Second Annual
Disability Pride Exhibition
Group Exhibition at Gallery Be
June 19 – August 4
Reception on July 26, 3:00 – 7:00pm during our Annual ADA Celebration
Disability Network Washtenaw Monroe Livingston
3941 Research Park Dr | Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Open during office hours:
Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm
734.971.0277
Gallery Manager, Claire Moore
“Disability is not a brave struggle, or
‘courage in the face of adversity,’
Disability is an art. It is an ingenious way to live.”
– Neil Marcus, disabled performance artist and playwright
Audio Tour
Feel free to pause the audio tour at any time to allow yourself more time with each piece.
From the Curator
Welcome back to Disability Network Washtenaw Monroe Livingston’s Second Annual Disability Pride Exhibition at Gallery Be! We are so glad you’re here.
This year’s exhibition features incredible artwork from across the state of Michigan and the midwest region. Take your time to peruse the collage pieces, painted works, sculptures, and more across Gallery Be, the Gathering Space, and the small conference room. There’s plenty of artwork to experience! Be sure to join us during DNWML’s Annual ADA Celebration on July 26 for our reception and the opportunity to talk with the artists themselves and enjoy live performances from Theatre Be actors, singers, and poets.
I am thrilled to have more than doubled the size of our exhibition this year. Words cannot express my gratitude for the artists from our service area and beyond who have submitted thoughtful, well-crafted work. I am also so so thankful to you, the viewer, the art appreciator, who has taken the time visit Gallery Be and delve into the creative processes of these artists. Without them and without your support, this testament to the lives and creativity of disabled artists would not exist.
Claire Moore
Arts & Social Support Program Manager, Gallery Manager
The Garden of My Life
Krista Koehler
Paper sculpture
Three large sunflowers in the foreground with yellow petals and green stems and leaves. The far left sunflower reads “not all disabilities are visible.” Behind them, three smaller sunflowers and a green field. Above, a blue sky with textural white clouds and a sun in the center that reads “be the sunshine.”
“My project represents the garden of my life. I used the following facts about Sunflowers to form the concept of my design:
-The sun gives nourishment and stimulates growth to the flower as it follows the sun across the sky.
-They can grow in a variety of soil types.
-When it is deeply watered it will develop deep roots.
-Sunflowers can grow strong and tall in adversity.
The rocky soil depicts obstacles and adversity I had to overcome. Through love and encouragement from family and friends and a strong support system including Disability Network, I was able to develop deep roots of trust, and endurance, along with perseverance and I am learning to stand strong and tall in adversity. One origami sun flower represents my invisible neurological disability. A multi colored origami flower along with the variety of colors, shapes, and designs in my piece represent the variety of individuals I’ve met with different cultures, customs, strengths, and impairments; and the variety of programs and the people behind them.”
Stormy Sea
CJ Parker
Acrylic on canvas
Abstract painting. Mostly pale orange with wavy lines of light gray and streaks of black.
Untitled 1
Terry Dean Frye
Acrylic on paper
A small triptych. Three abstract pieces in a row. Gray, green, and maroon textural brushstrokes.
Watercolor Collection, 4
Krista Koehler
Watercolor on paper
A figure on a canoe with a sailboat behind them. Shades of maroon and violet.
That Wasn’t Chicken
Marchese Traver
Acrylic on canvas
An elaborately decorated and very colorful parrot skeleton standing on a prosthetic leg eating what appears to be a leg of chicken. The parrot is standing on a porcelain plate with bones, with a pink and purple brush stroke background.
“The concept of this piece was inspired when I went to Epcot and toured the “Mexico” section of this theme park. I loved the artwork and used photos of sugar skulls as a reference. I started painting a parrot and as I was adding on to it I had the idea of this parrot eating a leg of chicken. As I was painting this I thought it would be humorous to imply that the parrot was eating its own flesh…The parrot’s name is George and even though the title ‘that wasn’t chicken’ implies that he’s eating the leg his prosthetic is standing on I wish to include this painting because George is handicapped and I think this would be the perfect piece to honor those with disabilities.”
Serenity
Megan Braun
Acrylic on canvas
Various shades and tints of blue and purple brushstrokes swirling out from the center.
