Creativity Explored

Opening this Thursday! 🔜⁠ ⁠ Pretty City⁠ April 9–June 13⁠ ⁠ CE Gallery⁠ 3245 16th Street, SF⁠ ⁠ Opening Reception:⁠ Thursday, April 9⁠ 6:00–8:00 pm⁠ RSVP via link in bio⁠ ⁠ 'Pretty City' is a journey through the unique neighborhoods of San Francisco from the perspectives of JayD Green, Isaias Gomez, Camille Holvoet, Lance Rivers, Guadalupe Ramos, and Enkh-Amar Shagdarguntev. By highlighting the visual intricacy just outside our front doors, Pretty City transforms our typical streets into captivating dreamscapes. Curated by CE Teaching Artist Tom Leach.⁠ ⁠ Artwork: Lance Rivers, SF Diamond Heights Land Cap, 2025, colored pencil on paper, 17.75 x 20 in.⁠

From our friends at @creativegrowth & @progressiveartstudiocollective !⁠ ⁠ 📣 Call for Proposals: Creating Community Conference 7 (CCC7) ⁠ 🗓 PROPOSAL DEADLINE: MONDAY, MAY 30, 2026 AT 11:59 PM⁠ 🔗 More info via the link in our bio!⁠ ⁠ The 7th Creating Community Conference (Oct 5–8, 2026 in Detroit and Ann Arbor, MI) is accepting proposals for talks, roundtables, and presentations exploring progressive art studios and the evolving landscape of art and disability.⁠ ⁠ We welcome submissions from progressive art studio and gallery staff, artists, curators, scholars, practitioners, and professionals engaging the field through research, practice, or institutional perspectives. Presentations should be designed for 20-30 minutes, followed by discussion.⁠ ⁠ This conference is being organized by PASC, with local support from the University of Michigan Institute for the Humanities and Library Street Collective. It is being presented with national coordination and strategic collaboration from Creative Growth and the Progressive Art Studio Alliance (PASA). ⁠ ⁠ Creating Community is an ongoing conference and programming series developed by Creative Growth that convenes in partnership with progressive art studios, universities, and cultural institutions in Oakland, CA and various locations. In addition to the annual gathering, Creative Growth periodically collaborates with partner institutions to present related Creating Community convenings, symposia, and public programs.⁠ ⁠ #PASC #creativegrowth #PASA #creatingcommunity #disabilities #art #progressiveartstudios #inclusion @progressiveartstudioalliance @umichhumanities

🚌 Field trip time! ⁠ ⁠ Earlier this week, a group of CE artists made a visit to the @asianartmuseum to check out the new exhibition by artist @chiharushiota “Chiharu Shiota: Two Home Countries,” the ceramics exhibition "New Japanese Clay," and everything else they've got going on there!⁠ ⁠ We love taking our artists out to catch current exhibitions around the city, to immerse them in great art, broaden their perspectives, and inspire their own practice.⁠ ⁠ Where should we go next?!

🌟 Opening this Friday! 🌟⁠ ⁠ Our friends at @etalgallerysf have put together a solo exhibition of artworks by CE artist Peter Cordova, running May 15–June 27 — see you at the opening reception on Thursday, May 15, 5:00–8:00 pm in their gallery space at 2831A Mission Street!⁠ ⁠ Mountains, rocks, the sun and the sky, cacti, people and animals populate Peter Cordova’s dense, tightly structured drawings. Cordova’s sculptures animate the people and animals. There are constant inversions of color: one half of the mountain range might be grey on brown, the other half brown on grey; in some the sky is blue and the sun yellow and in others the reverse. The people meld with the animals, with the stones.⁠ ⁠ Peter Cordova (b. 1966) has a decades-long practice specializing in ceramic sculpture and illustration. In his work, his biggest references are his Filipino heritage and his interest in Indigenous American cultures. He is also inspired by nature, National Geographic, and Channel Nine. The brother of a figurative artist, and a proud member of Creativity Explored for three decades and counting, Cordova invests as much time in supporting and amplifying other artists as he spends on his own making. His priority in community-building exemplifies his belief in wisdom as an important resource.

