6397 partners with Creative Growth to showcase artwork by Creative Growth artists at their Nolita store in New York

6397 is pleased to announce The Postcard Show featuring the original artworks of over 50 artists from Creative Growth. The Postcard Show includes works by noted Creative Growth artists John Martin, Lauren Dare, Danny Miller, Joseph Alef, Maureen Clay and William Scott, among many others. Works featured are rendered in a diverse variety of media resulting in an awe-inspiring collection.

Stella Ishii, the owner of the News showroom and creative director of 6397, is a long-time supporter of Creative Growth dating back more than 20 years. Her store at 199 Mulberry Street in Nolita is not only a space to showcase the 6397 clothing collections, but also to introduce and show the artwork of the artists, having hosted some ten exhibitions since opening in 2018. With her clothing brand 6397 Stella seasonally incorporates the artworks of various Creative Growth artists into graphic t shirts and printed garments with all proceeds going to the Creative Growth Art Center and the artist.

all photos courtesy Stella Ishii shot by Brent Kerr

Creative Growth Announces the Appointment of New Board President and Two New Board Members

Creative Growth is pleased to announce the recent appointment of a new board president along with two new members to its board of directors. Michael Breland, a Creative Growth board member for over two years, has been elected the new president of the board while Brad Aldridge and Erica Tanov were elected to the Creative Growth board at its November 2022 meeting. Breland, Aldridge and Tanov will serve as the Art Center’s newest board members in critical roles representing the artist community and providing essential counsel to the leadership, staff and artists of Creative Growth.

Outgoing President Stephen Walrod on Michael Breland’s election as the new president, "I am appreciative of the ways that Michael has supported me during my presidency and I know that he will be a great next president of the board of directors. Michael brings solid judgment, organizational knowledge and management experience, and a love for Creative Growth's artists and mission to his new leadership role. I am pleased and excited about his selection."

The esteemed group of newly elected members bring a wide breadth of skills and experience to the board and a deep dedication to the disability arts community. Learn more about Creative Growth’s newest board President Michael Breland along with board members Brad Aldridge and Erica Tanov below.

ABOUT MICHAEL BRELAND, newly elected board president at Creative Growth Art Center

Michael grew up in Berkeley, California, where he attended the College Preparatory School. He received a Bachelor in Architecture degree from the University of Southern California in 2010. Breland is a founding partner and principal at Breland-Harper, a Los Angeles based design and development firm. From the onset, a definite relationship between architecture, interiors, landscape design, and artistic intervention has been a driving force behind his work, with the hope of creating projects with subtle transitions between these disciplines. As a designer, Breland seeks to synthesize the traditional and the contemporary, all while being grounded in functionality, durability, and comfort. Breland and his partner, Peter Harper, live in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, where you can often find them entertaining their friends around the dinner table.

“I am deeply honored to have been elected as board president for Creative Growth. Since I was a teenager, the organization has always been a source of inspiration and a reminder of the importance of art in our lives,” said Michael Breland. “As Creative Growth celebrates its 50th year in 2024, the organization is uniquely poised to further its mission of advancing the inclusion of artists with developmental disabilities in contemporary art and strengthening community by providing a supportive studio environment and gallery representation. I look forward to continuing upon a foundation laid out by Stephen Walrod over his many years of involvement with the organization. I also look forward to my collaboration with our new Executive Director Ginger Shulick Porcella and the wonderful staff at Creative Growth.”

Michael Breland, newly elected President of the Board, Creative Growth; artwork - acrylic on paper by Jessica Rodriguez

ABOUT ERICA TANOV, newly elected board member at Creative Growth Art Center

A California native, Erica Tanov moved to New York in 1985 to study fashion design at Parsons School of Design. After graduating she remained in Manhattan where she launched her eponymous clothing label in 1990. Erica returned to the Bay Area in 1994 to open her first retail store in Berkeley, then in 1999 opened a store in New York's Nolita neighborhood. She has since had stores in San Francisco, Marin and Los Angeles. Erica has expanded her business into home goods, e-commerce and design consulting, often collaborating with artists. She has been a guest speaker at SF Design Week, NY Design Week, a frequent jury member for CCA fashion department senior critiques, moderated panel discussions, including Fashion and Sustainability at The Battery in San Francisco, and authored the book 'Design By Nature', published in 2018 by Ten Speed Press. Erica is eager to play a bigger role in helping Creative Growth continue to thrive and grow and serve the community in the profound way that it does.

