, art and learning. On Halloween we crafted a fantastical Haunted House in our studio, directly pushing back on disturbing stereotypes related to people whose bodies may not fit the norm. In short, with love and joy and curiosity we sought to create a world that elevated possibilities and diverse, fascinating abilities.  Messy chaotic experiments such as Project Grow are difficult to capture on paper or even in words. Glancing back at this beautiful experiment, I'm so grateful I documented it through photographs and videos. These archive videos and photographs are not just to tell the story but to inspire others to embrace ambiguity and provoke change.  

At the end of 2010, I decided to make a video for every single day of the week. This was to just capture the energy that fed me and fed those I had the joy of sharing space with. Enjoy this little journey back in time to a place of dreams.