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Creativity Explored

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Creativity Explored

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Creativity Explored is a studio-based collective in San Francisco that partners with developmentally Art changes lives!

Creativity Explored was founded on a belief that art is essential to life. We exist to provide developmentally disabled people access to the human right of creative expression. Creativity Explored was founded in San Francisco in 1983 by Florence and Elias Katz, an artist and a psychologist. Sparked by the nationwide deinstitutionalization of disabled people, the duo launched a movement that expanded defined notions of artistry when they founded three Bay Area organizations – Creativity Explored, Creative Growth, and NIAD (Nurturing Independence through Artistic Development). Our organizations honor the Katzs’ legacy in the Bay Area by continuing to collaborate, co-curate exhibitions, and share resources. Together our programs serve as a model for the field of art and disability worldwide. Creativity Explored now serves 130 artists and has facilitated the careers of hundreds of disabled artists. Creativity Explored artists have seen their work exhibited in museums, galleries, and art fairs in over 14 countries and have earned over $2 million from their art. Our life-changing programs continue to open doors of inclusion to center the personhood and creative vision of people with developmental disabilities. Most importantly, Creativity Explored is a source of community, empowerment and dignity. At Creativity Explored, we believe in a future society with an enlightened understanding of its relationship with neurodiverse people—one that has evolved from one-way support to mutually-enriching growth. We see a society strengthened by an authentic appreciation of all people’s creative contributions. In times of great transition, we continue to center the personhood and agency of our artists in all our efforts, asking, “What is important to you?” We will continue to innovate to provide safe and virtual services that enrich the lives of our artists, their families and supporters, on their terms. Our dedicated staff, board, and volunteers are also expanding our commitment to racial justice and disability advocacy by amplifying the voices of studio artists of color and artists who are immigrants. We are proud to create space for our artists and staff to learn about and honor diversity by examining and celebrating the intersections of disability, race, ethnicity, class, gender, and other facets of our identities.

10/30/2026

We’re excited to participate in ! Further’s new website is live—with the full list of 110 nonprofit partner organizations, exhibition listings, and an interactive map to help you explore what’s coming in 2027.

“Shared Space: Douglas Sheran & Liam Garsin” pairs the work of two Creativity Explored artists whose combined studio practices span four decades and will be on view from March 11th to April 30th, 2027.

Sheran was part of CE’s studio community from 1984 until 2008. During that time he crafted two well-defined bodies of work; one accentuating and/or blocking formal elements within fashion photographs, the other an extensive drawing practice of figures and animals, grouped and alone, wandering through foggy, atmospheric landscapes.

At 26 years old, Garsin is one of the younger artists currently working at Creativity Explored. After joining the studio in 2022, he quickly formed a drawing style that weaves together song lyrics, bold facial expressions, and collaged magazine imagery into emotive and highly-charged compositions.

This exhibition will explore the dialogue between these two artists. Although never occupying space within the collective studio community at the same time, both use popular culture as fuel for the private and emotionally-rich world of their drawings. Within these two artists, we’re able to see personal interpretation of pop-culture over the 40 year lifespan of our studio and how popular culture influences individuals and the Creativity Explored community as a whole.

Create an account to save our exhibition and others across the region as you begin planning your visits: https://www.furthertriennial.org/

10/26/2026

As our current group exhibition "Drawn Together" heads into its final weeks, our Gallery team has added a selection of the works on view to the web store. Now you can browse artworks from the show, plus a selection of other works by "Drawn Together" artists, all from the comfort of your browser!

Sweet bonus: everything listed as [framed] in this set was lovingly framed by our friends at Orion Custom Framing (), so you know they're ready for showtime as soon as you bring them home.

Check them out here and add something beautiful to your collection: https://www.creativityexplored.org/shop/drawn-together

Artworks:

1. Nina Krietzman, "I Love The Arts," 2017, colored marker on paper, 20 x 22.5 in.

2. Christina Marie Fong, "Addelle," 2025, mixed media on mat board, 18 x 14 in.

3. Kate Thompson, "Untitled," 2025, marker on paper, 15 × 22 in.

4. Kevin Diep, "What If...T'Challa Became a Star-Lord," 2023, graphite and colored pencil on paper, 19 x 15 in.

5. Ka Wai Shiu, "Untitled (Dinosaurs)," 2019, watercolor and marker on paper, 15.75 x 20 in.

6. Daniel Green, "Taylor Dayne Tell it to My Heart on VH1 Music Video," 2019, marker and watercolor on paper, 12 x 16 in.

7. Andrew Li, "Untitled," 2019, ink on paper, 15.25 x 22.25 in.

10/23/2026

👀 New works on view!

As our residency continues, we'll be periodically changing out the artwork on view on the walls in our lobby-adjacent studio space. This week, we're excited to dedicate an entire wall to the work of CE artist Irene Rivas!

You can swing by the residency space at 701 Mission Street to check out her work in person, and several of the pieces are also available for purchase in the web store: https://www.creativityexplored.org/shop/ybca-gallery

On the occasion of showing this work, we asked Irene to describe her art practice:

“I’m a Salvadoran artist woman.

