The Second Gaze: the Art of Catherine Lecce-Chong, 2024
Sculptures by Catherine Lecce-Chong
Clearly Polluted: the Fight for Environmental Justice in the Bay Area, Global Museum, San Francisco State University, 2022.
Title Wall from Clearly Polluted: the Fight for Environmental Justice in the Bay Area, 2022.
Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Clearly Polluted investigated environmental racism and its ongoing, disproportionate impact on BIPOC communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. This exhibition features photographs and oral history recordings with local activists and advocates conducted between February-April 2021. Clearly Polluted is also available online.
The Art of Disability Culture: Artists with disabilities dispelling myths, dissolving barriers, and disrupting prejudice, Palo Alto Art Center, September 11-December 11, 2021
Michaela Oteri, Self-portrait, 2020. Digital print. Courtesy of the artist.
Click this link for audio description by Michaela Oteri of her self portrait and Memorial portrait of Stacey Milbern
The Art of Disability Culture provided both an invitation and a gentle provocation. The exhibition featured work created by artists with disabilities celebrating their insight, fragility, honesty, and resilience. We created a safe space for reflection and contemplation, one in which visitors were encouraged to stare at the disabled experience.
Each artist co-created and recorded their own audio description for each artwork and visitors could access them via QR codes in the gallery spaces. The exhibition website can be explored for a comprehensive listing of artist and their artworks. Artists include: Chad Allen, Bill Bruckner, Jeremy Burleson, Lawrence Choy, Sky Cubacub, Shana Harper, Camille Holvoet, Antoine Hunter, Cedric Johnson, Jennifer Justice, Don Katz, Matthaus Lam, Catherine Lecce-Chong, Michaela Oteri, Maia Scott, Katherine Sherwood, Otis Smith, Anthony Tusler, Rachel Ungerer and Jennifer White-Johnson. A smaller version of the exhibition traveled to Ruth’s Table in San Francisco.
Climate Stories
Global Museum SFSU
Designer for an exhibition on the impact of climate change on indigenous peoples around the world. Four themes feature beautiful works from communities in Australia, Brazil, Alaska and Papua New Guinea from the GM collection alongside loans from the California Academy of Sciences, as well as current scientific research from the Harry D. Thiers Herbarium and academics at SFSU. Low-tech interactive exhibits prompt visitors to reflect on climate change in their own lives and their positive actions going forward. https://develop.sfsu.edu/global-museum-opens-climate-stories-show
Changemakers: Bay Area Disability Pride
San Mateo County Libraries and San Francisco Public Library
Fran was the curator for Changemakers: Bay Area Disability Pride which began as a traveling exhibit for the San Mateo County Library system in 2019 and at the Skylight Gallery of the San Francisco Public Library in early 2020. www.disabilitychangemakers.org The exhibit features over 50 portraits of local people with disabilities nominated by their peers for making a significant difference in their communities. The website features audio description of each portrait, while the exhibit has large print text, a Braille binder and a tactile portrait to explore the valuable contributions of local disabled people. Programming included art workshops, discussion groups and dance performances. The portraits were all commissioned from artists with disabilities from Creativity Explored, NIAD, ArtReach for The Arc, Artful Steps and the Pomeroy Center.
Patient No More
Ed Roberts Campus
Curator and graphic designer for an accessible exhibition about the “Section 504 Sit-In” by a group of over 100 people with disabilities and their allies in San Francisco in 1977. Featuring video interviews with those who were there, the exhibit captures the spirit of the time and charts the unfolding events that would lead to the first civil rights legislation for people with disabilities. For current locations and the project website visit the website of the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at SF State University.
Click this link to hear the Pushing Limits, KPFA program hosted by Edward Ytuarte about the creation of “Patient No More”, including an interview with Fran Osborne and 504 protester Dennis Billups.
DIS/PLAY: A disability take-over
SOMArts, San Francisco
Curator and designer for an exhibition featuring the work of 35 artists with and without disabilities and programming for 3 accessible events. For the SOMArts archive page and list of participating artists please visit this SOMArts link.
Shaw House
Newbury, Berkshire UK
Design and exhibit development for permanent history exhibits and mobile interactive STEM educational units, tracing the history and restoration of the families who built and owned a Tudor merchant’s house, was involved in a skirmish in the English Civil War, and a High School mid 20th century.