“I was introduced to Creative Growth over ten years ago when I attended the 2012 Beyond Trend event,” said Erica Tanov. “The experience was unlike any I'd ever had. The creativity, passion, enthusiasm and love I witnessed and felt was overwhelming. I knew immediately that I wanted to be involved with Creative Growth and jumped in to collaborate with the artists and CG team for the 2013 Beyond Trend runway show. I’m excited by the opportunity to share my skills, knowledge, creativity and insight.”

Erica Tanov, newly elected Creative Growth board member; artwork - acrylic on paper by Jessica Rodriguez

ABOUT BRAD ALDRIDGE, newly elected board member at Creative Growth Art Center

Brad Aldridge is a California native and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 2007 graduating with Honors in Art Practice and Theatrical Design. Aldridge is a design leader and creative strategist currently working as senior staff product designer at Instagram. Previously, Aldridge explored AR and Ambient Computing at Shopify and Google. He regularly speaks about design and is also a magician. He lives in Berkeley, California with his wife, son, and three cats. 

“As a disabled creative professional, I am excited to add to the diversity of the board roster through my own personal connection to disability, and how my own life has been enriched and much of my own success is connected to cultivating and practicing creative expression,” said Brad Aldridge. “I am motivated to help implement this mission at Creative Growth and to ensure that others can be inspired into a life enriched through creativity.”

Brad Aldridge, newly elected Creative Growth board member; photo credit: Vince Donovan Photography; artwork - acrylic on paper by Jessica Rodriguez

Creative Growth Announces Ginger Shulick Porcella as its New Executive Director

Creative Growth has appointed Ginger Shulick Porcella to lead the organization as its new Executive Director. Porcella will start in January of 2023, joining Creative Growth from their current position as Executive Director and Chief Curator of Franconia Sculpture Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which they have held since September 2019. Porcella has been selected to further the organization’s vision of bringing art and access to everyone, fostering a culture of care and respect, and amplifying the disability arts community through radical visibility and artistic expression.

“Ginger’s commitment to Creative Growth’s mission and the communities we serve, along with her energy and leadership experience, will be instrumental in continuing to build a community focused on advancing artists with developmental disabilities in the contemporary art world,” says incoming Creative Growth Board President Michael Breland. 

Ginger Shulick Porcella comes to Creative Growth with over 20 years of non-profit arts experience, most recently as the Executive Director and Chief Curator of Franconia Sculpture Park in Minnesota. Porcella holds an M.A. in Socio-Cultural Anthropology from Columbia University and a B.A. in Art History from DePaul University. They were previously the Executive Director and Chief Curator of MOCA Tucson, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the San Diego Art Institute (ICA San Diego), and the Executive Director of Art Connects New York. Porcella has curated critically acclaimed exhibitions such as: Cyclic with Cassils and Ron Athey; Blessed Be: Mysticism, Spirituality and the Occult in Contemporary Art; Amir H. Fallah: Scatter My Ashes on Foreign Lands; and, Dazzled: OMD, Memphis Design and Beyond. They are the Founder and Co-Curator of the current 4Ground: Midwest Land Art Biennial. Porcella’s exhibitions have been positively reviewed in Frieze, The New York Times, and Hyperallergic and in 2015 Porcella was named the “Voice of the Year” by the San Diego Press for their work transforming the arts and cultural ecosystem of Southern California/Baja.

In welcoming Ginger to the Creative Growth organization, Creative Growth Director Emeritus Tom di Maria says, “As we pass the baton to Ginger, we’re confident she’ll make a positive imprint on Creative Growth. Ginger’s outstanding support of contemporary artists, her curatorial background and proven non-profit management skills will have a critical impact in furthering Creative Growth’s vision of bringing art and access to all.”

Creative Growth’s New Executive Director Ginger Shulick Porcella