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Exhibition

Creative Growth: The House That Art Built

April 6–October 6, 2024
Floor 2

Creative Growth: The House That Art Built celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the first organization in the United States dedicated to supporting artists with developmental disabilities. Today, more than 140 artists work at the organization, using every medium, from painting and drawing to ceramics, wood, fiber, digital media, and printmaking. This exhibition features a selection from the museum’s recent acquisition of work by Creative Growth artists — Joseph Alef, Camille Holvoet, Susan Janow, Dwight Mackintosh, John Martin, Dan Miller, Donald Mitchell, Judith Scott, William Scott, Ron Veasey, and Alice Wong — along with archival material that highlights the organization’s history. Together, the exhibition and historic acquisition present the boundless creativity and impact of these artists on cultural dialogues in the Bay Area and beyond.

INTRO TEXT | ARTIST BIOS | WALL TEXT | VITRINE LABELS

Exhibition Preview

A vibrant, folk-style painting of multiple abstract figures with prominent facial features and patterned clothing.
A painting of a smiling person with a colorful array of objects resembling hair rollers or baubles attached to their hair. The background features geometric shapes and a lamp, suggesting an interior setting.
A painting of a figure with dark skin wearing a striped shirt, blue pants, and a yellow hat against a backdrop of bold, abstract blocks of color.
A painting of a stylized portrait of a person with blonde hair, wearing a dress with a two-tone collar and a pink background. The facial features are accentuated with bold colors and brush strokes.
A sculptural artwork consisting of various textiles and materials tightly wrapped around a chair-like structure, creating an intricate, cocoon-like form.
A vibrant, abstract painting with layers of scribbled lines and text in various colors on a white background.
A drawing featuring numerous simplistic, cartoon-like figures and furniture-like items arranged in a grid-like pattern, sketched in black ink.
A black and white film still of a person sitting in front of a brick wall with the word "QUESTIONS?" written above and "BY SUSAN JANOW" below in a hand-drawn style. The person is wearing glasses, a white T-shirt with a graphic, and a dark blazer.
A colorful and stylized mixed media artwork featuring a figure holding tools and a sign with the text "CREATIVE GROWTH ART GALLERY THE BEST ART IN THE WORLD JOHN MARTIN".
A wide, panoramic abstract painting with vibrant, swirling colors and dynamic brushstrokes.
Dwight Mackintosh, Untitled, 1988; purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Honig
Camille Holvoet, The New EEG TEST IN CHIPS [...], 1998; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Honig
Ron Veasey, Untitled, ND; purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Honig
Alice Wong, AW 298, ND; collection SFMOMA, Accessions Committee Fund purchase
Judith Scott, Untitled, 2004; purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Mr. And Mrs. Louis Honig
Dan Miller, Untitled, 2021; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Honig
Donald Mitchell, Untitled, ND; purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Honig
Susan Janow, QUESTIONS?, 2018; purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Honig
John Martin, Untitled, 2018; purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Honig
Joseph Alef, Untitled, 2021; purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Honig
A black and white photograph of an elderly couple smiling and standing close together in what appears to be an exhibition or gallery space, with framed artworks visible in the background. The man is wearing a patterned sweater and glasses, and the woman is in a black turtleneck, also with glasses.
Elias Katz and Florence Ludins-Katz at a Creative Growth exhibition in the 1980s; photo: Creativity Explored

“Our philosophy is that each person has the right to the richest and fullest development of which he is capable. Only then can society reach its fullest potential … Creativity is a vital living force within each individual.”

— Florence Ludins-Katz and Elias Katz, founders of Creative Growth

Creative Growth: Studio Reel

Welcome to Creative Growth, the first organization in the United States dedicated to supporting artists with developmental disabilities. Join artists Donald Mitchell, Ron Veasey, Alice Wong, John Martin, Dan Miller, and Joseph Alef in the studio, and celebrate the organization’s fiftieth anniversary with us at Creative Growth: The House That Art Built, now on view on SFMOMA’s Floor 2 through October 6, 2024.

Special Thanks:
Creative Growth Executive Director: Tom di Maria
Creative Growth Staff: Erin Mendez
Creative Growth Artist Facilitator: Héctor Muñoz-Guzmán
Creative Growth Artist Services Language & Access Aide: Emma Peyton
Creative Growth Studio Instructor: Julie Plasencia
Creative Growth Director of Marketing & Communications: Ibby Saso
ASL Interpreter: Suzanne Sattergren
SFMOMA Curatorial Assistant of Painting and Sculpture: Auriel Garza
SFMOMA Associate Curator of Painting and Sculpture: Jenny Gheith
SFMOMA Associate Curator of Painting and Sculpture: Nancy Lim

00:00 Creative Growth Studio Reel
00:03 Donald Mitchell
00:34 Ron Veasey
01:22 Alice Wong
02:16 John Martin
03:11 Dan Miller
03:45 Joseph Alef
04:27 Special Thanks

Lead support for Creative Growth: The House That Art Built is provided by Randi and Bob Fisher and Diana Nelson and John Atwater.

Major support is provided by Mary Jo and Dick Kovacevich.

Significant support is provided by Mary Jane Elmore.

Meaningful support is provided by Martin and Rebecca Eisenberg, Maryellen and Frank Herringer, and Alison Pincus.

Community support is provided by Jeff and Karen Banks, Tom di Maria, KAWS, Douglas O. Robson, Jane Timberlake and Taylor Walker, and Stephen Walrod and Lauren McIntosh.

Header image: Dwight Mackintosh, Untitled, 1988; purchase, by exchange, through a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Honig