Access Gallery is open to the public by appointment only and beginning March 12th, during the following hours:
Friday 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
My husband won’t tell me his first name.
Month of Photography Show
March 5th - April 3rd, 2021
In the 1980s when Virgil DiBiase was in medical school studying neurology, there were an estimated 500,000 people reported to have dementia in this country. In just four decades, that number has skyrocketed to nearly 6 million people, with projections of 300% growth by the mid 21st century. If we make it to old age, an estimated one in three people will be affected by this disease.
Defined as, “a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental process caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning,” dementia is a broad category of brain diseases that progressively decrease one’s ability to think and remember in a manner which can severely affect daily functioning. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common and well-known type of dementia.
Metaphorically this process parallels his relationship with his patients, just like any relationship. Virgil is a doctor based out of Indiana. His life’s passion has been to work with individuals suffering from dementia. However, he not only treated his patients at his clinic, but he also spent time with them in their homes. He took time to understand their struggles and suffering. Now, Virgil expresses those emotions through his photography to show the viewer how disorienting this disease can truly be.
Looking back on 2020
Take a look at our 2020 highlights of the year with a few photos and a brief overview here.
Mission
Access Gallery is an inclusive nonprofit organization that engages the community by opening doors to creative, educational and economic opportunities for people with disabilities to access, experience and benefit from the arts.
Leader in Accessible Arts
As a leader in accessible arts and creating economic opportunity for young people with disabilities in Colorado, Access Gallery (formerly VSA Colorado/Access Gallery) has served the community since 1978. Access Gallery was born as the Colorado branch of VSA, an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith. Nearly five million people with disabilities participate in VSA arts programs each year through affiliate programs in each state and over sixty countries worldwide. Access Gallery was established in 1978 and continues to evolve and thrive as
an affiliate of VSA today. Each year, we serve nearly 2,000 adults, people with disabilities and
their families.
Access Gallery firmly believes that every young person with a disability deserves access to appropriate arts learning experiences. All art educators should be appropriately prepared to include students with disabilities in their instruction. All children, youth and adults with disabilities should have complete access to community cultural facilities and activities. All individuals with disabilities who aspire to careers in the arts should have the opportunity to develop appropriate skills.
We run year-round programming that serves our artists and community. Learn more about each of our programming areas here:
ArtWorks
Community Workshops
Access Education
Access Gallery is located in the heart of Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe, located within blocks of other galleries, schools, museums, and countless artist studios. Our presence on Santa Fe is a continual reminder of the equalizing power of art, breaking down social barriers and becoming a place where young adults from the neighborhood – or those without money – feel welcome to create, to question, and to learn from each other.
We are a free gallery located at 909 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204 and currently open by appointment only. Once we make it through lockdown/restrictions, we look forward to you visiting us for Denver's Art District on Santa Fe art walks on the first and third Friday of each month.
