Art Enables is a Washington, DC, arts-entrepreneurial program for adults with developmental and/or mental disabilities. The program draws participants with a flair for visual expression from throughout the Washington metropolitan area. (visual of the facade)
			Artists are selected for their enthusiasm and their willingness to work hard at their art. They come to the studio on regularly scheduled days, working under the guidance of professional artist-instructors whose goal is not to teach but to nurture each artist’s individual style.
			Art Enables currently serves 27 adults whose ages range from 22 to 71, whose ethnicities include African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian and Arabic and whose disabilities are wide-ranging and often multiple, disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder. The art they create falls generally into the category “outsider art”, the most popular term for the work of unschooled artists. It encompasses a broad spectrum of styles, the definitions of which vary and, in some cases, overlap: folk, visionary, naive, intuitive.
		Artwork created in the studio is sold in shows at the Art Enables gallery, via the web site, through retailers around the city and at galleries, markets and special events throughout the region. Artists earn 60% of revenue from sales. To learn more about Art Enables, e-mail us or call 202.554.9455 Visitors are welcome to the studio Monday - Friday 9 am - 4 pm or by appointment: 411 New York Ave., NE Washington, DC 20002