The Embracing Possibility Exhibit Ends, but the Journey Continues
Written by Maria Pinkelton on . GCDD Impact.
On June 16th, the Embracing Possibility – Georgia’s Disability Justice Journey exhibit at the Tubman Museum in Macon, Georgia, ended its run. After a year of engaging conversations, collaborations, and community gatherings, this exhibit, which focused on what is possible for Georgians with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), concluded.
Many groups worked together to make the exhibit happen. They included the Center on Human Development and Disability at the University of Georgia, the Georgia Advocacy Office, the Sangha Unity Network, Uniting for Change, the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University, Crimminz and Associates, and the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD).
The goal of this exhibit was to show the possibilities that exist for Georgians with I/DD. People with I/DD are often held back by low expectations and a lack of access to opportunities. The exhibit included quilts, paintings, photographs, multimedia works, and historical documents that showcased the impact of people with disabilities. Tevealed through each of the following areas:
- Origins of Disability Devaluation: Sobering, hopeful, transformative
- Discovering Capacities: Visionary, achievable, liberating
- Uniting for Change: A Movement for Inclusion
- Creating Beloved Communities: Everyone belongs together
- Cultivate Support: The Power of Allies
- Belonging to Real Communities: Everyone has a place
- Have Faith: Strength in Resilience
- Get to Work: Expanding Opportunities
- Rise Up: Demand your rights
In the final weeks of the show, the Tubman Museum hosted a reading of the book Waddie Welcome and the Beloved Community. It was led by authors Susan Earle and Tom Kohler. In addition, the Douglass Theatre, which sits across from the Tubman Museum, hosted the Disability Justice Film Screening. The screening included Voice Power by Robin Rayne, The Art of Being L.C. by Carl King, and the trailer for the new film Doodling for Democracy that focuses on the voting rights-themed work of Derek Heard.
Exhibit organizer and GCDD Public Relations Director Maria Pinkelton had the following to say about the run of the exhibit, “It has been wonderful to see the city of Macon open its hearts and the Tubman Museum open its doors to this exhibit. Representation matters, and when you see the creative talents of people with disabilities along with images of them living, advocating, and celebrating life, the gap of perceived difference and distance grows smaller.”
The Embracing Possibility planning team is in talks with groups that want to be the future home of the exhibit. Stay tuned to GCDD’s social media and this magazine for its next location.