On Feb. 2, Hummingbird Studio held a grand opening ceremony in honor of its move to Adams Street SE. Hummingbird Studio is a free art studio, described on Kokua Services’ website as a “space where art belongs to everyone!” The numerous, beautiful images hanging against the freshly painted white walls of Hummingbird Studio illustrate the organization’s extensive and important presence within the Olympia community.
Hummingbird Studio’s grand opening event attracted an exuberant crowd, bringing an atmosphere of excitement to the studio prior to its official opening. Colorful, swirled cupcakes arranged beside candied paintbrushes greeted event-goers as they walked into the naturally-lit studio adjacent to Gallery Boom. The concrete floor beneath innumerable pairs of shuffling feet was no longer colored grey, stained now in beautiful shades of galaxy-tones and decorated by twinkling stars. Two tables, placed above churning purple nebulas, presented the public with markers and plain paper for drawing and doodling. The gently floating balloons outside, attached to the Hummingbird Studio sign, seemed languorous in comparison with the bubbly energy that found itself inside.
Hummingbird Studio initially opened in 2015, operating as an organization of Kokua Services, “a nonprofit agency that provides residential support services to adults with disabilities in Thurston County.” According to Kokua Services’ website, the LEAD (Literacy and Education for Adults with Disabilities) program also functions under their agency. Within the LEAD program, adults with disabilities are paired with students from several local colleges for regular tutoring sessions. Kokua Services, in conjunction with The Center for Community Based Learning and Action (CCBLA), established the program at The Evergreen State College in 2011. Kokua Services’ website notes that since 2011, LEAD has expanded to St. Martin’s University and South Puget Sound Community College.
Randi Miller, the Community Programs Coordinator for both the LEAD Program and Hummingbird Studio, said that keeping these non-profit organizations open serves as a challenge at times. “It is a combination of individual donations, business support, grant writing, and fundraising and it never ends! As the programs grow (and both have grown a lot), our expenses have increased,” said Miller. “We hope that as the programs grow, so will awareness of what we are doing and the impact they have on both the disability community and the general population helping us to generate more community support and leverage additional revenue.”
But the difficulties that come with funding do not surpass the joys that these services bring forth. Miller, speaking of Hummingbird Studio, said “We believe that art is vital to the health and vitality of all communities and is a powerful and healing outlet for many individuals.”
As stated on Kokua Services’ website, Hummingbird Studio was only open for two art sessions per week at its original location. Now the studio, located in a space reserved solely for the Kokua-run organization, is open for six sessions per week. At each art session, participants are provided with an abundance of supplies, such as watercolors, markers, and collage materials. During the hour and a half long sessions, those at Hummingbird Studio are given a suggested theme, but it is not required that the theme is followed. Everyone is free to make what they wish; to enjoy their experience devoted to personal creativity.
Miller said that Hummingbird’s creation was initiated by previous issues of inaccessibility. “Artists with disabilities did not have an inclusive accessible space to make art in our community, and we wanted to provide that opportunity. Hummingbird Studio was born from the belief that art belongs to everyone! We believe that integrated art programs benefit the individual artists and the community as a whole. Inclusion promotes empowerment, acceptance, compassion, and enrichment,” said Miller.
Resources such as Hummingbird Studio are extremely valuable in a world where both social and physical barriers often cause individuals with disabilities to feel excluded. As reported on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, some of the barriers that hinder people with disabilities from accessing resources include physical obstacles, discriminatory attitudes, ignorant legal policies pertaining to accessibility, and communication limitations. Also, according to a study published on the BBC’s website, social views surrounding disability differ greatly from the treatment that people with disabilities actually interface with. The BBC reports that “The Scope survey, based on a sample of more than 2,000 adults across Britain, suggests public support for the rights of disabled people to be part of mainstream society is not matched by everyday experience. It suggests people with physical and mental disabilities remain excluded from many people’s social or work life.”
By providing the community with accessible spaces and inclusive environments, organizations and programs such as LEAD and Hummingbird Studio help to bridge this aforementioned divide between lived experience and societal perception. The mission statement on Kokua Services’ website specifically addresses the incorporation of everyone into communal contexts, stating that “we advocate and work toward true community inclusion.” As reported by Inclusive Social Development, exclusion produces drastic effects, and “Persistent exposure to discrimination can lead individuals to internalize the prejudice or stigma that is directed against them, manifesting in shame, low self-esteem, fear and stress, as well as poor health.” But the inverse of this occurs when people feel accepted. “Evidence also shows that belonging to a community and feeling connected leads to better mental health, wellbeing, and productivity,” VicHealth reports.
Community members who are interested in supporting Hummingbird Studio can do so by donating their resources and time. “We accept both monetary donations and in kind donations of art supplies,” says Miller. To be a volunteer, it is required that you are aged 16 or above, pass a background check, “have an open heart and mind, and love art and the creative process.” The public can also show support by attending events put on by Hummingbird Studio. This year the studio, located at 514 Adams Street SE, will be apart of Olympia’s Spring Arts Walk. Arts Walk will take place on April 26 and April 27.