❤️ 🎁 Looking for last-minute Mother's Day gifts? Find a special piece of original artwork handmade by CE's community of wonderful artists! ⁠ ⁠ Any purchase made in the online art shop can be picked up at the main gallery during regular hours, or in some cases by appointment. Just swing by 16th Street and your gift search is over!⁠ ⁠ Browse artworks at creativityexplored.org/shop or via the link in our bio⁠ ⁠ Creativity Explored Gallery⁠ 3245 16th Street⁠ San Francisco, CA 94103⁠ ⁠ Gallery hours:⁠ Thursdays: 3:00–6:00 pm⁠ Fridays: 3:00–6:00 pm ⁠ Saturdays: 12:00–5:00 pm ⁠ ⁠ Artworks:⁠ 1. Cheryle Rutledge, 'Untitled,' 2018, paint pen on paper, 22 x 30 in.⁠ $450.00⁠ ⁠ 2. Anne Slater, 'Untitled,' marker and watercolor on paper, 17.5 x 21.5 in.⁠ $100.00⁠ ⁠ 3. Calvin Snow, 'Untitled (Butterflies),' 2023, marker on paper, 18 x 15.75 in.⁠ $80.00⁠ ⁠ 4. Kaocrew Kakabutra, 'Untitled,' 2019, graphite, pen, and colored pencil on paper, 15 x 11 in.⁠ $330.00⁠ ⁠ 5. Nubia Ortega, 'Untitled,' 2020, marker and colored pencil on paper, 15 x 22 in.⁠ $180.00⁠ ⁠ 6. Musette Perkins, 'Untitled (Three Patterns),' 2020, marker and graphite on canvas board, 20 x 16 in.⁠ $200.00⁠ ⁠ 7. Taneya Lovelace, 'Untitled,' 2015, mixed media on paper, 30 x 22 in.⁠ $300.00⁠ ⁠ 8. Steven Liu, 'Untitled,' 2020, marker and watercolor on paper, 22.25 x 30 in.⁠ $300.00⁠ ⁠ 9. Enkh Amar Shagdarguntev, 'Untitled,' 2025, mixed media on paper, 15.75 x 19 in.⁠ $180.00⁠ ⁠ 10. Pamela Pianchachi, 'Untitled,' 2018, mixed media on paper, 22.25 x 30 in.⁠ $230.00⁠

We had such an amazing time at Camp Imaginate Spring Break! 💞🎨 We learned from Creativity Explored's adult artists, made new friends, tried new mediums, and had so much fun! ⁠ ⁠ 🌟🖼️ Looking for an inclusive, person-centered art camp for youth grades 6-12? Camp Imaginate Summer is open for registration! Learn more at campimaginate.org or via the link in our bio.⁠ ⁠ Summer camp dates:⁠ June 15–26⁠ June 29–July 10⁠ July 13–24⁠ July 27–August 7

We’ve been proud to support artists at @creativityexplored , a San Francisco studio supporting artists with developmental disabilities through daily creative practice and community. We share a belief that making is part of being human, and that creative practice helps us process, focus, connect, and feel more like ourselves. Today we’re highlighting work from a few of the artists at Creativity Explored, and are continually inspired by the ways they use Sakura tools in their process. The work is full of color, texture, and repetition, with each artist building a visual language that feels entirely their own. In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, a reminder of how creative practice can support how we feel, every day. We hope you find inspiration here like we do! Featured artwork by: 1- Samantha Mathews 2- Calvin Bernard Snow 3- Taneya Lovelace 4- Elana Cooper 5- Dan Michiels

📆 Free event this Saturday! ⁠ ⁠ Join us at the CE Gallery for an exhibition walkthrough of "Pretty City" with curator Tom Leach, followed by an architectural tour of the Mission neighborhood. Tom will highlight different architectural styles and detailing commonly seen in the neighborhood, such as Victorian, Edwardian, and Art Deco facades.⁠ ⁠ Get some fresh air, experience some great art, and learn a bit about Mission architecture in one lovely outing!⁠ ⁠ Mission Architectural Tour & Exhibition Walkthrough ⁠ Saturday, May 2, 11:00 am-1:00 pm⁠ 3245 16th Street, SF⁠ ⁠ 🔗 RSVP via the link in our bio!

What a night! At this year's Art Changes Lives gala, our community of artists was celebrated, their work was cherished, and funds were raised to keep the whole thing going. ⁠ ⁠ We couldn't have done it without the generous support of our event sponsors!⁠ ⁠ Our Champion Sponsor:⁠ The Waitte Foundation⁠ ⁠ Our Official Framing Partner:⁠ @orioncustomframing ⁠ ⁠ Additional framing support from:⁠ @mountary ⁠ @small.works.sf ⁠ @sterlingartsf ⁠ ⁠ Art-making station sponsor:⁠ @sakuraofamerica ⁠ ⁠ Delicious beverages from:⁠ @fortpointbeer ⁠ @greatnotion ⁠ @houseofbrown.wine ⁠ @totalwine ⁠ @wrightandbrown ⁠ ⁠ Amazing food and dining experiences from:⁠ @melons_catering ⁠ @recchiuticonfections ⁠ @omakaserestaurantgroup ⁠ @prelude_sf ⁠ @tartinemanufactory ⁠ @joyride.pizza ⁠ ⁠ And invaluable support from:⁠ @fortmasoncenter ⁠ @davidbakerarchitects ⁠ @leapofca ⁠ @macmodernappealingclothing ⁠ @walkerwarnerarchitects ⁠ The John Stewart Company⁠ ⁠ THANK YOU!!⁠ ⁠ Photography by Robert Suguitan⁠

CE + ORION Forever! We had such a blast at @creativityexplored ’s annual Gala! It’s always so inspiring to be in a huge room full of so many advocates, donors, teachers, and most of all the artists. The amount of love and support for such a beautiful program and cause is amazing! @orioncustomframing is so proud to be the official framer for Creativity Explored! We donate all of the framing for the live auction, along with all of the gallery shows and exhibitions throughout the year! Our love and connection is just growing deeper and deeper and that’s exactly how we like it!