ARTIST STATEMENT
Drawing on the powerful civil rights legislation of The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, this multi-sensory work raises questions about history, access, transformation, visibility, race, freedom, sensory input, light and dark, and above all, highlight the absence or marginalization of communities that have long been denied representation within arts realms. This work, designed to be accessible visually, tactilely, and audibly, creates an inclusive space where everyone is welcomed and valued. My artistic representations are, within themselves, acts of resistance against systems of oppression.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jill Wells, Des Moines, IA, is an interdisciplinary artist, advocate, and mentor. Wells’ narrative-driven, multisensory work is fueled by lived and shared experiences and critical examinations of accessibility, disability inequality, race, stereotypes, and history. Wells’ practice engages with individuals of all abilities through various mediums, cross-sector collaborations, and research projects to create new modes of working through the arts that are inclusive and representational. Wells explores how public art, multisensory design, Braille, and adaptive arts prompt awareness and provide various levels of access to arts and culture for people of all abilities. She has created public murals, exhibitions, and site-specific installations at the International Convention Center in Belfast, Ireland, the African American Museum of Iowa, the Dubuque Museum of Art, and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, with commissions/awards from the Center for Afrofuturist Studies at Public Space One, the University of Iowa Office of the Vice President of Research, the Greater Des Moines Public Arts Foundation, and Disability Rights Iowa. Her work with institutions includes the United Nations, the Harkin Institute, Americans for the Arts, the Iowa Arts Council, the Essl Foundation Zero Project, Al-Quds Bard College for Arts and Sciences in East Jerusalem, Iowa Department for the Blind, and Mosaic in Central Iowa. Wells operates a full-time art practice and an annual paid youth and young adult mentorship program, ARTIST X ADVOCACY (AXA). Audio Artist Bio Link: https://qrco.de/bdbMix
© Jill Wells