The nonprofit, which helps artists with disabilities create and show their work, will open the space in The Grinnell, an affordable building on San Pablo Avenue with 12 units for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
April 2, 2025, 11:00 a.m.April 2, 2025, 8:07 a.m.
Creative Growth’s new satellite space at The Grinnell. Credit: Nathan DaltonCreative Growth Art Center, the 50-year-old Oakland-based studio and gallery for artists with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD), is opening its first satellite space on the ground floor of The Grinnell, a new affordable housing apartment building on San Pablo Avenue for families and people with disabilities.
“We’re excited about our new space and the possibilities it holds for Creative Growth and our community,” said Ibby Sasso, the nonprofit’s marketing director. “As we continue shaping our vision for how best to activate this beautiful space, we’re working closely with the regional center to ensure proper licensing for our artists.”
The Grinnell is a project of Satellite Affordable Housing Associates (SAHA) and includes 63 units, 12 of which are prioritized for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The apartment complex, which was completed last April, takes its name from the beloved peregrine falcon that lived atop UC Berkeley’s Campanile with his longtime mate, Annie, from 2016 until his death in 2022.
The Grinnell, a 75-unit affordable apartment building at 2527 San Pablo Ave., was completed last April. Credit: Nathan DaltonWhile Creative Growth has been based in Oakland for most of its 50 years, it actually began inside a garage in Berkeley by artist Florence Ludin-Katz and her psychologist husband, Elias Katz. The couple moved the studio to its current location in Oakland in 1978, taking over a former auto repair shop.
Creative Growth plans to share more details this summer on how they’ll use the new Grinnell space. In the meantime, the organization is in “brainstorming mode,” according to an Instagram post announcing the space, and is seeking community input. “Gallery? Café? Creative workspace? The possibilities are endless.”
Creative Growth Art Center at The Grinnell, 2527 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. Connect via Facebook and Instagram.
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