dorian reid

close up of yarn in different colors

“Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth, & NIAD” at the Oakland Museum of California

In collaboration with three profound Bay Area institutions, Into the Brightness: Artists from Creativity Explored, Creative Growth & NIAD celebrates myriad works from contemporary artists with developmental disabilities. From painting to sculpture to multimedia, these world-renowned artists are producing work of incredible power, exuberance, humor, complexity, and joy. Read More …

a white embroidered tshirt

NIAD Annex Exhibition // “Crossover”

Crossover is an apt title for this show, which will showcase the vibrant and newly-connected fiber art scenes of NIAD and Cedars. Crossover is a companion to the textile-centered exhibition Follow the String, on view at Marin MOCA. In preparation for this show, artists from both programs visited each other’s studios, and participated in a tee-shirt and doll making workshop at Marin MOCA. T-shirts and dolls from this workshop will be on view in NIAD and Marin MOCA. Read More …

colorful yarn ball bracelet

“Follow The String” at Marin MOCA

Curated by NIAD’s Emma Spertus and Julio Rodriguez with NIAD artists Felicia Griffin, Dorian Reid, and Kiesha White, the exhibition features artists from Cedars and NIAD, alongside artists from the broader Bay Area arts community. Follow the String showcases conventionally trained artists alongside artists with disabilities, blurring distinctions between “insider” and “outsider” art. Read More …

A graphic promoting an exhibition. Below a row of black cutout star shapes, centered at the top of the image, in exuberant black text that has a hand-cut feel, are the words “Feeling Language” in all caps. Below that in a smaller size, the words “organized by Kate Laster”. In the left half of the graphic, a page from a book with swirling patterns is covered with ten rows of the handwritten phrase “You Are Here,” hand written in a beige cursive font in all caps. The name “Mitsuko Brooks” appears to the left. In the same font, a column on the right lists the artists participating in the exhibition. Each word is separated by a diamond or a star shape

NIAD Gallery Exhibition // “Feeling Language,” organized by Kate Laster

This show is all about comfort text: resilience in everyday words, writing and reading. Expression can also be wordless, the use of line and color as new vocabulary, pushing a thought out onto a surface, making marks and continuously trying to communicate with the world.

We tell stories to sustain ourselves and find each other. These messages embedded in art become an emotional telegram– a signal flare with a flame of memory trailing behind it. “Feeling Language” is about books, lists, slogans, language, gesture, touch and the trust given in sharing. Read More …

A portrait of a cat with red fur and an amused expression.

NIAD Online Exhibition // “I Belong To Myself” organized by Maria Seda-Reeder

Being an artist who helps bring new, radical ideas into the world is neither an easy nor simple task. So it takes a certain, special kind of magic—charisma, self-belief, instinct—to move through the world going against the grain, as innovative artists so often do. I’m honored to have the chance to put forth this small sampling of artists from NIAD, an organization that likewise is working at the forefront of contemporary art.  Read More …

A person holds a small green fish-shaped ceramic sculpture.

NIAD Annex Exhibition // “Whales and Pencil Holders”

When Peter Harris is asked which of his ceramic pieces is his favorite, he says with conviction, “I love all of them.” This show is a celebration of “all of them.” The title is drawn from Michael Starofsky’s beautiful series of whale sculptures and pencil holders. Several of these artists are new to working in ceramics, and they are already establishing new forms and vibrant styles. Meanwhile, experienced NIAD ceramicists showcase their newest sculptures and functional ware. Whales and Pencil Holders presents this broad spectrum of subjects and inspiration—enjoy them all. Read More …

two paintings by NIAD artist Dorian Reid - abstract with vigorous brushstrokes.

