Expanding Orbits
Participating artists: Manual Bart, Darmeka Bailey, Autumn Bez, Dennis Cenzer, Ryan Cooke, Lisa Coulter, Chantell Donwell, Santina Dionisi, Zainab Elhasan, Nejwa Elghoul, Alex Fergason, Derrick Hall, Khristopher Harris, Sabrina Jenkins, Tracey Mason, Scott Macijewski, Nathaniel McNeil, and Marquise Rucker, Sam Menjivar, Khiry O'Neal, Ray Wells, Joseph Reese, Randy Rodriguez, Rodney Stephens, Joseph Warick, and Chris Wansac
Curated by Evan Condron, Renee Willoughby and Eleni Zaharopoulos
Opening Thursday June 22, 2023, 5-8
Exhibition dates: June 23 – July 22, 2023
www.progressiveartstudiocollective.org
progressiveart@stepcentral.org
Padzieski Gallery
Ford Community & Performing Arts Center
15801 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126
https://www.padzieskigallery.org
Phone: 517-335-7622
Hours: Wednesday 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Thursday 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Friday 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Saturday 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Like planets in space, we revolve around a sun. Tethered to other cosmic rocks we influence, and we attract, growing and reaching out, but steadfastly grounded to a root, our sun is our artistic community. Expanding Orbits is an exhibition at Padzieski Gallery featuring 26 artists from The Progressive Art Studio Collective (PASC), an exhibition and studio program for disabled adults, where participating artists work together in a shared group studio space. This exhibition takes the theme of space as a metaphor to discuss creative relationships of force and influence, happy accidents, and unknown phenomenon. At PASC the sun might be our studio, grounding this solar system with its force of gravity, and the cosmic rocks are all the artists who participate, as well as, the staff of professional artists who assist them, each exhibiting a force of attraction, at times pulling or pushing our influence and ideas upon each other.
The artworks in this exhibition offer grandeur and possibility, and a growth of self-expression both expansive and individual. Among the artworks you will see is an unknown planet with fantastical aliens, a self-portrait as a mythical creature, and a loving homage to the planet Neptune, all formed through this collective working environment.
PASC was launched in January 2021 as the first progressive art and design studio in Detroit and Wayne County dedicated to supporting adults with developmental disabilities and mental health needs to advance independent artistic practices and individual career paths in the art and design fields. PASC runs three studios in Westland, Detroit and Southgate, Michigan, as well as a virtual art studio program, and we support over 100 artists across Wayne County. PASC is a program of Services to Enhance Potential (STEP) a non-profit service organization, founded in 1972, that provides services and supports for 1300+ individuals with disabilities and mental health issues across Southeastern Michigan.
