C.O.D.E Collective Arts & Advocacy Exhibit

                 Through Our Lens: Disability, Dignity & Democracy

                               COMING FALL 2026

Through Our Lens: Disability, Dignity & Democracy is a powerful expansion of the nationally recognized Raw Beauty Project, which has successfully amplified the stories of over 60 women with disabilities across three exhibitions. This new phase, led by WEAN Charlotte’s C.O.D.E. (Colors of Disability Equality) initiative, will evolve the project into a full-scale, mixed-media arts exhibition and mentorship program centering BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other historically marginalized artists with disabilities.

This project is urgent. In this moment, essential services and civil rights for disabled people are under threat. Despite being the largest minority, people with disabilities—especially those of color—are deeply underrepresented in Charlotte’s cultural sector. This exhibit responds by reclaiming visibility, cultivating opportunity, and honoring disability as a powerful cultural identity. Artists will share stories of dignity, struggle, beauty, and civic power through portraits, video, design, and spoken word.

Goals include:

• Hiring and mentoring disabled artists.
  
  

• Creating paid opportunities and long-term arts career pipelines.
  
  

• Showcasing disability culture and activism through a public exhibit.
  
  

• Raising awareness of disability justice among allies and legislators.