I like to paint, draw, and make collages. That’s what I like to do.

I like drawing animals, insects, people, and owers. I also like to make up [abstract] things like balls, squares, and wheels.

[Besides art-making] I like to go on walks with my teachers.

Help my family clean, cook, and sweep. After that, I keep sewing at home.

I want my paintings to make people happy.”

Irene Rivas (b. 1983, El Salvador) is known for her rich colored pencil drawings, embossed in vibrant hues. The daughter of an artist, Rivas’s expansive practice also includes embroidery and collage. Across the myriad of media she employs, her propensity for “building up” is present throughout her work.

Rivas is dedicated to a robust and varied art practice. Her work with colored pencil is defined by depth of color, her assured linework overlapping to create opaque configurations. Rivas works quite a bit with textiles as well, her sewing technique just as stylistically recognizable as her creations on paper. Rivas’ subject matter centers colorful flowers and animals, and she is also sought after for her portraiture.

Images:

1. Photo of Irene Rivas working in the CE studio

2. Irene Rivas, "Owl in Apple Tree," 2025, colored pencil and marker on paper, 25.5 × 19 in.

3. Irene Rivas, "Marbles," 2026, colored pencil on paper, 22.5 x 30.5 in.

4. Irene Rivas, "Mosquitoes and Cockroaches," 2026, colored pencil and pastel on paper, 22.5 x 30 in.

5. Irene Rivas, "Cat People in Embroidered Track Suits," 2024, colored pencil on paper, 15.75 × 22 in.

6. Irene Rivas, "Colored Pencils," 2025, colored pencil on paper, 19 x 22.5 in.

7. Irene Rivas, "Mujer con Flores," 2025, mixed media textile, 18 x 16.5 in.

8. Irene Rivas, "Flowers," 2025, graphite and colored pencil on paper, 26 x 20 in.

9. Irene Rivas, "Two Peacocks," 2025, colored pencil and marker on paper, 22 x 30 in.

10. Irene Rivas, "Two in a Rose Garden," 2026, graphite and colored pencil on paper, 30 x 22.25 in.

10/21/2026

🔜 This weekend!

Join us this Saturday for a special exhibition walkthrough for "Drawn Together," guided by our guest curator Auriel Garza ()⁠!

Saturday, October 24 at 11:00 am
CE Gallery – 3245 16th Street, SF
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/drawn-together-curator-walkthrough-with-auriel-garza-tickets-1997503300142?aff=oddtdtcreator

"Drawn Together" is our guest curated group exhibition exploring gatherings of figures, including friends, families, teams, bandmates, dancers, revelers, and partners in arms. Through visions of their shared joy, love, and camaraderie, these works reflect humanity’s need for connection and belonging.

Featured artists include Kevin Diep, Christina Marie Fong, Daniel Green, Nina Krietzman, Andrew Li, Steven Liu, James Miles, Cristina Saavedra, Ka Wai Shiu, and Kate Thompson.

10/17/2026

New pin added to the web store!

To celebrate our YBCA residency and just in time for spooky season, we have a new enamel pin on sale in the web store, designed by CE artist Ian Adams! This piece joins our popular set of pins and other apparel designed by a growing number of CE artists including Antonio Benjamin, Elana Cooper, Isaias Gomez, Loren King, and so many more.

Grab one for yourself: https://www.creativityexplored.org/shop/p/thomas-pringle-dog-pin-syc9g-ntk32

10/13/2026

Time to meet another of the artists featured in our current exhibition at the CE Gallery, "Drawn Together," on view through November 21! This time we're catching up with Christina Marie Fong, who has been an artist with CE since 2011.

Known for her bold, graphic drawing style, Christina Marie Fong (b. 1967) is influenced by fashion, pop culture, and mass media. Fong’s artistic practice explores what she calls “personality…the fabulous.” Whether drawing large versions of dollar bills or building elaborately detailed paper sculptures of designer handbags, Fong’s technique is striking and recognizable.

Fong uses decorative patterning, thick white or black outlines, and bright colors to render her drawings, posters, and sculptures. She often juxtaposes the familiar with fantasy, explaining, "Everything I draw or make is based on someone [or something] in a way… but then it changes and becomes part of my imagination." Some of her works depict celebrities like Tupac Shakur and Eminem, while others depict mythical beings with wings and fangs, such as her piece “She-Creature.” Her work is tied together through her character’s striking features, such as their large eyes with thick eyelashes.

Christina Marie Fong has exhibited across the United States, including the Oakland Museum of California and the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco. Recently, Fong’s work was exhibited alongside other Creativity Explored artists at Hospitality House for the exhibition “Just to Be.”

