ART/FILM

During the month of December, Formoli’s Bistro will feature an exhibition by Sacramento artists who attend Developmental Disabilities Service Organization’s Short Center North, a day program for adults with mild/moderate developmental disabilities, and Reach In, DDSO’s outreach program which brings professional artists into their three centers for adults with severe/profound developmental disabilities.

Many of the artists exhibiting have extensive arts resumes and have exhibited locally at the Crocker Art Museum, the State Capital, the California State Fair, and the Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento, as well as national venues such as the American Visionary Gallery in Baltimore, the Outsider Art Fair in New York City, and the Ames Gallery in Berkeley.

Developmental Disabilities Service Organization (DDSO) is a nationally known non-profit organization which serves adults with developmental disabilities through the arts. Since its inception in 1976, DDSO's mission has been to improve the quality of life for adults with developmental disabilities by creating options which foster individual growth. DDSO also promotes access for persons with developmental disabilities into significant places of community interaction; in the cultural sphere these include theatres, classrooms, galleries, and public art spaces. The mission of DDSO's outreach programs is to integrate artists with developmental disabilities into the cultural life of the community.

Reach In was founded in 1999 in order to serve DDSO consumers with severe/profound disabilities, and is partially funded by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission’s Cultural Arts Award. Reach in has received several honors, including a National Endowment for the Art grant and a Sacramento Regional Community Foundation grant. This program is supported through grants and private donations.