24.1 x 24.1 x 5.1 cm
The work of Christa Stephens, an award-winning Santa Fe artist who is autistic, will be featured in Patterns & Polyphonies, a pop-up solo exhibition at Aurelia Gallery, September 15-17. In conjunction with the exhibit, a reception is planned for Saturday, September 16, to engage the community in a conversation about autism and the art world. Megan Sada, Assistant Manager of Operations Development at Meow Wolf, will speak at the event along with Stephens and Christina Angel, Executive Director of Autism Society New Mexico.
The pop-up exhibition and community reception will both serve as fundraisers for Autism Society New Mexico. Twenty percent (20%) of Stephens’ art sales will go to the organization and those who attend the reception will be asked to make a suggested donation. The event is free, however, and open to the public.
Christa Stephens is an abstract artist who extracts patterns and spatial relationships from the immaterial realms of emotions and ideas. Using a visual language of geometric shapes and saturated color, she creates explicitly structured paintings that draw upon the sensory and perceptual differences intrinsic to her life as an autistic woman. She received a formal ASD diagnosis in mid-life, prompted by the realization that her creative process was steeped in autistic traits, and now uses her art to help illustrate the complexities of the neurodiverse spectrum to others.
Stephens and Marius Muresanu, Owner/Curator of Aurelia Gallery, envisioned the exhibition as a fundraiser for Autism Society New Mexico after Stephens expressed interest in doing more to benefit others on the spectrum and promote autism acceptance in the art community. “These days, many organizations list neurodivergence among their core values, but still have systems in place that prohibit participation by those who have sensory and perceptual differences,” said Stephens. “It’s not enough to just say ‘welcome’ to people on the autism spectrum. It’s important to consider what acceptance and inclusion really look like.”
Enter Megan Sada from Santa Fe-based arts and entertainment company Meow Wolf. The company recently completed an accreditation to enhance the guest experience for autistic and sensory-sensitive visitors at all of their locations.* Stephens reached out to Sada, who managed the company's effort toward certification, to share about their accreditation process at the community reception on September 16. She hopes the Meow Wolf story will inspire other organizations to follow in their footsteps.
“Our goal with this exhibition and reception is to encourage our community to think about what autism acceptance and inclusion really means, and then to take action,” said Stephens. “We hope everyone who has an interest in neurodivergence and the arts will join us, and help support Autism Society New Mexico."
The Autism Society New Mexico creates connections, empowering everyone in the autism community with resources needed to live life fully.**
