Open Door Arts

We are excited to feature "We Got Inspired by The Magical Touch," an exhibition by South High School students participating in ODA's CareerCREATE Program.

The exhibit opened on 5/19 and is on display through Sunday, 5/31. The gallery is FREE and open to the public Wed-Sun from 10-4 PM.

The CareerCREATE program offers high school and transition-aged students with disabilities engaging and accessible opportunities to develop artistic skills and explore career pathways in the arts.

On display are the artworks that the students developed over the school year: paintings, drawings, collages, sculptures, and poetry. The students created their own bespoke tactile art, meant to be experienced through touch!

Images:
1. An installation of the artworks in a drop-in studio. In the middle is a large table for art making. On the walls are brightly colored paintings of animals, handprints, and abstractions.
2. Bright paintings of a panda, minion, elephant, rainbow, and sunset skies are above a counter. On the counter are tactile representations, artwork designed to be experienced through touch.
3. A close-up of two clay sculptures. On the left is a small dog with blue fur and white spots. On the right is a large, round black cat with short legs and a large, round tail.

Opening today at Boston Neighborhood Network Media!

"Embrace Color: Diversity Makes Humanity Shine"
On display: May 18 - June 26
Opening Reception: May 28 at 6:30 PM
Free and Open to the public.

This exhibition celebrates the vibrant perspectives of students from Community Academy of Science and Health and Boston Green Academy who participate in Open Door Arts’ CareerCREATE Program. Through bold use of color and form, each artwork reflects a personal exploration of identity, emotion, and belonging. For some students, these colors connect to cultural pride and heritage, including references to national flags; for others, they express feelings, experiences, or individuality in deeply personal ways.

Together, these works highlight the richness of diverse perspectives and remind us that diversity is not only something to be seen, but something to be valued, uplifted, and embraced. Each piece contributes to a collective story—one that shines brighter because of every unique voice within it.

Image: A flyer with a navy background. Text on the flyer shares all the information in the post text. In the middle is a collage of paintings with brightly colored shapes like triangles, squares, and rectangles.

'Repeat After Me' Featured Artist: Marcus Clarke

Marcus shares:
“My work engages with repetition as a tool for cementing meaning and belief, or questioning belief and evoking doubt. The effects of this repetition are felt in my own life, especially when dealing with suffering associated with disability, where hope and belief are both an anchor and a force of dissonance. These works were created during a flare-up of an autoimmune disease that I have, which caused me to be mostly bedridden. I was thinking a lot about suffering and embodiment during the creation of these works.”

‘Repeat After Me’ features the artwork of eight disabled artists from Massachusetts. Through painting, fiber, sculpture, and video, these artists assert themes of connection, embodiment, mapping, community, and identity.

The exhibit is on display in the Open Door Gallery at the Worcester Art Museum through May 13. The gallery is always free and is open Wed-Sun from 10-4 PM.

For more details and gallery access, visit https://opendoorartsma.org/gallery/odgworcester/

For further access requests, email Megan at [email protected]

Image: A pink to purple ombre background. On the left is the neon yellow text “Repeat After Me.” In the bottom right is the artist’s name, and in the middle is their artwork, Suffering Blockade. A large neon orange and white road blockade features an LED screen with the words "Are you suffering?" On the right side of the blockade is a shimmery gold emergency blanket and a pile of gold confetti underneath it.