Opening Reception: Thursday, April 18 | 6pm 

Voices Embodied considers the notion of disability moving beyond a restrictive medical definition to include a multiplicity of identities and lived experiences. Exploring disability as a fluid condition, this exhibition underscores the idea that individuals are far more inhibited by inaccessible environments and the social stigma associated with disability than they are from their own bodies or minds. The five student artists from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago represented in this exhibition contemplate how built architectural spaces and psycho-social expectations center around a fictional ideal that excludes their own lived experiences. Placing an emphasis on personal narrative, these artists share their stories through imagery and material to explore the vastness of identities and human conditions that challenge the boundaries of disability.

Voices Embodied is curated by Alex Stark and is presented at the Hyde Park Art Center by the Disability and Learning Resource Center at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Participating Artists: Brianna Beck, Michael-Michelle Orr, Monika Plioplyte, Cameron Stemler, Swen Swihart-Decoster