More than 61 million Americans in the United States have a disability—a one-in-four ratio. For many Americans with disabilities, turning to the arts has proven to be therapeutic. This is why an organization like ArtMix, a non-profit organization in Indianapolis providing resources and art classes to those with disabilities since 1982, is so fundamental and essential. Britt Sutton, ArtMix’s current president and CEO, opened up to PATTERN to express the importance of the organization.
“When you’re a person with a disability, so much of your identity becomes being a person with a disability,” Sutton said. “But when we’re at ArtMix, we’re bonding over our love of art.”
With a background in fine arts and arts administration, Sutton went on to law school to focus on disability law. During one of her classes, the students were tasked to design an ideal arts nonprofit. “I designed an arts nonprofit where it focused on making the arts accessible to everyone and worked with individuals with disabilities,” Sutton describes. “Little did I know this organization already existed, so when the CEO role opened up at ArtMix, it was a no-brainer—I had to apply. It was kismet.”
Since Sutton joined ArtMix in May of 2020—right in the middle of the pandemic—she’s made some changes. “One of the changes I’m most proud of is expanding our artisans program, which is initially a program for youth with disabilities aged 15 to 22. We added on another layer of it,” Sutton explains.
In 2021, ArtMix piloted its first Entrepreneur Artisans fellowship program for those who want to pursue a career in the arts. “It’s cool to see us training folks to become the next generation of teaching artists, or the next generation of studio techs or people who work at ArtMix,” Sutton says.
A 2020 census found that nearly one in four people in Indiana have a disability. As stated on ArtMix’s website, one of the biggest issues for those with disabilities is the lack of representation in the arts. Most programs that support those with disabilities focus on housing or health, but they “omit or neglect personal and community-based needs.” To combat this, ArtMix provides six core programs to its students. These include artists in residence, the ArtMix gallery, community arts classes, the Lolly Project, urban artisans, and entrepreneur artisans.
Inclusion is at the forefront of everything ArtMix does. While a large part of their program focuses on those with disabilities, Sutton wants to stress the fact that ArtMix’s art classes are open to the public. “Our classes are open to anyone and everyone because our mission is true inclusion,” Sutton says, as according to ArtMix, “true inclusion means both people with and without disabilities, working together, creating art together.”
While ArtMix is involved in many community-based initiatives to promote the arts to those with disabilities, it does have an end goal. Sutton states, “My long-term goal is that organizations like ArtMix don’t have to exist in the future, that every single arts organization is fully accessible to everyone no matter their ability, and everyone feels welcome.”
In closing remarks, Sutton urged the importance of accessible art. “Art matters. It’s this beautiful, amazing thing we can all connect over. I want people to know that making the arts accessible is crucial,” she starts. “And when I say accessible, I mean whether it’s ability level, socioeconomic status, racial background—I just want the arts to be accessible for everyone.”
ArtMix is coming up on its 40th anniversary of providing access to the arts for those with disabilities. Join the celebration on December 2 from 12:00-9:00 p.m. to see and buy art made by their students, view classes that will show accessible arts in action, and participate in activities.
