North Pole Studios is in the family tree rooted in Project Grow. Project Grow, created my Natasha Wheat, is firmly centered in what I term "socially conscious social practice art."
Wheat found an existing program for intellectually disabled adults who were paid a penny a piece for the therapy of sorting clothes hangers. That's much too boring. She brought in artists to create a studio and gallery, Street Yoga, and created a CSA farm for the clients. The clients were participants in decision making along the ideas of RD Laing. Wheat went on to CCA and wrote about the history of psychiatric institutions.
Sadly an individual who had been involved in a scandal at the library moved over as the executive director of the parent nonprofit and crushed it. The struggling remnants were further mutulated by a Trump order that all such programs be redesigned to lead to paid permanent work. Freed of that, North Pole Studios has a participatory art program similar to the famous Creative Growth in Oakland.
They are active on Instagram and they are opening their studio today with RSVP by noon - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-open-house-tickets-634922368897. At NW Marine Artworks 2526 NW 29th 11AM-4 Free
Making the Earth Cool is having a meetup for families today at Parallax. 10AM-noon Free