Scrawling Flowers
Amy Everett
Watercolor, ink, colored pencil on paper
Sketchy pink conehead flowers with green stems and a yellow-orange sky.
“I actually photographed these purple conehead flowers outside of the Disability Network one summer on my way to Jody’s MS support group. In recreating this image I chose to layer multiple media with spontaneous, loose scribbles: MS doesn’t follow a neat pattern but rather regularly throws curveballs into our lives, forcing us to continually adapt. Ideally as our neural pathways are blocked, our bodies find new ways to function like you can still see the flowers amongst the scribbles. ”
Mythical Gathering
MRC artWorks: Kaylee B, Sean C-K, Elliot B-P, Jessica W
Acrylic on canvas
A night scene along a beach. There is a volcanic mountain in the left background with a huge dragon emerging from the top. The bottom right foreground shows a partial dinosaur coming in from off the canvas. The dinosaur appears to be gazing at the gathering of mythical creatures. On bottom left of the canvas, an oversized scorpian has both of his claws in the open position and he is facing the water. At the base of the volcanic mountain there are 3 unicorns. In the water and on the right side middle of the canvas, 2 mermaid tails are surface from the water. The dark night sky has visible stars and red smoke coming from the volcano.
“This group painting was created by 4 artists with disabilities who participate in the MRC artWorks skill-building program located on the beautiful and historic Kalamazoo Mall. Utilizing a found and partially painted canvas, each artist selected a unique creature to contribute, enhancing the collaborative effort. This project merges and blends various painting styles and techniques, showcasing a unified artistic experience.”
Nature Heals Non-Compliance
Shalonda Jemison
Acrylic on canvas panel
A woman with her mouth open and a syringe to the right of her and empty medication bottle in front of her. There’s words in the sky crossed out in orange, red, and yellow paint. On far right, a tree with words crossed out.
“The concept of the piece is noncompliance as a way to reject the limitations of allopathic medicine and how natural remedies are beneficial for managing mental health disorders. I wanted to show that medication is an empty gesture for managing symptoms, yet things like herbs assist in remaining centered and [I am the] owner of my healing journey.”
Transformation
Marchese Traver
Mixed media collage
Depiction of a garden in someone’s backyard. Artificial flowers are “growing out” of terra cotta cans with additional plants above them forming a garden above. A fence is behind it and two butterflies fly in the sky framed with white flowers. The collage behind it is an assortment of media featuring a mosaic mini watering can, butterflies of all types, a wooden flower frame, a painted feather cutout in a shadow box and various trims, paper, and fabric. Above the collage is a collage butterfly coming out of a paper-mache cocoon. The frame is dictionary pages folded in half and along the bottom there are empty watercolor tubes with a painted depiction of watercolor coming out of them. There is rope with mini clothespins.
Lonely
Isabel Brown
Canvas
Sketch of a girl holding a red ball, raising an eyebrow.
“Drawing feelings.”
Pearl
Ashley Herr
Pastel on paper
Black and white dog on a blue background.
“Pearl is my dog that passed away recently… this is my favorite picture of her so I re-created her in this piece with pastel. ”
Untitled 2
Cayla Melnykowycz
Acrylic on canvas
Black, purple, and red drips and splashes.
“We were doing pour paint in art class. I decided to experiment by using soap and stuff. Making this kind of art is calming for me.”
Tahquamenon Fall
Bruce Tasoojy
Acrylic on canvas
Tahquamenon Falls in autumn with red, orange, and green foliage and bright blue water.
Untitled 2
Terry Dean Frye
Acrylic on paper
Abstract. Gray, green, and maroon textural brushstrokes.
Looking Beyond
Amy Everett
Watercolor, ink, pencil and glitter on paper
Green cactus skin with areas of brown decay.
“Intrigued by the beauty of a decaying cactus, I used watercolor, ink, pencil and glitter to capture this close up from Arizona. Like those of us who’ve developed disabilities later in life, it’s been forever changed from its original form. I looked beyond its appearance and sharp needles; hopefully those around us are also able to look beyond our disabilities to see us.”
Brain Fog
CJ Parker
Acrylic on canvas
Purple, green, blue, yellow, and white paint scraped across the composition in broad and textural strokes.
