‘Stereo Dynamic’ exhibit at Creative Growth celebrates the art of music
on October 2, 2026
Wearing a hand-crafted fish-themed jacket, James “Jamie” Freid showed off his rainbow-painted ukulele to a group of about 20 onlookers. They smiled at the Kermit the Frog design he painted on the front and elements he woodburned on the back.
This art piece was one of several Freid, 31, shared last week as the public toured Creative Growth, an art center in Oakland that supports artists with developmental disabilities. Freid, who has autism, led the tour as part of Creative Growth’s “ultimate visual mixtape” exhibition, Stereo Dynamic – an exhibition of artwork created from musical inspiration that is on display until Nov. 21.
“Stereo Dynamic”
When: 10 a.m. t o 4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, through Nov. 21
Where: Creative Growth, 355 24th St.
Admission: Free.
To provide accessibility for blind and low-vision visitors, art pieces were verbally described by Emma Peyton, the access needs coordinator, and Sam Dizon, who works with Creative Growth as part of a fellowship through Stanford’s Institute for Diversity in the Arts.
Creative Growth has been hosting exhibition tours for the past three years. To lead them, Peyton said, “We always pick artists that have pieces in the show that lend to a tactile experience.”
The visitors passed around some of Freid’s other artwork – a woodburned violin, two rainbow-painted discs, woodburned snakes and eels with bumps and scales – in order to feel their textures.
Stereo Dynamic includes work by other Creative Growth artists, including guitars hanging from the ceiling, paintings of musicians and a series of colorful acrylic-painted discs lining the walls.
Founded in 1973 by Elias Katz and Florence Ludins-Katz, the studio’s intentions have long been about inclusivity. They aim to support artists with disabilities and showcase their work. Through Creative Growth, artists have had pieces placed in major museums such as SFMOMA and the Oakland Museum of California.
A selection of the artwork is for sale. Freid’s rainbow ukelele was purchased for $200 by Steffany Dignum, who works in Fruitvale. The rainbow took her back to a fond memory.
“When I was, like, 20 years old, I lived on Maui, and we used to go to parties out on lava fields,” Dignum said. One night, she climbed a tree to watch the crowd. When the DJ played “Rainbow Connection,” she saw the effect it had on the audience. “Everybody just stood, and we all just sort of cried and smiled. Every time, that song’s just special.”
VIDEO: Sam Dizon plays the ukulele to Kermit’s “Rainbow Connection.”
The centerpiece of the exhibition was a colorful mixed media wooden boombox with buttons and knobs. This was created by artist John Mullins, who identifies as a “Deaf+” artist. (According to the NorCal Services for Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Deaf+ is defined as deaf, hard of hearing, and with additional conditions such as blindness or developmental delays.)
Dizon hopes that Creative Growth can set a new norm of what art and accessibility can look like, given how art historically has been seen as an “elitist space.”
At the end of the tour, Freid pretended to insert a cassette into a recorder and press play. On cue, Peyton played upbeat music from her phone, and visitors danced and swayed to the beat.
Asked what he wants people to take away from the experience, Freid said, “Dancing and music being played. Joy, happy, laughter.”
(Top photo: James “Jamie” Freid shows his hand-crafted violin. All photos, video and audio by Nichelle Wong)
Listen to an interview with Jamie Freid:
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