Outsider Collective Guides Artists with Disabilities

PAWTUCKET, RI — Inside the Outsider Collective gallery, director Carrie Hyde places tape around areas of Federico “Freddy” Rocco’s painting, a black panther on a blue-gray background, using a color print as his inspiration.

“When I paint, I don’t know my own strength sometimes and I put too much pressure on it,” Freddy explained.

“Right now, we’re working on defining the shape more,” Hyde said as she blocked off areas of the painting for Freddy to focus his efforts.

The Outsider Collective gallery is at the end of a long hall within the Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main St., an indoor mall of independent artists, crafters, jewelers, bakers and chefs. A sandwich board marks the gallery space near an open door. A quick glance inside shows walls covered in paintings, easels and tables with works in progress, and artists busy creating and chatting.

The artists are people with developmental disabilities who’ve elected to access “Self-Directed Supports” instead of traditional services a person would receive from a community agency with the Rhode Island Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH) department, which provides services for people with developmental disabilities.

With the guidance of the BHDDH’s RI Developmental Disabilities Council (RIDDC), A person using self-directed supports hires and trains their own staff to assist them with the goals in their annual plans to pursue a quality life in the community. The Outsider Collective started helping artistically-minded people follow their muses to that end in earnest during the pandemic,

Many of the artists at the Outsider Collective have also participated in the RI Developmental Disabilities Council’s (RIDDC) self-employment business development project funded by the Department of Labor and Training (DLT). The Business Classes and ongoing technical assistance support from experienced business mentors for individual artists and the Outsider Collective from this project has been extremely beneficial for everyone.

Prior to the pandemic, Hyde had been running the Outsider Collective in a small space across the hall as an exhibit area for the artwork produced by people with developmental disabilities. When the pandemic began, interactive opportunities for people of all walks of life dwindled, especially so for people with developmental disabilities, who already strive to find engaging opportunities. Hyde saw a need for a space where the artists could create their art, not just display it. So she applied to the state to expand her program to include instruction in a larger space. They said yes.

“I pivoted from being a gallery to being a program,” Hyde said.

The move across the hall increased the gallery space from 500 sq. ft. to 1,400 sq. ft.

Anne Landis, an assistant at the gallery, also a member of the Outsider Collective’s board, has a son in the program, Rob. She and he were happy that the gallery expansion happened when it did.

“The first thing he did when we came out of the pandemic was come here,” she said. “Just being here, it just makes your day better.”

Hyde and Landis work with the artists to stretch their creative skills, lending an aspirational aspect to their efforts.

Oliver, one of several Outsider Collective artists contributing pieces to their upcoming art show April 21, has created a number of pieces using a character he created, Angry Toast, including a pocketbook and a light switch cover, a 3-D printed piece.

“People have grown so much and they have really learned to take risks. They all become better artists,” Landis said.

This page is part of a series of sponsored content pieces for the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council.