SPRING THEATER & ARTS PREVIEW

Though Slater says awareness is improving in the art world overall, Invisible Ink provocatively recasts his own experiences with lacking access initiatives. Over the years, he, Joyce, and Guttman have all encountered resistance from museums, galleries, and artists, who sometimes view basic accommodations as competing with artist intent. Worse, some nominally embrace disability art as a “hot trend” while half-committing to true accessibility.

“You see independent gallery spaces with like no funding, like Curb Appeal and Agitator [in Logan Square], pull this shit o . So, when someplace like the Art Institute or SFMoMA can’t get it together, you wonder what people’s motives are,” Slater says. “It should be part of artistic critique to write a description of a work for someone who can’t see it—that could be a great part of your practice. And artists need to learn to talk about their work.”

After Perspective closes in June, Curb Appeal will spotlight Chicago-based artist Genevieve Ramos, who, like Slater, is a recipient of a Bodies of Work and 3Arts residency for Deaf and disabled artists. Curb Appeal will display her portrait series of disabled women before it enters the permanent collection of UIC’s Disability Cultural Center. Future programming is in the works, but Slater is sure he’ll check out what the gallery does next.

“It doesn’t need to be disability art all the time. But what I do expect is that there will be as many forms of access and interpretation needed for whatever work goes in there. And Sandy knows that,” Slater says.

Already, Curb Appeal seems to be living up to its promise as a disability culture hub. At the opening earlier this month, Guttman overheard the sounds of new collaborations being sown between attendees.

“A couple of grad students were talking about doing accessible performances [here], and a couple others talked to Andy about doing pop-up programming across the city, with Curb Appeal as a stop along the way,” Guttman says. “All of that’s happening outside of me, but because we’ve created a space for it, those little side conversations can happen and hopefully lead to future programming.” v

@2ndFiddle

Weird And Weirder

DRAWINGS BY MAC BLACKOUT

DRAWINGS BY MAC BLACKOUT

DRAWINGS BY MAC BLACKOUT

PAINTINGS BY

PAINTINGS BY LARDO LARSON