Safety Blankets: Discourse on Neurodivergence

Was previously on display at the Phoenix Art Museum’s Education Gallery as an expanded group show from January - June 2024

Textile artist with artworks on display: Sheena Cly Wahid, Yolie Contreras, Alice Costas, Phoenix Alvarado, Alistair Malone, Layla Nieves, Ari Rendon, Caroline Wilson, Aaron Davis, Michelle Dawn, Chris Leon Armarillas, Maira McDermott, Janelle Novotny, vivid schisms, and Charissa Lucille.

In their series, Safety Blankets: Discourse on Neurodivergence, Charissa Lucille explores genetics, access needs, and communication styles related to their neurodivergence. As the fabric joins together with thread to create a whole quilt, so too do the overlapping identities of what makes them neurodivergent. 

Lucille experiences the world in contrasting, bright, and disabling ways. Safety Blankets offers a tactile demonstration of what their neurodivergence looks like and how they feel most secure. In an attempt to disrupt misconceptions and to connect with others while using minimal words, the fabrics evoke an expanded understanding of their encounters and what occurs within their mind and body. 

Image Description: A colorful rectangular detail photo of a quilt with purple fabric hanging vertically and blue, pink and green fabric hanging horizontally.

Previously exhibited at the Phoenix Art Museum from January - June 2024

Previously exhibited at Changing Hands Bookstore (Phoenix) as part of the “With Every Fiber of My Being” group show from June - September 2022

Previously exhibited at Songbird Coffee & Tea House from April & May 2022

Safety Blanket Stickers Available for Purchase Now!

Image Description: Photograph of a colorful sticker depicting an illustrated person holding a quilt. The background is light-colored wood.

Image Description: Photograph of a rectangular colorful sticker depicting a quilt with four blocks and a teal background. The background is light-colored wood.

Image Description: Photograph of a round colorful sticker depicting a cross-section of a brain. The background is light-colored wood.

Photo: Josh Loeser
Image Description: Photo of artist Charissa Lucille in a black tank top wearing glasses.

About the Artist: Charissa Lucille is a multimedia artist who earned their BFA in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University in 2014. They are currently sewing, self publishing, and running Wasted Ink Zine Distro and Paper Jam + Print. Lucille uses textiles, photography, bookmaking and zines to explore their identity and activism as it relates to disability, neurodivergence, and queerness. Their artwork has been exhibited locally at Northlight Gallery, First Studio Gallery, and Raiz Gallery and has been published in Love Quilting Magazine, UPPERCASE Magazine, Bolt Zine, Femme Fotale, among others. Find their work at www.charissalucille.com.

Resources:

Neurodivergent Rebel - Link to Lyric Holman’s website

Autistic Voices Comics - Link to list of comics and stories by autistic people

Neurodivergent Me - Link to Neurodivergent Me’s YouTube channel

How to ADHD - Link to Jessica’s YouTube channel

Neurodiversity News - Link to website with latest news on neurodivergence

ActuallyAutisticTikToks - Link to JJ’s Instagram account where TikTok videos by autistic people are shared

Image Description: Photo of blue unfinished quilts with wavy sewn lines and quilt batting showing.

Image Description: Photo of Charissa Lucille wearing a black sweatshirt and a head lamp hand sewing a quilt in their lap.

Image Description: Photo of bright fabric scraps of pink, yellow, orange and green.

Image Description: A logo with an abstract green phoenix bird and words stating “arts + culture City of Phoenix.”

My utmost gratitude goes to the Phoenix Art Museum, Pravus Gallery and Songbird Coffee & Tea House for the opportunity to show this series; to the City of Phoenix Arts + Culture for the grant award (Arts Career Advancement Grants in 2021) allowing me to acquire disability-friendly sewing equipment to create this series; and to Jeff, Ida Rose, Korbe, and Jessie for hearing my ideas along the way, to my partner Jonathan for supporting me and bringing me dinner while I sewed for weeks on end, and to my gracious family for always accepting me for who I am. My continued thanks goes to the City of Phoenix Arts + Culture for the additional Artist to Work Grant (2022) to expand this project in a collaborative way.

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“This exhibit was a very moving experience for me. I saw a level of intention that is unusual in galleries, and a genuine effort to create something as inclusive as possible. I saw many different artists represented with a variety of perspectives. I am excited for more people to experience this exhibition. Many thanks to those who made this possible.” - Jacob Newman

“THANK YOUU!!! thank you so so so much for creating an exhibition that not only show cases neurodivergent, but cultural diversity, and pronoun friendly artists artwork, what a tongue twister! This exhibition is called Safety Blankets a discourse on neurodivergence which allows spaces to be more accommodating by allowing headphones, touching the art, stimming toys and more!!! When I was growing up I had no knowledge or accommodations!!! so this meant a lot for me. My mom took me to go see it and it also meant a lot to me, for her to experience this with me and have an open dialogue over how important these neurodivergent spaces are and HOW RARE they are. As a late diagnosed autistic there are not a lot of spaces that do put in the effort to be neurodivergent friendly. You should check out the Phoenix Art Museum!” - Crystal Brucato

“‘Safety Blankets: Discourse on Neurodiversity’ features hand- and machine-sewn quilts with contrasting fabrics, exquisitely made with a diversity of color and textures, drawing the viewer in for a closer look. It's the kind of art you want to touch, but probably shouldn't, with more than enough going on to keep your eyes busy for a while.
In this series, Lucille explores genetics, access needs, and communication styles related to their neurodivergence, stating, ‘As the fabric joins together with thread to create a whole quilt, so too do the overlapping identities of what makes them neurodiverse.’
It's a stand-out fabric art exhibit, one worth uncovering..” - Pete Petrisko

“Standing in the same air as Charissa Lucille’s quilts and looking closely, seeing their time, creativity, and skill blend into finished pieces of art that filled my soul with hope. And reminded me that we must keep creating, making art, and sharing it with each other.” - Devin Kate Pope