Creativity Explored Executive Director, Linda Johnson

Help us raise $100,000 to change lives

Have you ever been the new kid on the block? If you’re like me, you probably looked around for friendly faces. That’s what I did when I started as the new Executive Director at Creativity Explored just a few months ago. And José Nuñez, with his sparkling smile and flurry of Spanish stories, made me feel right at home. Maybe you’ve met José – he often roams the studio, proudly showing visitors his fellow artists’ work.

At Creativity Explored, we don’t all speak the same language, or even turn to language first to express ourselves. And yet, because of the generosity of donors like you, artists like José have shared powerful stories, built friendships, and created an accepting community for 35 years now.

Can you help us reach our goal of $100,000 by giving $1,000, $500, $250, or another amount today? You’ll make creativity happen for over 130 artists with developmental disabilities and over 15,000 visitors this year.

Twenty-five years ago, José was the new kid too. That’s when he left his beloved village in the Chalatenango region of El Salvador. A few years later, he came to Creativity Explored, where he spends his days making art that reminds him of the beauty of his hometown. 

Like any artist, José’s work has changed over the years. Lately, he’s been drawing his birds surrounded by gilded cages. Why, you ask? José told us that he’s expressing a wish -- that his family will give him more freedom to make his own choices.

Creativity Explored is changing along with José. We’re providing the same warm, caring environment at our two locations. Here, artists with developmental disabilities grow alongside professional artists who help them deepen their practice. And, we’re looking for even more ways to help our artists spread their wings, like:

- Developing plans for independent studio space
- Bringing more pride (and income) to our artists by licensing their work for products from pillows to chocolates
- Offering our artists more skill-building workshops and field trips than ever before

Your donation of $1,000, $500, $250, or another amount provides CE artists with the space, supplies, and accommodations they need to thrive. More importantly, your support helps create a world where people with developmental disabilities aren’t defined by their limitations, but by their gifts.

For José, making art is a powerful method for connecting with people from San Francisco and around the world.

I feel so lucky to know José and each of the more than 130 artists that work in CE’s studios – each with a story, a point of view, and a deepening art practice.

Please give today to support artists like José Nuñez.

With gratitude,

Linda Johnson
Executive Director

Untitled (Three Caged Birds) by José Nuñez © 2017 Creativity Explored Licensing, LLC, marker, acrylic and silver leaf on paper, 22.25 x 15 inches

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