OUR MISSION
Art Enables supports the creative and professional growth of artists with disabilities, spotlights their valuable contributions to the arts, and builds an inclusive arts community through public engagement and awareness.
Founded in 2001, Art Enables was built on our conviction that artists with disabilities are not only participants in the arts but vital contributors to contemporary culture. For more than two decades, our mission has been to provide artists with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and those with mental health diagnoses, the professional tools, platforms, and recognition they need and deserve to sustain careers in the visual arts.
Our work is guided by values of respect, inclusion, artistic excellence, collective growth, and self-efficacy. Unlike therapeutic or day programs, Art Enables operates with a public-facing model: artists are presented, represented, and celebrated as professional peers in the cultural sector. Our resident artists exhibit in museums, galleries, and public spaces; secure commissions; and appear in national press outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, NPR, and Freethink. Collectively, since our founding, they have sold more than $1.2 million in artwork.
Art Enables’ vision is an arts world where artists with disabilities are valued, celebrated, and recognized as vital voices in shaping the cultural landscape.
OUR APPROACH
Our programmatic activity focuses on providing artists with a diverse set of opportunities that allow them to develop as artists and gain experiences important for all growing professionals. We achieve this through the following three ways:
Studio Art Program
Through our Studio Art Program we offer a professional, light-filled workspace open five days a week, serving 40–45 artists. Artists are admitted through a portfolio review, intake interview, and probationary period to ensure alignment with the progressive studio model. Once admitted, they receive unrestricted creative freedom, professional-grade materials, coaching support, and mentorship.
Exhibitions & Gallery Program
Through our Exhibitions and Gallery Program, we organize 8-12 exhibitions annually across three on-site galleries and multiple off-site venues regionally, nationally, and internationally. These shows place resident artists in dialogue with peers across the contemporary art field, raising visibility and fostering critical exchange.
Community Arts Program
Through our Community Arts Program, we invite the public into the art-making process through free workshops, collaborative projects, and community events. These programs break down barriers between artists, audiences, and community, building understanding and celebrating the creative potential of diverse abilities.
Art Enables programs are supported in part by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities.