Disability Pride and The Arts
Disability Pride and The Arts
October 7th – October 30th
The world of art gives artists exposure to their joys, struggles, and life in general. This exhibition, “Disability Pride and the Arts,” gives artists with disabilities the opportunity to expose their joys, struggles and their life in an ableist world where they are labeled and stigmatized. You will be able to see and feel their unique world. Step into the world of blindness and invisible disabilities, and hopefully, you leave the gallery understanding the gifts and strengths artists with disabilities have to give to the world through art.
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Artist Bios:
Luanne Burke is a graduate of Adams State College with a BFA in Art. Her area of emphasis was landscape watercolor however, as her vision diminished she gravitated toward more tactile forms of art. Burke studied for many years with Peter Durst of Art Students League of Denver, creating life-size and larger-than-life human sculpture in high fired clay. She is currently a member of Boulder Potter’s Guild and continues to take classes when time allows. Luanne currently works out of the Arvada Center for the arts and humanities. Follow this link to watch a video interview with Luanne.
Merhia Wiese was born in Denver, Colorado in 1973. At the age of 12 she was gifted her first camera, beginning her life long love for photography. In addition to photography, A multi-diciplinary artist, Merhia creates also works in sculptural, performative, and painting mediums. Conceptually, her work gravitates towards the appreciation of nature, as well as the exploration of her disabilities through her own style of Fauvism and Pop Art. Merhia is currently working as a Doula as well as an artist, and is an outspoken advocate for those living with disabilities. Follow this link to watch a video interview with Merhia.
Elliot Wiese, born 2003, originally from Portland, Oregon but moved to Denver Colorado in 2010. As an artist, Elliot has been working with digital art since 2012 when they first tried using their father‘s Cintiq to draw. Art has always been a huge part of their life, it was a way for Elliot to express their emotions when words failed them. Creativity of all kids is what brings them joy. Not only are they a digital artist, they are a seamstress, doll maker, poet and devil in FX. Elliot is a recent high school graduate and digital artist who lives and works in Denver, Colorado. Follow this link to watch a video interview with Elliot.
Margarete “Maggie” Wiese was born in Portland Oregon in 2007 and came to Denver when her family moved back in 2010. Maggie was surrounded by artists so becoming one was kind of inevitable (so she says). Following her father‘s death in 2014, Maggie pursued art as an outlet and began by creating miniature sculptures, eventually moving onto illustration. Currently, Maggie works in digital illustration and painting as well as several forms of physical media. She sews, cross stitches, paper crafts and sculpts with polymer and ceramic clay. Maggie is currently a sophomore in high school and lives and works in Denver, Colorado. Follow this link to watch a video interview with Maggie.
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Public hours:
Thursdays through Sundays, 12:00pm – 6:00pm, October 7th – October 30th
Opening Celebration October 7th, 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Understudy is free-to-visit and open to all. We are located at the Colorado Convention Center / Theatre District light rail stop near 14th and Stout. Look for the Shantell Martin art bench.
