January 8, 2010 — OAKLAND, CA — Creative Growth Art Center announces its upcoming exhibition Everyone! a project conceived by internationally celebrated curator Matthew Higgs in collaboration with the Creative Growth gallery, featuring the artwork of each artist currently working in the Creative Growth studio.

Creative Growth is honored to be working with Matthew Higgs, Director/Chief Curator, White Columns, New York and long-time supporter of Creative Growth artists. Everyone! features over 130 works made by Creative Growth artists and will include each and every artist currently enrolled in the 35 year-old studio program, the oldest and largest art studio for adults with disabilities in the world.

Creative Growth director, Tom di Maria points out, “Matthew Higgs’ proposal of choosing one work of art from each artist in the Creative Growth studio has introduced a new challenge to the process of choosing artwork for exhibition, and is reflective of his unrivaled support for working artists.” As this exhibition will include only one piece of each artists’ work, the challenge is to represent the individual artist and the totality of the Creative Growth program, simultaneously.

“Matthew’s simple exhibition concept becomes profoundly more complex,” said di Maria. “In a studio program for 130 artists his concept pushes our collective thinking about artistic excellence, inclusion and community.”

Guest curator and collaborator Higgs shares, "Working with Creative Growth, its artists and staff, over the past seven years has fundamentally changed the way I approach both art and exhibition making. Creative Growth is perhaps the most visionary arts organization I have ever encountered: it's grass-roots approach to encouraging and supporting the creative process forcefully reminds us of the real potential for art, at a local, national, and international level. Everyone! is an exhibition that includes work by every artist currently working at Creative Growth, it is a celebration of the ongoing collective spirit and enterprise that unfolds every day in Creative Growth's open studio spaces."

WHAT: Everyone! An exhibition conceived by Matthew Higgs, Director/Chief Curator, White Columns, New York in collaboration with Creative Growth Art Center

WHEN: Exhibition and opening event , Thursday, January 28, 2010 from 5:00-8:00pm. Gallery event is free and open to the public. Also open Saturday, January 30,11am to 4 pm. On view from January 28 – February 24, 2010

WHERE: Creative Growth Art Center Gallery, 355 24^th St., Oakland, CA 94612, (near 19^th St. BART)

PUBLIC INFO: For more information call 510/836-2340 ext.15

PRESS PREVIEW: Wednesday, January 27, by appointment

IMAGES UPON REQUEST: jennifer@creativegrowth.org

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jennifer O’Neal, Curator / Gallery Manager: jennifer@creativegrowth.org

Tom di Maria, Director: tom@creativegrowth.org

*dates and content are subject to change,
please call gallery for detailed information
510.836.2340 x 15