Online Exhibition // “Hurricane Dorian,” organized by NIAD artist Dorian Reid

Posted onAuthorNIAD Art Center

About Hurricane Dorian “And then I started using my fists, boom boom boom, and then I made the town and the houses in the neighborhood. There was the hurricane named after me. So I started off doing hurricane level two, then slowly built up to level three, then up to level five, and I destroyed that area. And I’m feeling like I’m getting destroyed, like I’m destroying myself with the [Destroyed X] series.” NIAD artist Dorrie Reid wants to make a statement with the cathartic, performative work she selected for her online exhibition, Hurricane Dorian. “If I took it out on Read More …

NIAD Online Exhibition // “Luxe, calme, et volupté,” selected by Lou Mo

Posted onAuthorNIAD Art Center

About the exhibition Henri Matisse painted Luxe, calme, et volupté more than a hundred years ago. Today, the vibrantly coloured Fauvist painting keeps instilling a sense of warmth and repose. Luxury, peace and pleasure indeed. At the moment, many of us may not be feeling at ease. To state the obvious, there’s an unfinished pandemic and a war raging once again in Europe. These are difficult times and many futures seem possible. Times are trying. Change and anxiety cannot be avoided.  Very often, the extra toiling accumulates upon the female and/or racialized body. Labor and care, both physical and emotional, are often Read More …

NIAD Online Exhibition // “DreamForms” selected by Lauren Ari and Julio Del Rio

Posted onAuthorNIAD Art Center

About the exhibition This online NIAD exhibition is in conjunction with DreamForms, curated by Roberto Martinez, currently at the Richmond Art Center. It represents the ceramic visions of Julio del Rio and (myself) Lauren Ari.  I had the pleasure of being a painting instructor at NIAD where Julio Del Rio is a studio artist. I was inspired by the well of creativity, the open-heartedness and the community which is a sweet world unto itself.  It has been a joy to go back and choose these works to share with you!   “You may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one Read More …

NIAD Online Exhibition // “Auctionauts”

Posted onAuthorNIAD Art Center

Auctions are unpredictable animals: they can get noisy, tense, wildly out of control. Add a dash of pandemic and a helping of Zoom, and you never quite know what you’re going to get. Lucky for you, there is a small grouping of highly collectible artworks from last weekend’s event that refused to be tamed by the auction format. These newly untethered works are collected in Auctionauts, and we’re making them available in a “buy it now” arrangement. (Endless thanks to the donating artists!) Browse at your leisure (no bidding necessary), but don’t wait too long—when they’re gone, they’re gone. Artists Read More …

NIAD Online Exhibition // “Day or Night it looks like Night” organized by Liliana Herrera

Posted onAuthorNIAD Art Center

About the exhibition The pieces in this exhibition were selected in a moment of uncertainty. The pandemic has affected each of us differently, but what can perhaps be agreed upon is that its longevity has worn on our collective morale. This was certainly the undercurrent of this grouping.  Dorian Reid’s Day or Night it Looks Like Night, is a depiction of September 9, 2020, a day that those of us in the Bay Area remember all too well: the day we awoke to smoky red skies caused by surrounding wildfires. The ominous tones on the canvas continue to be relevant today.  Read More …

A Year Through the Windows // NIAD’s 2021 Windows Exhibitions (online exhibition)

Posted onAuthorNIAD Art Center

About the collection NIAD’s Windows Exhibitions are a pandemic-era innovation, born out of the necessity to see art, and for art to be seen, that continued unabated during lockdown. Way back in July 2020 Amanda announced in The Latest, “Starting now, each month we will add new exhibitions to NIAD’s street-side windows, selected by local artists, curators and NIAD community members… Interested audiences can now drive by, take a stroll past our windows, or get in touch with us directly to arrange for sales or more information on art and artists.” Many thanks to NIAD Gallery Director Julio Rodriguez, the deft facilitator Read More …

an arrangement of works by NIAD studio artists included in NIAD Holiday Gift Guide #5 - a red ceramic snake, a wrapped necklace, a watercolor of football helmets, a scarf, a weaving, a t shirt, a beaded necklace and a print

NIAD Holiday Gift Guide #5, collected by Dawline-Jane Oni-Eseleh

Posted onAuthorNIAD Art Center

About the collection Gift-giving can be so tricky! It can be hard to know if someone has an item already, if it will be useful, or if it’s something that maybe you like instead of the recipient.  When I choose a gift for someone, I try to focus on their interests or recent big events in their life  – did they just move into a new home? Are they always dressed to the nines? Do they love sending videos about cute animals?  I curated this shopping guide with those friends in mind, so whether you are buying a gift for your new Read More …

A square canvas with strong red brushstrokes around a smaller square of white brushstrokes surrounding a flurry of strong blue brushstrokes in the middle.

