My name is Earl Terry, and I am Deaf, Afro-Mexican, and a Disabled curator, educator, and advocate based in Arizona.
For most of my life, I have witnessed how Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened (DDBDDHHLD) artists of color are often left out of art spaces, misunderstood, or asked to translate their identities into systems that were not built for them. I know what it feels like to exist between worlds—where language, access, and visibility are not always guaranteed.
Art has always been a place where I return to myself. It is where I find truth, connection, and freedom. But I also saw that many artists like me—especially those who are Deaf and Disabled—were creating powerful work without the support, recognition, or access they deserved.
The Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project (MDVAP) was born from that lived experience.
I created MDVAP to build what I once needed: a space where DDBDDHHLD artists of color are not only included, but centered. A space where communication is accessible through ASL, Protactile, and storytelling. A space where artists are paid, respected, and seen as leaders—not as an afterthought.
This work is not just professional for me—it is personal. It is about restoring visibility, building community power, and honoring the creativity that has always existed within our communities, even when the world failed to recognize it.
MDVAP is more than an arts project. It is a commitment to cultural pride, disability justice, and collective liberation through our art.
I am building this because I believe our stories deserve space. Our art deserves structure. And our communities deserve to lead.
And I am just getting started.
For most of my life, I have witnessed how Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened (DDBDDHHLD) artists of color are often left out of art spaces, misunderstood, or asked to translate their identities into systems that were not built for them. I know what it feels like to exist between worlds—where language, access, and visibility are not always guaranteed.
Art has always been a place where I return to myself. It is where I find truth, connection, and freedom. But I also saw that many artists like me—especially those who are Deaf and Disabled—were creating powerful work without the support, recognition, or access they deserved.
The Melanated Deaf Visual Arts Project (MDVAP) was born from that lived experience.
I created MDVAP to build what I once needed: a space where DDBDDHHLD artists of color are not only included, but centered. A space where communication is accessible through ASL, Protactile, and storytelling. A space where artists are paid, respected, and seen as leaders—not as an afterthought.
This work is not just professional for me—it is personal. It is about restoring visibility, building community power, and honoring the creativity that has always existed within our communities, even when the world failed to recognize it.
MDVAP is more than an arts project. It is a commitment to cultural pride, disability justice, and collective liberation through our art.
I am building this because I believe our stories deserve space. Our art deserves structure. And our communities deserve to lead.
And I am just getting started.