Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project

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The Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project (MDVAP) uplifts Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened (DDBDDHHLD) artists of color through accessible exhibitions, workshops, and community storytelling. MDVAP (Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project) centers and amplifies Melanated Deaf artists through exhibitions, community engagement, and culturally grounded access. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, MDVAP creates spaces where art, language, and identity intersect—expanding visibility and opportunity for Deaf and DeafBlind creatives.

10/09/2026

👋🏾 Phoenix-metro, Arizona families, it's time for us to gather again!

🎨 Registration is now open for The Art Room: Deaf Kids Create, an event brought to you in partnership with Deafinitely Communicating and the Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project (MDVAP). 🧡

We are excited to invite deaf and hard of hearing children and youth and their families to an evening of creativity inspired by De'VIA (Deaf View/Image Art), an art movement that expresses the Deaf experience, culture, and identity through visual art.

Kids will take part in a De'VIA mini workshop, learn about Deaf artists and the ideas behind De'VIA, and then create a masterpiece of their own with the support of local Deaf artists.

đź“… Saturday, October 24, 2026
⏰ 5:00–7:30 PM
đź“Ť Mood Room, 3121 N. 3rd Avenue, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85013

Spots are limited. Only 20 seats available.
Register early to save your child's spot.
The registration deadline is Friday, October 16, 2026.

NOTE: This is NOT a drop-off event. A parent or caregiver must stay with their child(ren) for the entire event. We'd love for you to join in the fun alongside them!

👉 Register via link in bio!
Questions? Contact Lindsay at (801) 358-7331 or DM us!
Interested in volunteering? Send us a DM or comment below.

Please share with Deaf and hard of hearing families who would love this!

Visual description in comments.

10/01/2026

DEAF AWARENESS MONTH 2026 — THAT’S A WRAP! ✨

What a month. What a beautiful reminder of what can happen when art, culture, language, accessibility, and community come together.

Throughout September, MDVAP brought Deaf & Diverse: Celebrating Black, Brown, and Indigenous Deaf Voices to communities across Arizona and online.

From visual art and storytelling to ASL, DeafBlind and Protactile experiences, gallery tours, community conversations, and creative gatherings—we created opportunities to experience Deaf art and culture in our own languages and on our own terms.

đź’› To the artists who shared their vision.
đź’› To our community members who showed up, participated, and shared space with us.
đź’› To our partners, volunteers, libraries, colleges, organizations, and supporters who helped make this series possible.
💛 And to everyone who encountered MDVAP for the first time this month—thank you for being part of the journey.

This month reminded us that Deaf art is not simply something to look at. It is something to experience, connect with, and carry forward.

September may be ending, but the work continues.

MDVAP is building toward more exhibitions, more accessible arts experiences, more artist opportunities, and more spaces where Black, Brown, Indigenous, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Deaf communities can see themselves reflected and celebrated.

Thank you for being part of Deaf Awareness Month 2026.

Art should be experienced, not just seen.

🖤💛
Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project (MDVAP)
Centering Melanated Vision. Amplifying Deaf Art.

[ID: A vertical MDVAP Deaf Awareness Month Series 2026 calendar flyer with a black, gold, white, and dark-red color pale...
09/23/2026

[ID: A vertical MDVAP Deaf Awareness Month Series 2026 calendar flyer with a black, gold, white, and dark-red color palette. The top has a gold background with large black text reading “Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project Deaf Awareness Month Series 2026.” Below is the theme, “Deaf & Diverse: Celebrating Black, Brown, and Indigenous Deaf Voices | September 2026 | Arizona & Virtual.”

The black main section lists September events chronologically, including the MDVAP Exhibition Opening Reception, Introductory ASL Workshop, ASL Gallery Tour, ASL Art Workshop, Deaf Art, Storytelling & Identity, Protactile Gallery Tour and Art Workshop, MDVAP Voices Panel, Tucson Deaf Awareness Week, and the virtual Closing Celebration and Gala.

The September 25 MDVAP Tucson: ASL Gallery Tour & Protactile Gallery Tour listing is highlighted with a dark-red background and a large diagonal red-and-white “CANCELED” stamp. Only the September 25 MDVAP event is marked canceled. The September 21–27 Tucson Deaf Awareness Week and September 27 Closing Ceremony remain listed without cancellation marks.

Desert-inspired botanical and cactus illustrations decorate the lower portion of the flyer. A QR code appears at the bottom left, with MDVAP website, email, and contact information along the bottom.]

09/23/2026

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the September 25 MDVAP Tucson programming has been canceled. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your support.

[ID: A vertical MDVAP Deaf Awareness Month 2026 flyer with a black background and gold, white, and red accents. A large ...
09/23/2026

[ID: A vertical MDVAP Deaf Awareness Month 2026 flyer with a black background and gold, white, and red accents. A large distressed red-and-white “CANCELED” stamp runs diagonally across the upper-middle portion of the flyer, clearly indicating that the event will no longer take place.

The flyer originally invites DeafBlind Arizonans to a Protactile Gallery Tour scheduled for Friday, September 25, from 2:00–3:00 PM at the Tucson Deaf Community Center, 1436 N. 11th Ave., Tucson, Arizona 85705. Text describes the event as an opportunity to experience visual art through a Protactile-centered gallery tour. A QR code and registration information appear toward the bottom. The MDVAP name and website are displayed in the footer.

