Lindsay Tully and the artist collective Bonanza are collaborating with artists of Creativity Explored to create fashion and textile pieces for an exhibition at the Museum of Craft and Design and for a runway show.
While Creativity Explored is a leader in the fields of art and disability, fashion is an emerging medium for artists in its workshop, and this collaboration will strengthen its capacity for fashion design while creating a cohesive line that represents the stories and experiences of some 50 of its artists. The fashion line will include adaptive clothing for people with disabilities and pieces made from upcycled materials.
Bonanza is the collaborative practice of Lindsay Tully, Conrad Guevara, and Lana Williams. Based in Oakland, its projects include fashion, film, and installation, and its works regularly incorporate performative elements. For the last five years, Bonanza has been involved in creating “fashun,” representing the antithesis of mainstream fashion, being made by and for individuals belonging to communities of nonconforming gender expression and diverse physical and developmental abilities.
For the past 37 years, Creativity Explored has given artists with developmental disabilities the means to create and share their work with the community. All Creativity Explored artists have developmental disabilities. Many are dually-diagnosed with mental illness and some have physical disabilities that limit their mobility. At Creativity Explored, these artists receive supplies, mentorship by professional artists, and opportunities to participate in exhibitions, public workshops, and field trips. Bonanza’s work with the Creativity Explored artists is planned to begin in February 2021 with the intended exhibition running September 2021-February 2022 at the Museum of Craft and Design.
Pictured: Bonanza (Lindsay Tully in center)