Super Heroes, Super Villains (San Francisco, October 4-November 21)

The Bay Area nonprofit visual arts center Creativity Explored, which welcomes artists with developmental disabilities to create, exhibit, and sell their work, has a studio blog, and a frequently updated website--and they need it, because the place is constantly having events, exhibits, sales, and screenings. This one caught my eye, in light of the upcoming Disability Blog Carnival edition on a "supercrip" theme: Super Heroes Super Villains Gallery Exhibition, which opens next month. Here's the gallery's blurb about it:

Fly, leap or zoom over to Creativity Explored for a special exhibition straight off the pages of your favorite comic book. Studio artists reinterpret famous saviors of the universe and those who would thwart them. Laron Bickerstaff gives a new look to heroes like The Flash and Green Arrow, while Edana Contreras contributes an ode to Oracle — the only major super heroine in a wheelchair. Michael Bernard Loggins imagines his own cast of super characters including Super Toothbrush Hero, Super Serious Man and even Super Average Girl — “Trying to stay as average as she can be.” Curator Francis Kohler of Creativity Explored also contributes food for thought placing text panels throughout the show to highlight real life heroes and villains of the disability movement.

Seems the opening reception will include a live band, too.

Image description: A piece of art depicting a superhero in (best I can tell) ink outlines and blue and red pastels, with an intense yellow background. The superhero appears to be running straight at the viewer, with three out of four limbs bent in a stylized "L" shape. The artist is Jay Herndon.

AAG 2007 Geographies of Disability Symposium

Consider this your invitation to join Penny Richards, Mike Dorn and other subscribers of the GEOGABLE (Geography and Disabilities) listserv at this year’s Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting. Follow this link to learn more about the activities being organized by the AAG Disability Specialty Group for San Francisco, April 17 – 21, 2007.

Thanks to the hard work of the DSG officers, members and friends over the summer and fall of 2006, the AAG 2007 Geographies of Disability Symposium now stretches across two days - Thursday, April 19, and Friday, April 20. Do also check out the other interesting sessions we are sponsoring on Tuesday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 18. Social events for San Francisco during the conference are still in the planning stages. Why not volunteer to help us organize and publicize fun Bay Area events during the conference?

Information on registration, hotel information and how to arrange for necessary accommodations at the AAG 2007 conference information can be found on the 2007 AAG Conference Pages. Phone 202-234-1450 or email the disability coordinator Juana Ibanez with accommodation requests as soon as possible.