User:Sean.rock/sandbox

User:Sean.rock/sandbox

Tangled Art Gallery
Tangled Art Gallery is a non-profit art gallery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Tangled Art Gallery (TAG) exists in 401 Richmond. 401 Richmond is a historic warehouse in downtown Toronto and houses more than 140 other galleries, studios and the likes. TAG is the first gallery in Canada to showcase disability art and advance accessible curatorial standards. The space is the cultural home for Tangled Arts + Disability, an organization that has toured Ontario with disability art from Toronto artists.

TAG's home in 401 Richmond is the first time TAG has had a stationary gallery. This effort to create a space within 401 Richmond was largely due to Eliza Chandler, art director for TAG. Chandler cites the need for a permanent space for disability arts. “This gallery gives a permanent home to disability arts in Toronto and having this home in a building as culturally significant as 401 Richmond signals that disability arts is a main contender in the Canadian arts ecology,” states Chandler.

History
Before TAG inhabited a space within 401 Richmond, the organization was embodied through a series of annual arts festivals under the moniker Abilities Arts Festival, now known as Tangled Art + Disability. This festival has produced nine annual showcases between 2003 and 2012, employing hundreds of artists, creators and workers. The festivals were multi-disciplinary in nature showcasing dance, photography, theatre, comedy, music, film, painting and performance art.

Opening Reception
The first exhibition taking place at Tangled Art Gallery (TAG) was of Persimmon Blackbridge’s Constructed Identities.The opening exhibition was on from May 4th to July 6th, 2016. Blackbridge used mixed media wood carving with found objects assembled in bodily forms as a means of questioning the human condition as an awkward and contradictory state. Matching with TAG’s mandate, to not only provide a space that is accessible but also to create art that is accessible, Blackridge had created multiple pieces within the show that were tactile. These tactile pieces were created to invite the viewers to interact with Blackbridge’s work through touch. Additionally Blackbridge included an audio description track for each work being exhibited.

Tangled on Tour
Operating since 2014, Tangled on tour showcases national & international artists with disabilities. With shows in London, Ottawa, Thunder Bay and Peterborough Ontario Tangled on Tour celebrates the work of artists with disabilities in multiple venues across the city. 2017 was the last year of the official tour, but organizers in Thunder Bay wish to keep it operating independently in the future. Tangled on Tour consists of artists, musicians and film screenings, as well as panel discussions.

Gallery Programming
Tangled Art Gallery is dedicated to build a strong community and discourse surrounding artists with disabilities working in Canada. Tangled Arts + Disability sponsors discussion panels, career advancement workshops and an artist in residency program at TAG to provide artists with disabilities a space to share, speak about and improve on their work.

Cripping the Arts Symposium
Spanning from April 28-30, 2016 the Cripping the Arts Symposium sought to address the question: "How do Deaf, disabled, and Mad people access the arts both as audience members and creators?" . 150 people attended the symposium, and 50 organizations were represented at the event. The symposium also featured Cripping the Stage: A Disability Cabaret, a performative work featuring local visual artists alongside professional performance artists with disabilities from the United Kingdom. The symposium was followed by the official opening of Tangled Art Gallery.

"'Cripping' refers to 'cripping culture' or 'crip culture'. Self identified crips are artists with disabilities working to challenge preconcieved notions of what it means to be 'able'."

Career Advancement Workshops
Tangled Art Gallery sponsors free workshops focusing on career advancement for artists with disabilities. Eliza Chandler cites financial accessibility to be as important as physical accessibility for artists with disabilities. A common misconception for artists working with a disability is that their work cannot improve, something the workshop series aims to change public perception about. The workshops cover artist CVs, artist statements and grant writing, as well as professional practices such as photography and sculpture.

Residency Program
Beginning in 2012, Tangled Arts + Disability has sponsored the annual Sharon Wolfe Artist in Residency program. The residency is awarded to a disability identified artist in order to enrich the artist’s career and influence a wider community of artists working with disability. The chosen applicant is given up to eight weeks to produce a specific program of work. Artists are given a stipend for materials as well as a studio space in 401 Richmond, a building prestigious for the art galleries, design spaces, studio spaces and micro-enterprises that occupy it. From this Residency Tangled has created Canada's first Disability based art residence for artists within the country. .

Previous Artists-in-Residence and exhibitions include:
 * Sean Lee: MIXER 2017
 * Gloria Swain: Mad Room 2016
 * mel g campbell: Point of Origin 2015
 * Janna Brown: Still Echoes Resound 2013

Mandate
As a registered charitable organization Tangled Art + Disability has dedicated to cultivating Deaf, Mad and disability arts in Canada. Presenting progressive and liberal art experiences that embrace works of different senses. Tangled Art + Disability strives to open up art experiences for people with disabilities by showcasing works of multiple medias, ranging from visual, performing, media, film, and integrated art forms. "“Tangled Art + Disability is boldly redefining how the world experiences art and those who create it. We are a not for profit art + disability organization dedicated to connecting professional and emerging artists, the arts community and a diverse public through creative passion and artistic excellence. Our mandate is to support Deaf, Mad and disability-identified artists, to cultivate Deaf, Mad and disability arts in Canada, and to enhance access to the arts for artists and audiences of all abilities.”"

Funding
Tangled Art + Disability is a not-for-profit charitable organization and gathers its funds from numerous partners, sponsors, and donors that come from both private and public funding opportunities. Supporters of Tangled Art + Disability can become a partner through donation or a sponsorship package. For Tangled on Tour they received support and sponsorships from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. One can also donate Aeroplan Miles instead of cash to help Tangled Art + Disability accommodate artist travel costs.