Textures of Being Community Forum

Textures of Being Community Forum is an intimate, daylong program presented through a collaboration between Contemporary Craft and Anthropology of Motherhood. Centered on disability, accessibility, the body, and artistic practice, the forum brings together artists, advocates, and cultural leaders to consider how access shapes the ways we communicate, create, organize, and participate in community life.

The program will feature three presentations. Artist and self-advocate Mark Steidl will address creative voice, communication, and the importance of disabled people telling their own stories. Kristen Link of The Woodlands Foundation will discuss how organizations can move beyond individual accommodations to build sustained cultures of access and belonging. Artists from the Anthropology of Motherhood: Deaf & Disability Art Exhibition will share how Deaf and disability culture, caregiving, embodiment, and access inform their artistic processes and relationships with audiences.

Through presentations, facilitated conversation, and an interactive activity, participants will explore accessibility not as an afterthought, but as a creative, relational, and institutional practice. The forum is designed for a small group of approximately 25 participants, allowing space for meaningful dialogue, shared learning, and connection.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided at this program.

If you require accomodation to fully participate in this activity, please indicate in the registration form. Accomodations for individuals will be reviewed/provided at least an 15-day advance notice. Thank you!

Lunch in buffet style will be provided for this event. Please indicate any dietary restrictions in the registration form.

Following the day-long forum, please join us in celebrating the opening of Community Voices: Creative Citizen Studios from 3:30 - 5:00 pm. Community Voices features artists from Creative Citizen Studios (CCS), a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that provides inclusive arts education and professional development for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through workshops, community collaborations, and exhibitions, CCS empowers artists to express their unique voices, build confidence, and engage meaningfully with the broader arts community.