2020 Exhibition

Eight artists with disability have joined forces to present a fully accessible online art exhibition which explores how the turbulent events of 2020 have affected them as both artists and people living with disability.

Launching today and simply titled 2020, the exhibition is a 100% disability-led initiative that features the work of six artists with disability from across NSW: www.2020exhibition.art

Designed to be fully accessible for anyone regardless of ability, the exhibition has also been curated and produced by artists who live with disability. The initiative is being supported by Accessible Arts – NSW’s peak arts and disability organisation – with funding from the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The exhibition includes a selection of 12 paintings and sculptures created specifically for the exhibition by the six participating artists: visual artists Paul Calcott, Bec Hogan, Kelly Lawn, M’Batha Nguta and Sri Thulin, and sculptor Jeff Wood. The artists have been drawn from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds including dDeaf, intellectually disabled, First Nations, LGBTQI+ and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

All artworks and images are audio or text described for people with vision impairment and the exhibition website boasts a range of other features which makes the content accessible for people with disabilities such as high contrast design and text size toggling.

2020 Curator Chelle Destefano: “The exhibition informs of the development of new practices of the artists due to 2020, including the pandemic and isolation, and the effects of 2020’s events on these artists and how they have adapted to it. The works serve as beacons of strength and resilience for all in a difficult year.”

2020 Project Manager Allison Reynolds: “Accessible Arts connected us all through a series of workshops for disabled artists who wanted to create disabled artist-led groups. Together we discovered that responding through art to the impact of the events of 2020 was a key concern for all of us, as was ensuring that our artwork should be able to be appreciated by anyone. This is what has driven us to present the 2020 exhibition, but it’s also been a terrific way to form close ties with other artists with disability and stay connected during the COVID pandemic.”

Accessible Arts CEO Kerry Comerford: “Congratulations to all the artists for creating a diverse range of engaging artworks which explore important contemporary experiences. We’re delighted to have facilitated such a worthwhile and productive experience for all the participants not just in terms of creating accessible art but also by providing an opportunity for new professional connections and collaborations during this difficult time for the arts and cultural sector.”

All artworks featured in the exhibition are available for purchase. All artworks, together with artist biographies and creative statements, can be accessed via the 2020 exhibition website.