NIAD Art Center

NIAD Art Center Redefining contemporary art.

Each NIAD artwork is an original piece of contemporary art that tells an individual story from the perspective of an artist with disabilities. Frequently remarkable, surprising, and engaging, NIAD artwork has become a highlight of the Richmond art scene and has received recognition from the national art community.

This month’s drop is here! 25 new and unique pieces are now available online. Our latest release of works online include...
05/26/2026

This month’s drop is here! 25 new and unique pieces are now available online. Our latest release of works online includes a mix of portrait paintings, landscape drawings, ceramic sculptures, text-based prints, and more, all created in our Richmond studio. Every purchase supports the artist directly and helps sustain the creative community where the artworks are created.

Visit the link in our bio to browse the latest works.

Image and Artwork Descriptions:
1. Hacer Acma, Hacer and Raquel, 2026 (D1961)—This is an expressive watercolor-style painting of two figures seated together against a vivid blue background. One figure in pale green clothing leans forward with a thoughtful expression, while the other, dressed in orange and pink with dark hair, rests an arm around them. Thick black outlines and fluid brushstrokes create a loose, emotional composition with bold contrasts of blue, turquoise, orange, and pink.

2. Esmeralda Silva, Untitled [Landscape], 2025 (D8149)—A drawing of a small pizza restaurant at night with a purple car parked in front. The building has a striped awning, a sign reading “PIZZA” topped with a slice of pizza illustration, and glowing blue windows. Trees surround the scene under a dark sky, and the artwork uses muted purples, greens, and browns.

3. Rakelle Burnett, Untitled [Barn], 2025 (S1086)—This is a ceramic sculpture of a house, glazed with vibrant hues of red and beige. The details of the house such as the windows and the doors are carved into the clay.

4. Rebecca Jantzen, The Famous Kick [Chuck Norris],2026 (D1780)—This is a linocut print on paper with black ink. The image printed depicts a figure kicking out one leg. The figure is wearing a western outfit, including a cowboy hat, a button down and a belt. In the background is a mountain scene, with the sun in the top right corner.

Don’t miss our Summer Solstice Sale in our sunny courtyard on Saturday, June 13, 2026!Visit our link in bio to RSVP for ...
05/25/2026

Don’t miss our Summer Solstice Sale in our sunny courtyard on Saturday, June 13, 2026!

Visit our link in bio to RSVP for free 🌞

We’re pulling hundreds of never-before-seen works and hidden gems that haven’t been inventoried or exhibited. Browse tables stacked with artwork, t-shirts, bags, mugs, priced at just $5, $10, $25, and beyond—special one-day prices you won’t see again all year.

Image Descriptions:

1. A dark green poster with yellow text reads: “Solstice Sale. NIAD Art Center Courtyard. Saturday, June 13, 2026.” Surrounded by red starbursts that read “Original Artwork!” and “Real Deals!”, along with images of a ceramic turtle-rhino sculpture and a painted figure with wild hair. The bottom text reads: “Browse tables stacked with artwork, t-shirts, bags, mugs, priced at just $5, $10, $25, and beyond.”

2. Five people gathered against a purple wall outside NIAD, smiling at the camera, one kneeling in front while the others sit close together on a bench.

3. Four people smiling in NIAD’s courtyard in front of a rose bush, three seated on a wooden bench throwing up peace signs with their hands while one stands behind making bunny ears.

4. Two people sitting close together against a purple wall outside NIAD, leaning their heads in toward each other and smiling in the sun.

Our current exhibition, “Convergence,” brings together 45 NIAD artists and staff members, each with their distinct pract...
05/21/2026

Our current exhibition, “Convergence,” brings together 45 NIAD artists and staff members, each with their distinct practices, from painting, printmaking, sculpture, fiber, performance, and sound art. Visit our Main Gallery to see the presentation before it closes on June 26, 2026.

Image Descriptions:

1-5: Installation View, Convergence, NIAD Art Center, Richmond, CA, 2026. Photos by Camila de Andrade Bianchi ()—Images of 45 artworks displayed at NIAD’s gallery space. Colorful paintings, prints, and textiles hang on white walls, while several sculptures are displayed on white podiums across the light brown wooden floors of the gallery.

We are so grateful for our partnership with San Francisco State University's Exhibition Design Class for our latest virt...
05/12/2026

We are so grateful for our partnership with San Francisco State University's Exhibition Design Class for our latest virtual exhibition, "When I Hear the News I Want To..."

View the entire exhibition: https://niadart.org/collections/when-i-hear-the-news-i-want-to-curated-by-sfsu-2026

As part of the SFSU class's curriculum exploring curation, students began by developing their own exhibitions using NIAD's extensive online inventory. Throughout this curatorial exhibition project, SFSU students demonstrate the variety of ways they seek comfort through a complicated and often distressing present. Their concepts explored a range of themes, from cultivating a sense of belonging through community to empowerment through transformation, from finding comfort in childlike play to experiencing renewal through time spent in nature.

