Archiving, Illustrating, and Amplifying Disabled Stories
March 2020-2023
Created in collaboration with Michigan-based nonprofit DisArt, the My Dearest Friends Project (MDFP) was an international, disability-led public art initiative launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project collected and illustrated over 500 stories from the disabled community, archiving lived experiences and creating community through public art.
MDFP installations transformed public buildings across Grand Rapids, including the Grand Rapids Art Museum and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. MDFP was ranked in the Top 25 in ArtPrize 2021.
It Started with a Poem
At the beginning of the pandemic, Oaklee wrote a poem titled “My Dearest Friends,” addressed to the disability community. It was a message of grief, solidarity, and love. DisArt responded, and from this exchange, the poem grew into a global, community-driven project.
Archiving COVID-19 from the Disabled Perspective
MDFP launched an open call to disabled individuals around the world, asking them to begin their submissions with the words:
“My Dearest Friends…”
Participants shared their personal experiences of isolation, care, loss, and survival during the pandemic and Oaklee illustrated each submission in response.
Advocacy from Bed
Accessibility and adaptability remained at the heart of the project. As Oaklee’s disability progressed, so did her adaptive art practice. MDFP illustrations were drawn from bed using computer paper and charcoal, then transformed into large-scale vinyl installations.
Creating Community During COVID-19
500+ Disabled Stories Archived
500+ Disabled Stories Archived
500+ Disabled Stories Archived
Find every illustrated story submission on the project's Instagram page;
@MyDearestFriendsProject
Demand Access App
500+ Disabled Stories Archived
500+ Disabled Stories Archived
The Demand Access App allowed visitors to report inaccessible structures in the city. At the end of the exhibit, the data collected was presented to the city so that accessible updates could be made.
Citywide Exhibitions
500+ Disabled Stories Archived
Citywide Exhibitions
MDFP exhibited at many prominent locations in Grand Rapids, MI, including the Grand Rapids Art Museum, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Kendall College of Art and Design, and the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum