Access Gallery is an inclusive nonprofit organization that engages the community by opening doors to creative, educational and economic opportunities for people with disabilities to access, experience and benefit from the arts.
People with disabilities experience a 70% unemployment rate and artists with disabilities are no exception. Access Gallery employs a social enterprise model to focus on creativity as an asset rather than disability as a deficit. We advance our mission in three ways:
We believe art has the power to bring people together, breaking down social barriers and open inclusive spaces for our community to connect with and learn from each other.
The Colorado Gives Day, we are bringing you Access Gallery: The Community. Every day in our studio, we witness powerful friendships and comradery—all built around art. Art is deeply personal—it helps us identify and express who we are, what we believe in, and the impact we want to have in the world. But we couldn’t do it without each other. This fall, we are amplifying the incredible stories of friendship, support, and community that are central to our mission to build economic opportunities for artists with disabilities. Each artist in our program brings something special to our community.
And, we’re inviting you to be part of our community. Join us by sharing why you love Access Gallery and supporting our inclusive work. You are part of what makes our community possible, and just like we couldn’t do it without our talented artists, we couldn’t do it without supporters like you.
Access Gallery is an inclusive nonprofit organization that engages the community by opening doors to creative, educational, and economic opportunities for people with disabilities to access, experience and benefit from the arts.
As a leader in accessible arts and creating economic opportunity for artists with disabilities in Colorado, Access Gallery (formerly VSA Colorado/Access Gallery) has served the community since 1978.
Access Gallery was born as the Colorado branch of VSA, an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith. Nearly five million people with disabilities participate in VSA arts programs each year through affiliate programs in each state and over sixty countries worldwide. Access Gallery was established in 1978 and continues to evolve and thrive as an affiliate of VSA today. Each year, we serve nearly 100 young adults people with disabilities and their families.
Access Gallery firmly believes that every young person with a disability deserves access to appropriate arts learning experiences. All art educators should be appropriately prepared to include students with disabilities in their instruction. All children, youth and adults with disabilities should have complete access to community cultural facilities and activities. All individuals with disabilities who aspire to careers in the arts should have the opportunity to develop appropriate skills.
Access Gallery is located in the heart of Denver's Art District on Santa Fe, located within blocks of other galleries, schools, museums, and countless artist studios. Our presence on Santa Fe is a continual reminder of the equalizing power of art, breaking down social barriers and becoming a place where young adults from the neighborhood - or those without money - feel welcome to create, to question, and to learn from each other. We are a free gallery that is open to the public. Come visit for our art walks on the first and third Friday of each month.
Organization name
Access Gallery
other names
Access Gallery, VSA Colorado
1979
Tax id (EIN)
74-2131682
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities
Address
909 Santa Fe DrHeadquarters
909 Santa Fe DrDenver County, CO, US