Today we’d like to introduce you to Hunter Lacey.
Hi Hunter, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I was 2, my brother Chase was born with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He was diagnosed with Congenital Encephalopathy a couple years later. Our sister Annabelle came along 3 years later. Annabelle and I grew up immersed in the disability community because of our brother. For my sister and I, we found a lot of joy in being in this community.
For most of my career, I have been a photojournalist. When I went to grad school, I did my thesis photo and video project on the positive impact of employment for adults with disabilities. In that year I spent befriending adults with disabilities, I began to wonder if my career could intersect with this population.
I became a high school teacher after grad school, teaching journalism, but I kept looking at jobs in the disability space. My coworker at school told me about Creative Growth in San Francisco. It is the original art studio for adults with disabilities. I had never heard of this concept before, but I immediately thought “I want to bring this to Dallas.” It felt like a crazy thought though, so I let it sit in the back of my head for a while.
That summer, I started putting together a business plan for Creation Studio. I started pitching it to friends and family, and with their encouragement, I began the process of creating the nonprofit and filing for our 501(c)3, and then fundraising. We opened in January of this year, currently have 6 artists enrolled, and had our first art show in April! My sister Annabelle is our art teacher. It has been an absolutely beautiful experience.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In some ways, it has been a smooth road in that it felt like there was a need for this organization and once we opened, artists began reaching out through hearing about us through word of mouth. Our first artist to sign up with us, Reese Gould, is a well-known artist in the Dallas area and he has been really helpful in telling people about us! I don’t know if I’d say these were struggles, but since we are a nonprofit, we rely on donations for the majority of our operating costs, and of course that is always a challenge. Especially since I don’t have any background in fundraising prior to this! It has certainly been a learning experience, but people have been incredibly generous and we are currently operating 100% on donations and art sales.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Our artists are incredibly gifted and have such unique perspectives on the world. Because they are not neurotypical, they are able to tap into creativity that is not necessarily accessible to people who are neurotypical. Some of our artists paint and draw animals and nature scenes, while others paint more abstractly. We also have done a bit of fiber art and sculpture in our studio, and hope to introduce more of our artists to that type of creation.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
We always welcome visitors during our operating hours and by appointment. We are open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10AM-3PM. We recently sold a lot of art at our most recent show, but there is still some for sale if you’d like to add some beautiful art to your home or office!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.creationstudiodallas.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creationstudiodallas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561270366295
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/creation-studio-dallas