Image Description
1. San Francisco State University's Exhibition Design Class, a group of approximately eighteen people, pose together in two rows in front of a large white wall in a gallery space with wood floors.

In our Annex Gallery, Dorian Reid is sharing her vision for “We Are Creating Our Own Histories!,” a cut-metal mural on ...
05/07/2026

In our Annex Gallery, Dorian Reid is sharing her vision for “We Are Creating Our Own Histories!,” a cut-metal mural on our 23rd Street facade. In her words: “I think about the sound of water. If we had a new public space for art, it could be some kind of music, to keep the hostility down and lift up more music.” The vision for this project has taken shape over two years of community workshops and collaborations.

This is what your support makes possible. Be part of the chapter our artists are writing next. Your contribution sustains the studio, the artists, and visions like this alive within our Richmond studio and far beyond.

Donate through the link in our bio.

Join us Saturday, May 9, 1–4 PM, for the celebration of “We Are Creating Our Own Histories!” at NIAD Annex Gallery.

Image and Artwork Descriptions:
1. Dorian Reid sits in a chair at NIAD studio smiling and holding up a hand-lettered sign that reads “My Own Black History in Cats,” with a drawing of a cat figure in the center.

2. Deatra Colbert, Untitled [Figures, Water, Waves, and Music Notes], 2025 () –This black ink drawing depicts a creature in the top right corner and music notes on the bottom of of the piece. There are also organic, wave-like elements that divide the work horizontally.

3. Kate Laster, Untitled [All Beings Are Connected], 2025 (.moondog)–This black ink drawing against a white paper is a combination of animals and text. The text includes ‘All beings are connected,’ ‘animals tell story’, ‘all cats are connected,’ ‘moon dog sun cat’, and ‘dogs singing cats listen.’

4. Architectural models by Object Projects (). The NIAD building sits on a worktable, its facade wrapped in panels printed with black drawings by NIAD artists; behind it, 2D renderings of “We Are Creating Our Own Histories!” are pinned to the wall.

5. Photo by Jam (.a__a.m –Dorian Reid sits in a chair at NIAD studio grinning and holding up a sign lettered in pastel colors that reads “breaking free.”

NIAD is excited to present the works of Donzell Lewis and Ember Avalos for “Convergence.” In this group exhibition, 45 N...
04/02/2026

NIAD is excited to present the works of Donzell Lewis and Ember Avalos for “Convergence.” In this group exhibition, 45 NIAD artists and staff have paired up to present their work side by side.

🕷️ Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, April 11, 2026, from 1–4 PM.

🕸️ Visit our link in bio to view exhibition details on the web.

Convergence Opening Reception
NIAD Main Gallery
551 23rd St, Richmond, CA
April 11, 2026, from 1–4 PM
Artist Walkthrough: 2 PM

Image and Artwork Descriptions:
1. Donzell Lewis, on the left, and Ember Avalos, on the right, stand together against a white wall. Donzell holds a framed drawing of Ember’s artwork, which is a drawing of a brown spider with text, while Ember smiles and holds Donzell’s sculpture, a hand-sized black paper mache spider.

2. Donzell Lewis, Spider, 2022 (S5633) – A small naturalistic paper mache tarantula spider, painted all black.

3. Ember Avalos, Me Myself and I, 2026 – Multi-colored large brown spider looking at the viewer with eight large eyes. Capitalized text written with black ink around spider reads: Me, Myself, and I.

4. Donzell and Ember laughing together while holding their artworks This time, Donzell is holding the framed spider drawing turned around to show the back of the frame.

Happy Spring Equinox from NIAD 🌱 The longer days mean more time for art! We’ve got plenty of creating ahead, rain or shi...
03/20/2026

Happy Spring Equinox from NIAD 🌱 The longer days mean more time for art! We’ve got plenty of creating ahead, rain or shine ⛈️ ☀️

Audio & Image Descriptions:
A one minute loop of “Groovin’” by The Young Rascals, a mellow and breezy soft rock song can be played with this post.

1. Terri Moore (left) and NIAD Artist Karen May (right) sit close together on a concrete bench outside NIAD against a pink wall, smiling in the sunshine.

2. Christian Vassell (left), Shana Harper (middle), and Rebecca Jantzen (right) pose in front of a mural and a vintage black car at De Young Art Museum.

3. A 22-second video of handmade protest posters displayed on NIAD’s front window. Posters include drawings and messages like ‘We keep us safe,’ ‘Ningún Humano es Ilegal,’ ‘End racism,’ and ‘Migration is beautiful.’

