OPEN DOOR GALLERY @ WAM

Located inside the worcester art museum

Designed as a partnership between Worcester Art Museum, Seven Hills Foundation, and Open Door Arts,
ODG@WAM is a working studio and gallery that exhibits and celebrates the work of aspiring, emerging and established artists with disabilities, acting as a catalyst for community convening and conversation with the museum and beyond.

CURRENT EXHIBIT

Moriah Faith: "The (Dis)comfort of Home" 

On view: September 27th, 2024-December 10th, 2024

Artist Statement 

"These paintings memorialize and honor the small moments when my sick body was strong.  At the age of twelve, I began experiencing debilitating pain episodes that often left me bedbound. Eventually being diagnosed with a rare chronic illness, I proceeded to undergo over thirty hospitalizations, procedures, and surgeries with no relief. My body felt unsafe and foreign to me. I no longer recognized the person I saw in the mirror and the home that once comforted me took on an oppressive nature. During these dark times, I began to paint and never stopped.

The canvas became my solace – a place to be brutally honest without sugarcoating my experiences for the comfort of others. Paint gave me the language to describe what words failed to. The paintings are autobiographical, capturing feelings and memories. I work in a very physical way -- throwing, globbing, scraping, brushing, and dripping paint onto the canvas until bodies emerge that feel vulnerable, raw, and damaged. The figures lie somewhere outside of reality, between evaporating and materializing. By taking moments I wanted to be small and making them large, I have painted my invisible illness into striking visibility, celebrating the body despite its discomfort."

About Moriah

Moriah Faith is a figurative painter from Black Forest, CO; currently working and teaching in Boston. In 2020, she received her BFA in Fine Arts from Lesley Art + Design. She was inspired to paint after being diagnosed with a painful and incurable chronic illness at the age of 12. She articulates the complexity and depth of these experiences through striking self-portraits that have garnered international acclaim. Notably, Moriah received the grand prize award from the Kennedy Center’s Emerging Young Artists with Disabilities competition in 2022. The following year, her work was highlighted in two museums, including The Museum of Nonconformist Art in St. Petersburg, Russia. Outside the studio, she is an advocate and art facilitator for people with disabilities. In addition, Moriah contributes to panels, workshops, and trainings to promote inclusion and empowerment of artists with disabilities. She plans to pursue an MFA next year.

A woman’s bare chest and shoulders. She has pale skin. She is in front of purple and red floral wallpaper. Covering her face and extending to the top of the painting are thick brush marks in red, orange, and dark green.
"It's All in My Head"
A close-up portrait of a face painted in pastel hues of yellow, blue, green, and pink. Paint marks obscure one eye. The background is similar pastel hues and parts of the face blend into the background.
"The Light Hasn't Looked the Same Since it Left You"
A nude woman reclining sideways in a floral armchair, back bending over one of the arms. Aspects of her body disappear into the pattern of the chair. Her head is semi-transparent against the background wall.
"Wash Me Away"
A woman sits in a green armchair. Her torso blends into the chair's pattern. Her legs, arms, and face are visible. In the background is floral wall paper.
"Sinking"

About the Open Door Gallery @WAM

Designed as both a working studio and gallery, Open Door Gallery @ Worcester Art Museum is a one-of-a-kind collaboration that supports the creation of new works and the sharing of artwork with the Greater Worcester arts community and beyond!

As a partnership between Open Door Arts, Seven Hills Foundation, and the Worcester Art Museum, Open Door Gallery @ Worcester Art Museum seeks to expand opportunities for meaningful experiences and connections through the arts for people of all abilities.

Painting with the top half horizontally in shades of oranges and browns, reminiscent of a sunset, and a turquoise lower half. Painted on a pegboard.
"Red Sky in Morning" by Jon Sarkin

LOCATION AND HOURS

The Open Door Gallery @ WAM is located in the Higgins Education Wing of the Worcester Art Museum, at:
55 Salisbury Street
Worcester, MA 01609

Hours:
The gallery is open during regular museum hours,
Wednesday – Sunday: 10 am-4 pm
Third Thursday of every month: 10 am-8 pm

ACCESS

The Open Door Gallery @ WAM is located in the Higgins Education Wing of the Worcester Art Museum. The gallery can be accessed through the Lancaster Street entrance of WAM or through the Tuckerman Street entrance (currently under construction).

The gallery is at the end of the first floor of the Higgins Wing. During warmer months, it can also be accessed directly through the Lancaster courtyard, where there is a ramp and switch-operated double doors.

ASL interpreters can be requested for events and exhibit openings. We care about your experience, so please contact  for access-related questions.

We are proud to participate in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, Massachusetts Health Connector, and WIC Nutrition Program, by broadening accessibility to cultural programming.

Admissions to our Open Door Galleries and related events is free. EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders will receive free admission to any ticketed events. See the full list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.