Look Here 6th Annual Creating Community Symposium

Center for Creative Works, in collaboration with Haverford College’s John B. Hurford ’60 Center for the Arts and Humanities will host the 6th annual Creating Community Symposium, in Philadelphia on October 20–23, 2025.

The Creating Community Symposium will bring together artists and professionals from progressive art studios across the United States and beyond to discuss best practices, advocacy, and the evolving landscape of art and disability. This annual event, founded by Creative Growth in Oakland, CA, aims to foster dialogue and collaboration around the importance of inclusive creative spaces for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The 6th annual symposium will be hosted in Philadelphia, marking the first time the event will be held on the East Coast, expanding its reach and impact. The symposium invites a broader public to engage with the work of these progressive studios, offering a platform for conversation and learning about how the art community can support and empower artists of all abilities. By gathering key figures in the field, the symposium will facilitate discussions on advocacy, inclusion, and the transformative role of art in building communities.

Held in conjunction with the larger LOOK HERE project, the symposium will provide valuable insights into the intersection of art, disability, and identity. The symposium program will include:

• A keynote presentation and reception
• Full days of presentations with artists and administrators from progressive art studios
• Shared meals and discussions with other symposium participants
• Access to Center for Creative Works studios in Wynnewood and Philadelphia, PA
• Access to LOOK HERE project exhibitions at Haverford College’s Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery and VCAM, as well as Atelier and Fleisher/Ollman galleries in Philadelphia, PA
• Opportunities for post-conference programming with Philadelphia area cultural partners