Arts Project Australia (APA) is a creative social enterprise that supports artists with intellectual disabilities, promotes their work and advocates for their inclusion within the broader contemporary art sector.

In 2021 we opened a new gallery at Collingwood Yards, where we showcase the work produced by our artists alongside their peers. We have approximately 1,500 visitors to the gallery per month, and it is an inclusive, welcoming space that has been embraced by the community. This December we will close a year of exceptionally cool programming with a spectacular GALA exhibition, featuring a 2.5 x 4m wall mural to be created by Monica Lazzari. We are applying for an Awesome grant to commission Monica to create the mural. Not only is Monica an awesome human being (think talented, funny, creative genius) but her art is the definition of awesome - it challenges and inspires, it is original and unapologetic and incorporates bold colours, abstract shapes and geometric patterns. It resonates with energy and makes you feel alive. We know that Monica will relish the opportunity to work on such a large scale and we hope that collectors and curators who visit the exhibition will seize the opportunity to commission Monica for other projects and exhibitions, once they see her brilliant mural.

For artists who struggle with mainstream communication and have historically been underrepresented in the art world, recognition and income from grants and sales is incredibly important. When you consider that Australia has one of the lowest employment participation rates for people with disability in the OECD (and that rate is even lower for people with an intellectual disability) our business model offers an empowering way forward. Every time one of our artists earns income from their art it confirms that they are part of a community that values originality and new ways of looking at the world.