CALGARY – The SPARK Disability Art Festival is proud to present a new Solo Artist Series, hosted in collaboration with Arts Commons, called Changemakers.
This is the tenth year for the festival and organizers handpicked seven Calgary artists to showcase. The selected artists demonstrate exceptional talent, tenacity and represent Calgary’s next wave of professional artists living with a disability.
"We really want to increase exposure for these artists," said Roxanne Taylor, festival producer. "People with disabilities represent a marginalized community and it can be difficult to find fair opportunity to share their work, so giving them these top tier gallery experiences to express their work is fantastic."
For the 2019 festival, organizers are shining the spotlight on:
- Amber Harriman
- Daniel May
- Eva Hontela
- Lynn Cameron
- Macarena Ruidiaz
- Penny Gunderson
- Shawn Belanger
"Changemakers is important in that way in that it’s saying look we’re here, we are of this disabled community, but we have so many ranges of talents and we can contribute," said artist Penny Gunderson, who is on disability and has several chronic illnesses.
SPARK was founded in 2010 and its mission is to enhance the development of disability arts and culture both locally and globally through exhibition and advocacy. To do this, SPARK advances a creative vision of equality that explores the different themes and diverse aspects of the disability experience through visual art.
Working with artists with visible and invisible disabilities, SPARK is working to foster disability pride.
The exhibit’s window galleries are located across from Max Bell Theatre until December 8th.
