Project Titles: We are the Universe
Recipient Organization: Creativity Explored of San Francisco
Lead Artist: Harrell Fletcher
Genre and Date Awarded: Visual Arts, June 2000
Dedicated: January 2003

Artists Harrell Fletcher and Chris Johanson collaborated with seven artists from Creativity Explored of San Francisco, an art center for developmentally disabled adults, and with others who live and work in the vicinity of the center, to produce a publication and a poster series based on photographs, drawings, and writings about the universe. In total, more than 30 people contributed text and images. The finished compilation, a book entitled A Place Called the Universe and a poster series, was distributed free to classrooms in neighborhood public schools.

The idea for the project developed out of conversations between Fletcher and Johanson about cosmology, spirituality, and belief systems, which they then connected to interests of two Creativity Explored artists—David Jarvey’s explorations of space and Star Trek, and Michael Loggins’ questions about life’s mysteries. Through their varied perspectives they hoped to create an inquisitive, exploratory work. Fletcher and Johanson previously had collaborated on a video installation with David Jarvey that explored space through Jarvey’s relationship to Star Trek. Through “We are the Universe,” David Jarvey created text and short writings about “The Three Stooges, Star Trek and Captain Elvis” while Michael Loggins created a narrative piece entitled, “Focus on Life in Good Thoughts.”

The printed materials were designed to emulate scholastic, educational materials that are used in public schools. The project included not only scientifically accurate information about planets, solar systems, space travel, and related themes, but also imaginative, metaphoric drawings and writings about humans’ individual relationships to the universe. Creativity Explored Executive Director Amy Taub wrote, “After 9/11, the book took on another face—that of human relationships in the universe—how we interact with each other in our world.” The finished publication was 112 pages long, and printed in color by Boon Design.

Among many observations by project participants, Fletcher responded to the effect of the sun glinting off glass in an urban setting:

Sunlight glints off of parked cars, like little reminders, little pictures of the sun. I like to walk around various cities collecting the best ones, the sun glints that for a moment destroy everything else around them. There is something comforting about being swallowed into the sun, all of that brightness and warm, all of that beautiful nothingness.”

Harrell Fletcher and Chris Johanson have shown their work throughout the Bay Area and internationally. Johanson’s sculptural paintings and drawings act almost as documentary photographs of his everyday environment. His work engages viewers to address issues of homelessness, racism, sexism, interpersonal relationships, and emotional stability. Harrell Fletcher had worked with students at Creativity Explored on the magazine Whipper Snapper Nerd, an exhibition of the same name, a series of video projects, and, a poster series for the San Francisco Arts Commission. His other work has taken the form of collaborations with students, office workers, neighborhood residents, and others on installations, publications, and public art project. He has been part of two previous Creative Work Fund projects, “Urban Research Laboratory,” with Southern Exposure at Project Artaud, and “People in Real Life,” with the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation.

Creativity Explored is the only full-time visual art center for adults with disabilities in San Francisco. Participants range in age from 18 to 80 and come from diverse backgrounds. Although most have developmental disabilities, some have additional physical, psychological, and emotional conditions. Since 1983 when the center was established, people with disabilities have established themselves as talented artists making significant contributions to the Bay Area community. The center nurtures creative expression. Professional artists acquaint participants with various artistic media and techniques in a dynamic, open space studio environment. Through use of the finished works as catalysts for classroom based programs, school children to study the universe and explore their spiritual and imaginative relationship to it, and they will be exposed to the amazing abilities of a generally marginalized population.

Harrell Fletcher

Grants Awards and Residencies

• Gunk Grant (2003)
• Artslink
• Grant (2003)
• Creative Capital Grant (2002)
• Creative Work Fund Grant (2000)
• Oxbow School Visiting Artist Residency (2000)
• Artists and Communities Millennium Grant (1999)
• Headlands Center for the Arts Residency (1998)
• Creative Work Fund grant with Jon Rubin, Larry Sultan, and Dublin Fine Arts Foundation (1996)
• Headlands Center for the Arts Post-Graduate Studio Award (1994)
• Bay Area Award (1994)
• Barclay Simpson Graduate Award (1994)

Solo and Collaborative Exhibitions

• “Hi,” Christine Burgin, New York, New York (2004)
• “Maintaining the Jazz,” Jack Hanley Gallery, San Francisco, California (2004)
• “Happiness Follows Us Like a Shadow,” New Langton Arts, San Francisco, California (2004)
• “The Sound We Make Together,” DiverseWorks, Houston, Texas (2003)
• “Now It’s a Party,” Real Art Ways, Hartford, Connecticut (2003)
• “Reread Summerhill,” Signal Art Center, Malmo, Sweden (2003)
• “Everyday Sunshine,” Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland, Oregon (2001)
• “48 Hours,” The Soap Factory, Minneapolis, Minnesota (2001)
• “Cars and Houses,” The Physics Room, Christchurch, New Zealand (2000)
• “The Boy Mechanic,” Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, California (1999)

Selected Group Exhibitions

• The Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York (2004)
• “Near and Far,” Domaine de Kerguéhennec Centre d’Art, Bignan, France (2004)
• “Street Selections,” The Drawing Center, New York City (2003)
• “Playground,” Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA, Portland, Maine (2002)
• “Yes, We’re Excerpts,” Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, New York (2002)
• “Fast Forward,” Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, California (2001)
• “Of the Moment: Contemporary Art from the Collection,” San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, California (2000)
• “Above and Beyond,” Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, California (2000)
• “Museum Pieces,” M.H. de Young Museum, San Francisco, California (1999)
• “Urban Renewal Laboratory,” Southern Exposure, San Francisco, California (1998)