4. Hacer Acma sits in front of an easel, smiling at the camera. Behind her, a large portrait painting in progress.

5. A 5-second video of Arstanda Billy White drawing a blue line to complete the arm of a figure drawing on white paper.

6. An unfired beige clay sculpture by Brandon Harris — tall, textural, full of holes from the eyes, nose, and mouths of stacked skulls. The sculpture sits on a black sculpture platform at NIAD studio.

7. A 5-second video of Deatra Colbert and Felicia Griffin giving friendly peace signs with their hands as the camera zooms in and out on each of them.

Guadalupe Soto’s new works reimagine striking found photos with minimal intervention. By tracing specific forms in color...
03/16/2026

Guadalupe Soto’s new works reimagine striking found photos with minimal intervention. By tracing specific forms in color, Soto draws our attention to the abstract shapes and symbols hidden within diverse pictorial material.

🟡 Visit our link in bio to explore and purchase Soto’s latest work.

Guadalupe Soto (b. 1995) is a Bay Area artist who joined NIAD Art Center in 2019. Primarily working in painting and drawing, Soto has created boldly colored works that feature repeated patterns, text, and references to pop culture. Her work has been featured in California in group exhibitions at the Oakland Museum of California, the Mills Building, and ODC Theater.

Image Descriptions:
1. Guadalupe Soto, Palatine Chapel, 2026 – A magazine page that contains a photograph of the Palatine Chapel. The arches of the chapel are outlined with grey marker and gold dots.
2. Guadalupe Soto, Bacchus, 2026 – A magazine page that contains a photograph of a sculpture of Bacchus. The sculpture is outlined with grey marker and gold dots.
3. Guadalupe Soto, NY City Skyline, 2026 – This mixed media piece contains an image of a cityscape. There are buildings in the background and leaves from a tree that occupy the top half of the image. The leaves on the tree are outlined in a bold silver.
4. Guadalupe Soto, Madame Paulette, 2026 – This mixed media piece contains an image of a dress at Madame Paulette. The dress is diagonally framed in center of the image, and the dress bag is outlined boldly in gold.
5. Guadalupe Soto, Claude, 2026 – A magazine page contains a photograph of a garden scene with a pond and bridge. In the image there is also an older man facing the bond. The path and the border of the image is outlined with grey and gold dots.
6. Guadalupe Soto, Ani, 2026 – A magazine page that contains a photograph of Ani that is outlined with a grey border. On top of the grey border are gold dotted details.

03/04/2026

We’ve been looking forward to the Live Auction lineup for Artful 2026, featuring:

Arstanda Billy White (.nyc)
Christopher Robin Duncan & Shawn Sanders ()
Dorian Reid
Isaac Vazquez Avila ()
Julia Goodman ()
Julia Schwartz ()
Julio Del Rio
Karen Barbour ()
Katherine Sherwood (.d.sherwood)
Marlon Mullen ( .donahue)
Maryam Yousif.

You can also bid online for our Silent Auction of over 60 artworks! Every bid directly supports NIAD’s mission to champion artists with disabilities.

🎟️ Last chance: Artful 2026 is almost sold out: we still have a limited number of tickets left before our big event, this Saturday, March 7, 2026. Ticket sales close Friday, March 6 at midnight, or until they sell out!

Artful 2026
March 7 at 5–9 PM
Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA

It’s our last day ! Visit us until 5pm in the tower room 1111 to see works by Sylvia Fragoso, Willie Harris, Karen May, ...
03/01/2026

It’s our last day ! Visit us until 5pm in the tower room 1111 to see works by Sylvia Fragoso, Willie Harris, Karen May, and Donald Walker, and see why visitors are saying we’re the best of the fair and how disabled artists are redefining contemporary art 😉.

IDs:
1) installation image with Sylvia Fraogoso’s architectural ceramic sculptures on pale wooden tables at the center of the room. On the far wall is a large abstract painting by Donald Walker with a red and white background, large strands pale blue and black text that morph into windows and a figure at the center.
2. A closer view of three multicolored Sylvia Fragoso ceramic sculptures with an abstract paintings by Willie Harris and a work on paper by Donald Walker in the background hanging on a taupe wall.
3. A grid of Karen May’s detournements featuring ads for exhibitions by Paul McCarthy, Anne Truitt, Alex Katz, Paul Pfeiffer , Jason Rhoades, Hannah Wilke, Merce Cunningham, Louise Bourgeoise. The works are next to two large flower arrangements.
4. A detail of two of Karen May’s detournements featuring an ad with Paul Pfeiffer and a reproduction of a photograph by Eadweard Muybridge
5. A work on paper by Donald Walker featuring a figure with a mustache painted in washy blue paint with black outlines. The figure is surrounded by large text that starts with “DENADA”at the top left”

Address

551 23rd Street
Richmond, CA
94804

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 1pm - 4pm

Telephone

(510) 620-0290

Website

http://linktr.ee/niadartcenter

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