Creative Growth
AT 50
Welcome to the Creative Growth Art Center as we reflect on our 50th Anniversary in 2024 and look forward with excitement to the next 50 years. This milestone marked half a century of fostering artistic expression, inclusivity, and community. Since our inception, we’ve been at the forefront of empowering artists with disabilities, providing a nurturing and joy-filled space for creativity to flourish. In 2024, we commemorated our journey with special events, an unprecedented exhibition in partnership with SFMOMA, and stories of inspiration that defined our legacy. Stay tuned as we continue to share updates, celebrate creativity, and build on the undeniable voice of art that has defined our mission for more than 50 years.
UPCOMING EXHIBITION
Fashion is the Sunshine that Spotlights Everyone
ON VIEW FROM september 26th - November 15TH, 2025
Fashion is the Sunshine that Spotlights Everyone celebrates fashion as a central muse for the Creative Growth community. The exhibition showcases how Creative Growth artists expand their artistic practice into garment design, embellishments, painting, drawing, and sculpture.
Curated by Amy Keefer (Beyond Trend Coordinator) and Quinn Dukes (Gallery Sales & Fairs Manager), the show features a selection of Beyond Trend garments, a communal weaving project led by Anne Meade Paden (Fiber Arts Facilitator), textiles, works on paper, and sculpture.
MEMBER PREVIEW: Friday, September 26th, 5-6 PM
PUBLIC OPENING: Friday, September 26th, 6-8 PM
DESCRIPTIVE & TACTILE TOUR: Saturday, October 25, 2-3pm
Creative Growth will host a special tour of "Fashion is the Sunshine that Spotlights Everyone" for Blind and low vision visitors. Join CG artist Juan Aguilera and trained staff for an accessible and intimate show experience. Contact Emma (emma@creativegrowth.org) for questions or to RSVP.
📍 Location: Creative Growth Art Center, 355 24th Street, Oakland, CA, 94612
CURRENT SPOTLIGHT
CREATIVE GROWTH ARTISTS SHINE ON
CBS SUNDAY MORNING
We’re honored to share that CBS Sunday Morning recently featured Creative Growth in a national segment celebrating our 50th anniversary.
Correspondent Luke Burbank took viewers inside our Oakland studio to spotlight the incredible work of our artists —and the transformative power of inclusion, creativity, and community.
The segment honors the vision of our founders, Florence and Elias Katz, and highlights Creative Growth’s global impact through exhibitions, brand collaborations, and more.
A huge thank you to CBS for sharing our story with the world.
“I cannot think of a more important art institution in the United States. They pioneered the whole model of working with artists with disabilities.”
— Katy Siegel, SFMOMA
SHOP CREATIVE GROWTH
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
WILLIAM SCOTT
View the process behind Praise Frisco: Peace and Love in the City, a work commissioned by SFMOMA as part of Creative Growth's landmark exhibition The House That Art Built. This piece captures artist William Scott’s optimistic vision of San Francisco, where his vibrant imagination transforms the city's architecture into an idealized urban landscape. Documented by Creative Growth staff, the creation of this work highlights Scott’s artistic journey, as seen in his Bay Area Walls mural. With bold colors and expressive brushstrokes, Scott conveys a hopeful and dynamic perspective of the city, celebrating peace, love, and community in his reimagined San Francisco.
CURRENT AND PAST EXHIBITIONS
NEWS & EVENTS
Visit The Creative Growth Art Center
Creative Growth Art Center is located in the Downtown/Lake Merritt area of Oakland, California. We are a 10 minute stroll to the lake. Our two-story tall art center was originally an auto shop and has tall ceilings and big windows. We are surrounded by still functioning auto shops, restaurants, newly constructed tall buildings, and a few historic homes. Our studio and gallery have separate entrances. The studio entrance is the most accessible for wheelchairs and other mobility aid users. Inside, the studio and gallery are connected by a long ramp. In the back of the studio there are accessible, gendered bathrooms. To access a single-stall gender neutral restroom, please ask a staff member. Outside, there is a wooden parklet to sit and rest in.
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