Curatorial Projects

• “Hello There Friend,” Christine Burgin, New York, New York (2003)
• “A Love for All Animals,” San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery (2001)
• “Survivalist,” Southern Exposure at Project Artaud, San Francisco, California (1999)
• “Whipper Snapper Nerd,” Bronwyn Keenan, New York; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco; and Mark Moore Gallery, Santa Monica, California (1998)

Selected Public Art Commissions

• “More Sunshine,” Portland Oregon RACC (2002)
• School of Social Work, University of Minnesota Art Commission (2000)
• North Beach Parking Garage, San Francisco Art Commission (2000)
• Market Street Art-in-Transit, San Francisco Art Commission (1999)
• University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (1998)

Public Collections

• The New Museum, New York, New York
• The M.H. de Young Museum, San Francisco, California
• Berkeley Art Museum, University of California, Berkeley, California
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, California

Related Work Experience

• Instructor, Cooper Union, New York, New York (2004)
• Instructor, Det fynske Kunstakademi, Odense, Denmark (2003)
• Instructor, Hartford Art School, Hartford, Connecticut (2003)
• Instructor, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, Oregon (2003)
• Instructor, Design Intensive, California College of Arts and Crafts, San Francisco, California (2002)
• Instructor, Graduate Intensive, MECA, Portland, Maine (2002)
• Instructor, Graduate Interdisciplinary Seminar, California College of Arts and Crafts, San Francisco, California (2001)
• Instructor, Based in Real Life, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, California (2001)
• Instructor, Generosity, DasArts, Amsterdam, Holland (2001)
• Instructor, Graduate Interdisciplinary Seminar and Graduate Independent Study, California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, California (2000)
• Instructor, Interdisciplinary Seminar, Stanford University, Stanford, California (1999)
• Instructor, Graduate Independent Study, California College of Arts and Crafts, San Francisco, California (1999)
• Instructor, Beginning Sculpture, Stanford University, Stanford, California (1998)
• Instructor, Graduate Seminar and Graduate Independent Study, California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, California (1998)

Chris Johanson

Solo Exhibitions

• Alleged, New York, New York (2000)
• “All on Different Trips,” Four Walls, San Francisco; “SWP,” Alleged, New York, New York (1998)
• “Ourlandia,” Scene/Escena, San Francisco, California (1998)
• “The Universe,” Jack Hanley Gallery, San Francisco, California (1995)
• “Sorry,” Figure 5, San Francisco, California (1995)
• “Fantasy Island (Life Span),” Kiki, San Francisco, California (1994)
• “Sleeping Person, Dead Person,” Gallery 5, San Jose State University, San Jose, California (1994)
• “Books and Painting Show,” Gallery 4, San Jose State University, San Jose, California (1993)
• “Pictures and Words,” Emmanuel Ratnitsky Found Objects, San Francisco, California (1990)

Group Exhibitions

• RARE Art Properties, New York, New York (2000)
• New Image Arts, Los Angeles, California (2000)
• Artists Space, New York (2000)
• “Extra(Super)Meta,” Center for the Arts at Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco, California (2000)
• “Utopia,” Jack Hanley Gallery, San Francisco, California (2000)
• “Scopic,” San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, California (1999)
• “Coup d’Etat,” Alleged, New York, New York (1999)
• “Survivalists,” Southern Exposure, San Francisco, California (1999)
• “The Levels,” La Panaderia, Mexico City, Mexico (1999)
• “Museum Pieces,” M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, California (1999)
• “On Paper,” Stalke Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark (1999)
• “LISTE 99,” Young Artists Fair, Basil, Switzerland (1999)
• New Image Arts, Los Angeles, California (1999)
• “Alter-Nativity,” The Jewish Museum, San Francisco, California (1998)
• Clarion Alley Mural Project, San Francisco, California (1998)
• “Move 2,” New Image Arts, New York, New York (1998)
• “He Swam Down Away,” Audiello Fine Art, New York, New York (1998)
• “The Mind Harvest Series,” La Panaderia, Mexico City, Mexico (1998)
• “Selections Summer ’98,” The Drawing Center, New York, New York (1998)
• “Me, Myself and I,” Timothy Higbee Gallery, San Francisco, California (1997)
• “The Independents,” Alleged, New York, New York (1997)
• “Oddity,” 111 Minna Street Gallery, San Francisco, California (1997)
• “Mission Community Art Show,” Star Cleaners, San Francisco, California (1997)
• “Switch Stance,” San Francisco Art Commission Gallery, San Francisco, California (1997)
• “Bay Area Now,” Center for the Arts at Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco, California (1997)
• Café Nidal, San Francisco, California (1997)
• “Waveforms, Skate(board)ing the Urban Forest,” Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, California (1997)
• “Guy,” Four Walls, San Francisco, California (1996)
• Carmichael Gallery, San Francisco, California (1996)
• “Glean,” Four Walls, San Francisco, California (1996)
• MTV Installation Lobby, New York, New York (1996)
• “Necessary Evil Kneivel,” Alleged Gallery, New York, New York (1996)
• “Shred Sled Symposium,” The Thread Waxing Space, New York, New York (1996)
• “The Finale,” Figure 5, San Francisco, California (1995)
• “A New Millennium Degenerate Art Show,” The Lab, San Francisco, California (1995)
• “Wild Side,” L.A.C.E., Lose Angeles, California (1995)
• “Dysfunctional, an exhibition of Skateboard Art and Design,” Blue Note Gallery, London, England (1995)
• “Special Friends,” Adobe Book Shop, San Francisco, California (1995)
• “Combine Effort,” Loft Space Exhibition c/-Figure, San Francisco, California (1994)
• “The T-Shirt Show,” Works Gallery, San Jose, California (1993)
• “Chain Reaction,” San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, California (1991)
• “Flower Show,” Emmanuel Ratnizky Found Objects, San Francisco, California (1990)