The overall design uses MDVAP’s black-and-gold visual style, with the bright red CANCELED stamp prominently communicating the event cancellation.]

09/16/2026

[ID: A vertical black, gold, red, green, and orange MDVAP event flyer for the MDVAP Voices Panel, part of Deaf & Diverse: Celebrating Black, Brown, and Indigenous Deaf Voices. Across the center are three featured artist portraits: Fred Michael Beam, a BlackDeaf visual and performing artist, smiling in a white suit; Parirou Djafari, a Hard of Hearing visual artist, shown in a close-up black-and-white portrait; and Ebony R. Gooden, a Black Deaf multidisciplinary artist, wearing a colorful patterned top with a large natural Afro. Each portrait is framed by a different earth-toned color. Below the portraits, the flyer announces the panel for Wednesday, September 16, 2026, from 5:00–6:30 PM at Phoenix College, Willo Conference Room, 3310 N. 10th Ave, Phoenix, Arizona 85013. The event is described as a community dialogue exploring identity, culture, storytelling, accessibility, and representation. The bottom states that the event is sponsored by the Phoenix College ASL Club and includes mdvap.org. Arizona desert mountains and a saguaro silhouette decorate the bottom of the flyer.]

This weekend is your last chance to experience the Deaf & Diverse: Celebrating Black, Brown, and Indigenous Deaf Voices ...
09/12/2026

This weekend is your last chance to experience the Deaf & Diverse: Celebrating Black, Brown, and Indigenous Deaf Voices exhibition at Artlink’s mood room gallery in Park Central!

Join the Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project as they highlight the creativity and stories of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and DeafBlind artists. Happening on Sunday, September 13:

Protactile Gallery Tours in the mood room gallery at 2pm and 4pm
🎟️ Visit Artinerary for more info and reserve your spot now before the exhibit closes!

Catch it while you can and experience this incredible showcase of Deaf arts, culture, and accessibility in person. 🤟🏾

09/12/2026

🎉 (cracker popper emoji) Exciting News!

I’m honored to share that I have been awarded an FY2027 Artist Opportunity Grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts!

My proposal, “Melanated Deaf Curatorial Practice and Accessible Exhibition Development,” received the full $1,500 award to support the next phase of my growth as a curator.

My curatorial journey began in 2010 when I hosted an art show in my own home. From there, I spent six years curating at the Dyer Arts Center, and today that journey continues through the Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project (MDVAP).

This grant will help me deepen my practice in Deaf-centered and DeafBlind-informed exhibition design, accessibility, and culturally responsive curation—building toward art experiences where our communities are not simply included, but centered.

I’m grateful to the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the review panel, the artists I work with, and everyone who has supported this journey.

From a home art show to MDVAP—the work continues. 🤟🏾🎨 (ILY & palette emoji)

[ID: A horizontal promotional flyer for the Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project (MDVAP) ASL Art Workshop, designed in bla...
09/08/2026

[ID: A horizontal promotional flyer for the Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project (MDVAP) ASL Art Workshop, designed in black, gold, white, and burnt orange. Paintbrushes and orange paint strokes decorate the upper corners, while an Arizona desert landscape with a large saguaro cactus runs along the bottom.

Large text across the top reads “ASL Art Workshop”, followed by “Deaf & Diverse: Celebrating Black, Brown, and Indigenous Deaf Voices.”

The workshop takes place Wednesday, September 9, 2026, from 5:00 PM–7:00 PM at Mood Room, 3121 N. 3rd Ave., Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85013. The flyer states “No Experience Necessary! All materials provided.”

The center reads “Create • Connect • Explore Deaf Art” and describes the workshop as a welcoming space where Deaf and diverse artists can express themselves, inspire one another, and build community through art.

Admission is $25, with tickets available at the door or online. A large QR code appears beside the admission information with the words “Scan to Purchase Tickets.” The bottom reads, “More Than Art, A More Inclusive Tomorrow.”]

[ID: A vertical, high-contrast event flyer with a charcoal-black background and gold, white, and dark-brown accents. A n...
09/07/2026

[ID: A vertical, high-contrast event flyer with a charcoal-black background and gold, white, and dark-brown accents. A narrow gold border runs across the top. “MDVAP” appears in gold at the upper left, with “Deaf Awareness Month 2026” in white at the upper right. Large white and gold text reads, “DeafBlind Arizonans: You’re Invited!”

A horizontal line of alternating gold and brown circles, with a larger white circle in the center, appears above a rounded gold banner reading “Protactile Gallery Tour.”

Three boxes display the event details: “Friday,” “September 25,” and “2:00–3:00 PM.” Below, white text gives the location: Tucson Deaf Community Center, 1436 N 11th Ave, Tucson, Arizona 85705.

Additional text reads, “Experience visual art through a Protactile-centered gallery tour. Connect. Explore. Celebrate.” A black-and-white registration QR code appears on the lower right with the words “Scan to Register.” A gold bar near the bottom reads, “Reserve Your Place: square.link/u/TlzV4Dl5.” The footer reads, “Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project | mdvap.org.”]

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