Images: ⁠
1. Photo of Christina Marie Fong by Aileen Louie
2. Christina with guest curator Auriel Garza ()⁠ at a recent exhibition walkthrough⁠
3. Installation view from "Drawn Together"⁠
4. Christina Marie Fong, "Jada Smith and Will Smith," 2016, mixed media on cardboard, 20.25 x 22 in.
5. Christina Marie Fong, "Eminem Marshall C. Mathers, Snoop Dogg, Lil-Kim, Lil-Wayne, Get My Orange Juice Gin Stone and Lucky The Tree," Ca. 2013, marker and acrylic on cardboard, 14 x 30.5 in.
6. Christina Marie Fong, "Grace Kelley, Phoniex Rivers, Ginger Rogers," 2013, marker and acrylic on cardbaord, 14.25 x 28.25 in.
7. Group photo of "Drawn Together" artists

10/12/2026

Join us this Wednesday YBCA! Video shot and edited by Haley Bucelewicz (Haley) Yerba Buena Neighborhood

10/06/2026

Let's meet some of the artists featured in our current exhibition at the CE Gallery, "Drawn Together," on view through November 21! First up is Kevin Diep, who has been a CE artist since 2023.

Kevin Diep (b. 2003) is an illustrator born and raised in the Bay Area. He is interested in exploring the relationship between popular culture and legacy through his bright, graphic works on paper. Diep is inspired by the television series and movies of the universe, and many of his works reference stills from those iconic pieces of media. Diep has been at Creativity Explored for three years, which he credits with catalyzing his artistic career.

Diep begins his process by choosing stills from media that he values or notes as recognizable. These are usually action scenes or ones where multiple iconic characters are in frame. He recreates these images with colored pencil on paper–Diep’s mastery of the medium allows him to create depth and opacity from the light, buildable material. His illustrations fill the page, stylized and uniquely his and yet deeply referential.

Diep is currently working on a series of diptychs that highlight the legacy of the superhero universe, focusing on lesser known heroes and ones that have been played by multiple actors. The themes within the work are as nostalgic for him as the medium; he notes about using colored pencil and about drawing his favorite heroes, “it reminds me of being a kid.”

Images:
1. Photo of Kevin Diep
2. Kevin with guest curator Auriel Garza ()⁠ at a recent exhibition walkthrough
3. Installation view from "Drawn Together"
4. Kevin Diep, "The Incredible Hulk," 2024, graphite and colored pencil on paper, 22.25 x 15 in.
5. Kevin Diep, "Wanda Vision," 2023, graphite and colored pencil on paper, 22 x 17 in.
6. Kevin Diep, "Black Panther," 2024, graphite and colored pencil on paper, 15 x 22 in.
7. Group photo of "Drawn Together" artists

10/06/2026

We’re a San Francisco Arts Commission / Grants for the Arts Grantee! 🎉

The Arts Commission and Grants for the Arts recently announced a combined investment in the arts totaling over $25 million, supporting nearly 400 local artists and arts organizations.

This investment will directly support CE’s work over the next year to help us continue creating, connecting, and contributing to San Francisco’s vibrant arts community.

We’re grateful for this investment in our organization and in the city’s vibrant arts and cultural ecosystem. Thank you, / .gfta, for supporting local artists and arts organizations!

Learn more at sf.gov/artscommission

10/05/2026

🍁 Fall is in the air at CE, and we’re celebrating the season with a new harvest of original artwork! Our Gallery team has gathered more than 30 new multimedia works from our artists’ studio, now available to explore and shop online. From bold compositions to unexpected details, each piece offers a glimpse into the vibrant and ever-evolving practices of our artists. Find a new favorite and bring a little CE creativity into your collection.

🔗 Shop the drop here: https://www.creativityexplored.org/shop/happy-monstober

Artworks:

1. Kevin Chu, "Fall Autumn," 2023, marker and watercolor on paper, 15 x 22.75 in.
https://www.creativityexplored.org/shop/p/new-york-city-by-kevin-chu-hz5x5

2. Vincent Jackson, Untitled, 2019, acrylic and tissue paper collage on paper, 21.75 x 22.25 in.
https://www.creativityexplored.org/shop/p/xfz46j4j5jstck5598ssrkkk2etjhj-9ryb2

3. Carlos Guillen, "Untitled (Vulture)," 2026, graphite and watercolor on paper, 13 x 11 in.
https://www.creativityexplored.org/shop/p/untitled-car-by-carlos-guillen-8rasj

4. Aedan Raffin, "The Alchemist (Bone Hurtin' Juice)," 2026, marker on paper, 9 x 6.5 in.
https://www.creativityexplored.org/shop/p/melancholic-man-by-aedan-raffin

5. Ursula Matthews, Untitled, 2024, mixed media on paper, 15 x 11 in.
https://www.creativityexplored.org/shop/p/untitled-lady-on-green-by-ursula-matthews-se3hf

6. Keren Chavarria, Untitled, 2025, graphite on paper, 15 x 11 in.
https://www.creativityexplored.org/shop/p/untitled-by-keren-chavarria-bg9dz

7. Karla Quinonez, Untitled, 2025, acrylic and paint pen on canvas board, 14 x 11 in.
https://www.creativityexplored.org/shop/p/untitled-by-karla-quinonez-7jwdb

Address

3245 16th Street
San Francisco, CA
94103

Opening Hours

Friday	3pm - 6pm
Saturday	10am - 2pm

Telephone

+14158632108

Website

http://www.creativityexplored.org/

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