News & Events

BCC Presents “The Accessible Artist” Gallery Exhibition – Showcasing Artists with Disabilities

The Brookfield Craft Center will be hosting The Accessible Artist gallery exhibition Saturday, June 15th to Sunday, July 14th.

This exhibition calls for work from artists who have any type of disability whether that be physical, mental, developmental, psychological, or otherwise invisible. The art should connect to the artist’s disability in some capacity whether that be a direct correlation or inspiration of their experience or a reflection of their disability and their community. 

The Accessible Artist provides a space for disabled artists to share their art and fine craft that, by nature, speaks of or to the experience of the artist’s disability. BCC strives to provide an accommodating environment on campus, and we are happy to welcome accessible artists to showcase their work in our Lynn Tendler Bignell Gallery.

Artists from CT and the surrounding area including NY, MA, and RI, are welcome to submit their work. All types of artwork are considered, ranging from drawing, digital art, painting, glass, jewelry, fiber, video, mixed media, ceramic/clay, printmaking, wood, and metal. Guidelines for works and installation can be found on the EntryThingy artist call.

Submissions of work are accepted from Monday, March 18th with a deadline of Sunday, April 28th by submitting via the EntryThingy call list which can be found by clicking HERE. Artists will be notified of their acceptance on May 3rd.

There will be a reception on July 22nd from 5pm to 8pm, where visitors may participate in an artist talk where artists will share about their work, experiences, and answer questions.

The Accessible Artist gallery exhibition is guest curated by local Bethel, CT resident artist Danielle Ellie Nielsen, 26. Nielsen is a high-functioning/low-support needs autistic neurodivergent artist who aligns her creative work with managerial and editorial organizational communications, while aspiring to bring awareness and acceptance about the needs of disabled individuals to members of her community. Nielsen, fueled by her own experiences and observations of the lack of support for disabled individuals reflects how “the word disabled has too often been used to reflect insignificance. A person’s worth is not defined by their inability to perform at the stereotypical and predefined standards of society. We may have a disability, but we are still accessible.”

Nielsen is a WCSU graduate with a BA concentration in illustration and a minor in creative writing and is a graduate of the full Kathwari Honors Program. She has worked with companies such as Tumblr Inc. and Amazon Prime Video, and since April of 2023, works at BCC as an arts administrative registrar and accessibilities coordinator, acting as liaison for individuals with disabilities as well as the point-of-contact for resolving inquiries regarding disability accessibility and ADA compliances.

For all questions, please reach out to Gallery Manager, Jillian Doherty at 203-775-4526 or by emailing info@brookfieldcraft.org.

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