Program

Welcome - Director Lauren Stichter 

Introductions with Dr. George 

Main Session

Title: Nothing About Us Without Us: Student Voices in the Art Room

Presenters: Gabi Rost-Tallman (Facilitator), Pandora Rings, Gianna Intrieri & Lee Calder

Location: Graham Auditorium

Main Session Description: 

Featuring members of Moore’s Disabled Student Alliance and facilitated by Moore graduate alum Gabi Rost-Tallman, this panel centers the voices of Disabled art students as they reflect on their experiences from kindergarten through higher education. Through conversation, panelists will share insights into the practices and approaches that foster access, belonging, and meaningful participation in creative learning environments.

Workshop 1

Title: In the Studio: How SpArc Artists Work, Think, and Create

Presenters: Zaire Allen-Moton & Richard Toliver

Location: Graham Auditorium

Workshop Description: How do artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities develop their artistic style, navigate creative choices, and build an artistic practice? Join two resident artists from SpArc for a presentation and Q&A grounding, behind-the-scenes look at their creative journeys.

The presenters will walk the audience through their portfolios, studio routines, and decision-making processes. Using finished pieces, short studio clips, physical materials, and open conversation, they’ll share how they choose subject matter, experiment with mediums, and work through creative challenges. Attendees will get a clear, firsthand view of how these artists think and work, alongside grounded, practical ways to foster genuine artistic agency in cultural and community spaces.

This session is facilitated by Alex Chadwel, Associate Director of CPS - Cultural Arts Programming at SpArc Services. 

Workshop 2

Title: ArtsAbility: Enabling Through Art, An Inclusive Arts Experience

Presenters: Shristi Patnaik, Molly Sheehan, Cassidy Gamber & Sophia Stafford

Location: Great Hall A

Workshop Description: ArtsAbility is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses the arts to engage, enable, and empower girls and women with disabilities. Through an integrated, strengths-based approach, neurodivergent and neurotypical participants learn, create, contribute, and support one another.

This session will begin with a brief presentation and conversation introducing ArtsAbility and our approach to adapting creative and life-skills activities to different abilities and access needs. Representative artists from our community will share their work and experiences, demonstrating what can be achieved when artists are given meaningful opportunities and the right support.

This interactive session will also feature an interactive movement activity with audience members invited to participate alongside the ArtsAbility group. Through adapted, shared movement and creative expression, the session will demonstrate how the arts can bring people of different abilities together in an experience that is inclusive, empowering and joyful.

Workshop 3

Title: Artists at Work: Practice, Process, and Partnership
Presenters: Dillon Shea, Ania Lattie & Cassie Flanagan 

Location: Great Hall B

Workshop Description: Join three emerging artists as they share the work they make and how they make it. Each artist will give a 15-minute presentation alongside their Employment Specialist, followed by a short Q&A.

Cassie will walk through her practice of hand-embroidered objects, sharing finished pieces and a printed guide to her materials. She presents with her Employment Specialist, Kator Moore.

Dillon, a growing illustrator and live drawing artist, will share a video about his practice and creative process, with support from his Employment Specialist, Jackie Yaeger.

Ania Lattie will introduce her rug tufting practice, with a printed handout of her materials and the steps she follows to bring a piece to life. She presents with her Employment Specialist, John Reem.

After the presentations, there will be time for audience questions.

Workshop 4

Title: Assistive Tech for Art with TechOWL
Presenter: Alanna Raffel

Location: Graham Auditorium

Workshop Description: Join this session to learn about TechOWL’s lending library of assistive technology and a variety of the high and low tech devices available to make art more accessible. You’ll also hear about other services TechOWL provides and ways to adapt art making with the tools you have at home.

Workshop 5

Workshop Title: Introduction to Adaptive Art Tools

Presenters: Gianna Intrieri & Lee Calder

Location: Great Hall A

Workshop Description: In this hands on workshop, participants will have the opportunity to play, and interact with a variety of assistive art making tools. 

Workshop 6

Workshop Title: Building Capacity in the Classroom

Presenter: Enoch Church

Location: Great Hall B

Workshop Description: Built around Enoch’s community building “3 Cultures” framework, this workshop will talk about the foundational understandings of trauma, how it sits in the body, and neurodivergence while providing attendants with tangible ways to think about building capacity in the classroom both for themselves and students.