Today is International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD), and it’s an ideal opportunity to reflect on what people with disability bring to our communities. EPIC’s celebration of IDPwD is our annual art exhibition, A World of Difference, which runs from 11-21 December at Graydon Gallery in New Farm, Brisbane.
The exhibition is now in its fourth year, and we’re proud to be providing a setting for artists with disability to showcase their talent. And with over 70 artworks from 30 artists this year, there’s no shortage of that.
We took some time out to chat to one of our artists, Anne Kelley, about what it’s like moving through the world with disability, and expressing herself through art.
“Through my art, I like to highlight frustrations of being excluded; a feeling experienced by many disabled people,” explains Anne.
“I think it’s important to highlight uncomfortable truths through my art. But that hasn’t always been welcomed; often when I voice these types of opinions I’m told it’s ‘too intense’ or ‘too much’.
“But I think that’s a really essential way for able-bodied people to begin understanding the experiences of disabled people; by first being confronted and feeling uncomfortable,” she says.
Anne says providing spaces for people with disability to share their life experiences is vital, and she believes the art exhibition provides a key opportunity.
“I love the exhibition’s theme, A World of Difference, as folks with disability really do have a WORLD of different experiences,” says Anne.
“There’s a lot to learn if people are willing to check their prejudice, listen and learn.”
EPIC CEO Bill Gamack is proud of how the exhibition has grown and developed in the years since its inception. He says hearing the stories behind the artworks is an integral part of the event.
“Through this exhibition, we’re inviting people to consider what ‘different’ means to them,” explains Bill.
“We are working to build a society of diversity, where difference is not seen as a deficit, but as an attribute to be celebrated and harnessed.
“Through difference, we gain a valuable mix of perspectives and life experiences. And when difference is welcomed and embraced, the world becomes a better place for all,” he says.
EPIC’s exhibition, A World of Difference, will kick off on Tuesday 11 December and run until Friday 21 November. It will be open daily from 10-4 at Graydon Gallery, 29 Merthyr Rd, New Farm. Follow our Facebook event for updates.