6th Annual Artists with Disabilities Showcase

FLUX MEDIA GALLERY, Victoria BC - Nov 30 - Dec 3, 2018
by Christine Clark
The Victoria Disability Resource Centre (VDRC) has been organizing the Annual Artists with Disabilities Showcase since 2013 to mark the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which falls on December 3rd. Proclaimed in 1992, this is a day to acknowledge the human rights of people with disabilities, including the right to access health care, education, social inclusion, employment and political agency.
The first two years of the showcase included only a handful of artists, exhibiting in the VDRC’s offices. Five years on, the showcase has evolved into an exciting and diverse gallery show of about 25 artists. The juried exhibition will feature sculpture, painting, drawing, video, woodworking and photography. Robin Unger, director of 1620 Gallery, and stone sculptors Alistair Green and Garry Curry of Studio 4114 will be present, as will all of the exhibiting artists, to discuss their work and some innovative techniques. Based on last year’s numbers, VDRC board members and showcase organizers Les Chan and Ami Gordon expect more than 200 visitors.
Gordon, a long-time disability advocate, says, “One of the most important reasons [for] and benefits of our showcase is bringing the ... community of artists ... to the forefront and further strengthening its bonds ... Many of our artists have acquired their disabilities later in life ... [and] they have learned to adapt their techniques to their new abilities ... Our exhibition offers a focused look at an underappreciated and unique approach to art. Some of our artists seem to accomplish the impossible. It is an eye-opening demonstration of the potential of persons with disabilities.”
Closing party Dec 3, 2pm, at VDRC, 817A Fort St.
Accessible washrooms available next door to the gallery at the VDRC office
drcvictoria.com
medianetvictoria.org