North Pole Studio

Professional Studio programour professional Studio program provides artists with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities who are 18 years and older with an accessible, supported Studio space to pursue a self-determined art practice. In this program artists access the space, materials, support, and advocacy to produce, exhibit and sell their artwork. Through individualized programming, we serve a diverse community of artists with complex physical, communication, behavioral, and social neurodiversities. This program is supported by specialized art facilitators, who exist to facilitate personal and professional opportunities aligned with each individual's goals and dreams.in 2022, we served 21 artists in the professional Studio program. We expanded our staff by hiring an additional full-time art facilitator to provide artists with direct support. 100% of our artists with collections sold original artwork, totalling over $13,000 in individual art sales, and 100% of these artists had the opportunity to exhibit either locally or nationally. In january of 2022, we changed our 50/50 commission agreement with artists to 75/25 making North Pole Studio a leader in prioritizing artists' income. Traditionally, galleries and community spaces withold 50% of commissions. In our model, the 25% withheld by North Pole Studio supports the materials and programming that artists access in the program. Therefore, 100% of every original art sale directly supports artists' careers. In addition to exhibitions, we facilitated paid opportunities for artists to teach and lecture in the community. We supported every artist with maintaining a digital portfolio of work, and created an individualized webpage for each individual to show and sell their work.

Community engagement + partnershipsour community programming promotes the inclusion of artists with autism and i/dd in the arts community, and seeks to increase public understanding about this population's experiences. Our Studio is located in nw marine artworks, portland's largest collaborative of professional artist studios. In this space, we ensure that artists with disabilities are fully integrated into the professional arts community and we faciliate meaningful connections between artists with and without disabilities. Through community partnerships, we increase representation of artists with disabilities in exhibition spaces, events, and design opportunities.in 2022, worked with over 25 community partners to faciliate exhibition and professional development opportunitities for artists. We facilitated 12 exhibition opportunities across local and national spaces, including competive and reputable professional galleries such as Oregon contemporary, sage Studio, and nationale. All exhibitions were widely attended by individuals with and without disabilities, and generated art sales and visibility around artist's stories. We partnered with schools such as grant high school, pps, and victory academy through which North Pole Studio artists taught workshops and delivered lectures. Additionally, we hosted transition-aged and special education students in the Studio for tours. We participated in nw marine artworks' bi-annual open Studio event, ensuring that artists with disabilities are equitably represented at public arts events.

Art classes + workshopsour weekly art classes are offered each quarter, and are available for artist with autism or i/dd who are 16 years and older. This program is specifically designed to serve "transition-aged" young adults who are between the ages of 16-25 and are particularly vulnerable to unemployment, social isolation, and mental health challenges upon graduating from high school. These classes cover diverse tools and techniques, providing students with the opportunity to explore a wide range of art-making methods. Our workshops are offered on a monthly basis, and lessons are designed based on artist request and are either hosted in the Studio or at a partnership site. These workshops provide an accessible alternative to community offerings (such as figure drawing, pottery, digital drawing) that are often inaccessible to individuals with disabilities.in 2022, we offered over 32 opportunities to a diverse community of art students across four, quarterly class terms. Through these classes, we delivered lessons across a wide range of art methods and materials including drawing, sculpture, printmaking, fiber arts, pottery, glassworking, and more. We partnered with over 25 community artists, who volunteered their time to teach lessons in their area of expertise. Through these partnerships, we taught community artists about how to incorporate accessible practices into their teaching methods. Additionally, we worked with community partners to provide monthly workshop based on artist request. Our community partners included wacom, green tie Studio, shadow machine, phame, and more. Workshops were attended by artists with and without disabilities, and are designed to build organic connections between diverse communities of artists through the shared language of the arts.