NIAD x Christie’s // Future History: The Katz Legacy

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An exhibition of NIAD artists at Christie’s San Francisco We’re thrilled to be a part of “Future History: The Katz Legacy”, an exhibition at Christie’s San Francisco on view December 2-9. NIAD studio artists Dorian Reid (courtesy of Kapp Kapp Gallery), Shana Harper, Jeremy Burleson, Sam Gant, Felicia Griffin, Tre’von Silva, and Shantae Robinson will represent NIAD in the show, and we’re honored to share the space with incredible artists from our sister studios Creative Growth and Creativity Explored. Do you know about the Katzes? They’re an innovative, awe-inspiring couple – artist and art educator Florence Ludins-Katz,  and her husband psychologist Dr. Elias Read More …

A graphic of a collection of artworks included in the holiday gift guide. arranged in a grid.

NIAD Holiday Gift Guide #4: “SISTER SISTER” collected by Amanda and Sarah Eicher

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About “SISTER SISTER” Some people think we look alike; others think our voices sound the same, and still others mistake us for each other – but do we have the same taste?  We definitely swapped clothes, jewelry, sneakers, and a few items we argued over as tiny pups in the world.In this selection, I tried to choose for my sister a few of the things I think she might have borrowed from my childhood bedroom – or that I’d want to borrow from hers. (Unsurprisingly, we chose a few of the same items the first time around!) As the younger sibling, I Read More …

NIAD Holiday Gift Guide #3: “The Zindel Collection” collection by Bill

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About “The Zindel Collection” collection The items in this Holiday Gift Guide are perfect for your friend or family member who: 1. loves handsome dudes and fall colors. Mireya Betances, Two Dudes ceramic 13x7x2″ 2. admires intelligence, integrity, and dedication. Raven Harper, MLK T-shirt hand silk-screened, 100% cotton  3. dreams of living in a strawberry. Heather Hamann, Untitled  mixed media on paper 12×18″ 4. loves swamp creatures.  Saul Alegria, Untitled ceramic 13x10x2″ 5. loves alien swamp creatures.  Saul Alegria, Untitled acrylic on paper 30×22“ 6. likes laughing, and ponies on the freeway. Nathan Lam, Bad Traffic Sign  graphite on paper, Read More …

Dorrie Reid’s “Evening With Jane Goodall”

Posted onAuthorNIAD Art Center

Yes, that’s NIAD Studio Artist Dorrie Reid participating in a Q&A session with Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace! Dorrie was invited to participate in the event by the Walt Disney Family Museum as part of a fundraiser for their arts and animation education programs. Anyone who knows Dorrie’s work – animals, advocacy, social and environmental justice are common themes – would agree that she and Dr. Goodall have much to talk about. Their interaction moved Dorrie to make a statement that she intends to send to Dr. Goodall: Dear Jane Read More …

an inky blue wash dilutes to a pale blue, shrouding a brilliantly red figure that gazes intensely at the viewer. The face of the figure is the same red as the body, which has no visible characteristics. Two blue eyes, a blue nose, an open red oval for a mouth. A bluish-green half-circle shape crowned with red dots is attached to the figure's cheek.

Online Exhibition: I See What You’re Feeling, organized by Daniel Krakauer

Posted onAuthorNIAD Art Center

About the exhibition   Have you ever met somebody whose emotions are so big they seem to fill up a room? These wonderful drawings remind me of those passionate people. Each subject fills their piece of paper with their emotions. Whether joyful, calm or anxious, their feelings permeate their faces, their bodies and even the spaces around them. Even when the backgrounds are empty, they are empty in ways that amplify the subjects’ inner states.  I don’t know these artists, so I can’t ask what they meant to say. But it’s art, so we each get to make up whatever Read More …