Creative Clay’s mission is to make the arts accessible for every interested member of the Tampa Bay community regardless of age, gender, ability and/or race. Since 1995, Creative Clay has been providing local artists with developmental, physical and/or emotional disabilities an opportunity to pursue their passion for art making. Our arts programs consist of studio and community based activities for exploring unique personal realities in an inventive, professional environment.
Creative Clay is committed to promoting the work created by its member artists through bimonthly art exhibitions in our downtown gallery and various public venues throughout the greater Tampa Bay region. Please contact Creative Clay for information about commissioning artwork or about art leasing opportunities for business environments.
Click here to download a member artist application
A supported employment initiative, artworks at its core is truly an entrepreneurial approach to program sustainability. Utilizing designs created in the Creative Clay studios, the artworks project is to support the majority of its diverse and innovative cultural arts programs with revenues made through the sale of licensed products such as t-shirts, mugs, glasses, greeting cards, recycle bags, and temporary tattoos.
Created in 1999 as an innovative mentorship project, Creative Clay has consistently implemented artlink annually. artlink pairs professional artists from our community with member artists attending Creative Clay’s Cultural Arts Program. The artlink project and many of our exhibits have been recognized with regional, state and national awards such as The Dr. Spelios Award for accessibility from The Able Trust and a prestigious LEAD award from VSA arts of Florida and The Florida Division of Cultural Affairs. Both The St. Petersburg Times and Creative Loafing have named artlink the best socially responsive arts exhibit. A film crew from WUSF Channel 16 followed the artlink teams in 2002 and as a result an award winning documentary was produced entitled Creative Hearts.
In 2003 and in 2007 Creative Clay staff and artists traveled to Japan to assist and participate in the implementation of the artlink project in over 25 agencies. Now a global arts initiative, artlink continues to be a model for socially responsive arts programming and exhibitions.
Summer Youth Inclusionary Arts Camp
