Tierra del Sol Foundation

Tierra del Sol Foundation will empower adults with developmental disabilities to achieve a life of meaning, acceptance, value, and inclusion, via professional volunteerism as a pathway to employment.

Artists with developmental disabilities have limited opportunities to express themselves via artistic careers. Through this project, Tierra will create a multimedia art lab that allows for career exploration, without the risk of changing career paths or committing to a long-term training program. With the support of art mentors, these artists will identify new art techniques, expand their professional artistic practices, and develop their careers in a way that meets the job market while elevating their voices in the community.

Tierra del Sol’s Fashion Show Featuring Artists with Lifelong Developmental Disabilities project will propel people with disabilities into the world of design and fashion. Through this project, artists with lifelong developmental disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, Autism) will create work, be mentored to enhance their art practice, promote and exhibit their work, culminating in a fashion show and exhibition in West Hollywood in September 2025.

Program participants (“associates”), who have lifelong developmental disabilities, obtain job skills by planning, preparing, and serving meals to age 55+ program residents who are experiencing homelessness. The program operates year-round, Monday through Friday at Tierra’s Sunland industrial kitchen and National Health Foundation’s Arleta recuperative care site. With the individualized support of Tierra staff, associates earn food handling certificates, as well as gain experience and skills to obtain long-term employment in the food industry.

1 in 6 children are being born with developmental disabilities - such as Autism and Down syndrome - requiring lifelong support, adding to over 830,000 California adults with developmental disabilities. Our cultural landscape will be stunted if we don’t help the artists among this population to express themselves. Tierra will identify people who are artistically gifted, and empower them to build careers, increasing employment in creative industries such as animation, ceramics, and commercial art.