ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT
Accessibility is a practice of making spaces, events, and information usable, safe, and meaningful for as many people as possible. This includes our community of artists, staff, family members, caregivers, and visitors. Access means taking our time. Access means making space. Access is love!
VISUAL NARRATIVE OF CREATIVE GROWTH
Creative Growth Art Center is located in the Downtown/Lake Merritt area of Oakland, California. We are a 10 minute stroll to the lake. Our two-story tall art center was originally an auto shop and has tall ceilings and big windows. We are surrounded by still functioning auto shops, restaurants, newly constructed tall buildings, and a few historic homes. Our studio and gallery have separate entrances. The studio entrance is the most accessible for wheelchairs and other mobility aid users. Inside, the studio and gallery are connected by a long ramp. In the back of the studio there are accessible, gendered bathrooms. To access a single-stall gender neutral restroom, please ask a staff member. Outside, there is a wooden parklet to sit and rest in.
GENERAL ACCESSIBILITY
Mask Policy
Masks are optional but encouraged!
Restrooms
Accessible, gendered restrooms are in the back of the studio. To access a single-stall gender-neutral restroom, ask a staff member or volunteer.
Entrances
There are two main entrances to Creative Growth: the studio entrance and gallery entrance. Both face 24th Street and do not have stairs. The studio entrance has an automatic door and is most optimal for mobility aid users.
Art Touching Policy
If you would like to feel the art in the gallery, please ask staff or a volunteer for assistance. You can also visit our tactile station in the black flat files at the top of the ramp. There, you are invited to feel sample materials and a variety of mediums like ceramics, wood, textured paintings, and more.
Other Environmental Factors
The studio and gallery are often busy and loud. This is generally a scent-free space. Sometimes the woodshop produces dust and certain art materials have a strong scent.
Language Access
For information or support in other languages (ASL, Mandarin, Spanish, and more) contact emma@creativegrowth.org.
DESCRIPTIVE TOURS
We aim to provide accessible opportunities for each exhibition. Join us Saturday January 11, 11am-12pm for a descriptive tour of our annual Holiday Show. Docents will guide visitors through the Creative Growth Gallery, providing visual descriptions of select pieces and guided opportunities to feel art. This tour is primarily reserved for Blind and low vision visitors and visitors who benefit from a quieter, supported experience. For questions or to RSVP, contact Emma at emma@creativegrowth.org or call 650-399-5622.
Can't visit us in person? Listen to audio descriptions of our current window box installations!
Past Window Box Audio Descriptions: