Dan Miller - Large Paintings from CGAC VPW on Vimeo.

"Diagnosed with autism, and a few conventional verbal communication skills, Miller has developed an intensive body of work that employs language as its fundamental subject and departure-point. His extroidinary drawings take the form of accumulations of descriptive texts, alphabets, and numerical sequences. (The texts often have strong biographical references, e.g. acknowledging specific Bay Area locales, and aspects of his immediate day-to-day life and family history.) Typically superimposed on top of one another, these individual words, numbers, and phrases start to merge, creating all-over fields of partially obscured and often illegible texts.

Juxtaposing formal methodologies (e.g. the use of indexical lenguage and alphabetical and numerical systems, and repeated motifs such as light bulbs and books) with dynamic, yet highly disciplined drawing and mark-making, Miller's drawings intuitively combine both conceptual and expressive approaches, to create a truly idiosyncratic hybrid form."

-Matthew Higgs, Director, White Columns


June 17 - August 20, 2010
Opening reception: Thursday, June 17, 6 - 8pm

Ricco Maresca Gallery
529 West 20th Street, 3rd FLoor
New York, NY 10011
www.RiccoMaresca.com 

White Columns is pleased to present a rare exhibition of sculptural objects by Judith Scott (1943-2005). Judith Scott was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1943 with Down syndrome. In 1987, after many years living in isolation, Judith was introduced to Creative Growth – a visionary studio art program, founded 35 years ago in Oakland, California, that serves a community of adult artists with mental and developmental disabilities. For the last eighteen years of her life, before her death in 2005, Judith created the most extraordinary and idiosyncratic objects: fragile structures fastidiously assembled from found and scavenged materials that radically challenge – and resist – our attempts to define or rationalize them as ‘sculptures.’ Working intuitively and without any apparent influences or precedents – art historical or otherwise - Scott’s works are perhaps all the more extraordinary given that Judith was also deaf and mute.

Whilst living in the Bay Area I was fortunate to meet Judith in 2002 during one of my earliest visits to Creative Growth, and over the next three years I had the extraordinary privilege – and pleasure - to watch her at work. Sitting at her work table in Creative Growth’s main studio space Judith would focus on each ‘sculpture’ over a period of weeks or months, slowly but methodically wrapping, assembling, and making final adjustments before determining that a piece was ‘finished.’ The resulting cocoon-like and nest-like structures are of startling complexity and originality and together, I would argue, they constitute one of the most important bodies of work – ‘insider’ or ‘outsider’ – produced anywhere, and under any circumstances, in the past twenty years.

-Matthew Higgs, Director, White Columns

June 11 - July 17, 2010
Tuesday - Saturday, Noon - 6pm

White Columns
2330 West 13th Street (Enter on Horatio Street)
New York, NY 10014
www.WhiteColumns.org

Creative Growth for Everybody is a collaborative project launched by Creative Growth, The News and The Knoernschild family. The objective of the project is to provide the artists at Creative Growth the opportunity to showcase and distrubute their works to a broader audience, particularly to the fashion industry.

The first series of Creative Growth for Everybody consists of 15 art works printed on men's and women's cotton T-shirts and T-shirt dresses. Including artwork by Olga Bilema, Dan Miller, Donald Mitchell, Aurie Ramirez, Dwight Mackintosh, William Scott, Kerry Damianakes and William Tyler.

For many of the artists, the proceeds from the sales of thier artwork are their primary means of financial independence. A percentage of the sales from the Creative Growth for Everybody collection will go directly to the artists of Creative Growth.

Creative Growth for Everybody is a long-term collaborative effort that will continually inspire, excite and open eyes--in the way great art does.

For press inquiries please contact the Press Department at The News:
212-925-9700

For more information on where to purchase Creative Growth for Everybody merchandise please contact
the Sales Department at The News: 212-925-9700

link to images

For Immediate Release

For additional information contact:

Jennifer O’Neal, Curatorial Projects Manager, Creative Growth Art Center
510-836-2340 ext. 15 jennifer@creativegrowth.org or Tom di Maria, Director,
510-836-2340 ext. 13 tom@creativegrowth.org | www.creativegrowth.org

Creative Growth Art Center is thrilled to announce: Creative Growth for Marc Jacobs merchandise collaboration with the renowned international fashion retailer. One-hundred percent of proceeds go to support Creative Growth, an art studio for adult artists with disabilities.

WHAT: Creative Growth for Marc Jacobs, ‘Special Item’, limited edition, artist-inspired merchandise

WHEN: Beginning Friday, April, 24 in Marc by Marc Jacobs retail stores world-wide, and here in San Francisco

WHERE: Marc by Marc Jacobs retail locations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Savannah, Boston, Chicago, Provincetown (Cape Cod), London, and Paris.

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

Oakland, California—April 17, 2009— Creative Growth Art Center announces: Creative Growth for Marc Jacobs:

Creative Growth, the world’s oldest and largest art studio for adults with disabilities is thrilled to announce the limited edition release of ‘Special Item,’ artist inspired Creative Growth merchandise in collaboration with internationally renowned designer and retailer Marc Jacobs.

Included in the collection, are eleven items designed by four Creative Growth artists: Louis Estape, Dan Miller, William Scott, and Gerone Spruill. The items include t-shirts, tote and shoulder bags and a clutch wallet, ranging in price from $19 to $35. One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of the artist inspired merchandise will go toward supporting the programs at the Oakland, California based center for adult artists with disabilities.

Creative Growth has been a leading advocate in the field of arts and disabilities, successfully having blurred the perceived line existing between Outsider and contemporary art making. Creative Growth Director, Tom di Maria remarked that the collaboration with Marc Jacobs offers wonderful support for Creative Growth’s projects and initiatives and adds, “It is gratifying to see the recognition that Marc Jacobs is providing for artists with disabilities and how these artists are increasingly being recognized as leading contributors to the art our time.”


CONTACT: Jennifer O’Neal, Curatorial Projects Manager, Creative Growth Art Center 510-836-2340 ext.15 jennifer@creativegrowth.org or Tom di Maria, Director, 510-836-2340 x 13 or tom@creativegrowth.org