Watercolor Collection, 3
Krista Koehler
Watercolor on paper
White flowers with with purple tinged petals on a stormy blue background.
Aquarium
Boone Koupal
Clay
A two-panel tile of fish, water, and sand.
Tile
Boone Koupal
Clay
Three dimensional beige tile, with coral-like elements and marks across the surface.
Fish
Boone Koupal
Clay
Turquoise fish tile.
Sunflower Fields
Ashley Herr
Colored pencil on paper
A sunflower with orange yellow, and brown petals and a large brown center. A blue butterfly floats next to it.
“Sunflowers are bright and beautiful. They make me feel happy so I wanted to make a picture that makes others happy.”
Self-Portrait 2024 2
Megan Braun
Acrylic on canvas
Face and chest of Megan, who has fair skin, brown hair, and wears glasses. Her shirt is bright orange and the background is purple.
“I painted this self-portrait for my final assignment for my Painting I class at Washtenaw Community College.”
Peaceful Landscape
MRC artWorks: Danny P, Martina S, Meghan M, Jessica W
Acrylic on canvas
Landscape with large rocks in the foreground and tall grasses on a hillside. A tree with green leaves takes precedence on the top right half of the canvas. The background showcases rolling hills with green grass and the top third of the canvas depicts a blue sky with wispy white clouds.
“This is a group painting created by 4 artists with disabilities who attend MRC artWorks skill-building art program in Kalamazoo on the beautiful and historic Kalamazoo Mall. These artists learned to mix and blend colors from a limited palette, creating soft textures with their brush strokes. Together, they chose to depict a peaceful landscape scene that resonated with them.”
Untitled 1
Cayla Melnykowycz
Acrylic on canvas
In the middle is a large purple, blue, and pink circle with silver and gold highlights. One edge is yellow. The background is black with white splatters and gold and silver on top.
“I wanted to make a big painting. I put a circle in the middle of it and then decided to make it a planet in space. I gave it to my younger brother for his birthday. ”
The Elephant in the Wisteria
Amy Everett
Watercolor, paint, colored pencil on paper
A purple elephant emerges from a white background.
“This image began as a watercolor blur of wisterias. When my daughter saw an elephant in the shapes, I chose to subtly emphasize this illusion. Some of us have hidden disabilities, others are overt, and still more think they are hiding their disability better than they are. But disabilities can enhance our personalities and help us to recognize who and what are truly important in our lives. The title also references how many of us are reluctant to ask about or share disabilities, furthering the idea that a disability is something to be ashamed of when, in reality, sharing our struggles can spread knowledge and bring understanding.”
Fresh Flowers
Lea Crane
Acrylic on canvas
A still life of a white daisy in a blue vase on a gray table.
Supernova Sky
Marchese Traver
Acrylic on canvas
Blue, black, white, and pink cells of poured paint.
“The concept of this piece is that fluid art is one of my favorite ways to express myself. As an artist, there is no other art form more freeing than mixing up the paints, pouring them into cups and onto the canvas. I love the fact that I’m not in complete control and when I ‘just go with it’ I sometimes get some very cool results. I chose the title ‘Supernova Sky’ because I imagine watching a star explode into a supernova might look something like this. Fluid art resonates with me because having a disability gives me the ability to think creatively and express this through my artwork. Just as I ‘go with it’ when I pour paint on the canvas so at times I just ‘go with it’ when I see or process something differently than other people and have learned to be okay with thinking and living very differently sometimes.”
Watercolor Collection, 1+2
Krista Koehler
Watercolor on paper
A fish and a crane, depicted in two separate peices. Both in shades of blue. Side view of the fish. The crane lands on a shore by a body of water.
Stormy Night
CJ Parker
Acrylic on canvas
Abstracted view of a distant shoreline segmented into three rows. Green on top, orange in the middle, and blue on bottom.
Untitled 3
Cayla Melnykowycz
Acrylic on canvas
Black and blue squiggly background with a big pool of gray in the middle and a little spot below.
“I was experimenting with pour paint.”
Riders in the desert
Bruce Tasoojy
Acrylic on canvas
Two horseback riders wandering through a desert landscape with red and gray rocky mountains behind them and cacti other either side.