Tees That Tell a Story: Primary x Creative Growth

In celebration of our 10th birthday, we’re thrilled to partner with Creative Growth on a limited-edition collection of graphic tees featuring designs by 10 of their talented artists. 

Since 1974, the Oakland-based non-profit has supported artists with developmental disabilities by providing a professional studio environment where creativity, expression, and community thrive. As one of the first organizations of its kind, Creative Growth has long recognized the power of art as a means of personal and cultural expression. Today, more than 140 artists work in its expansive studio, using a diverse range of materials, including paint, textiles, ceramics, and digital tools, to explore their ideas and tell their stories. Their work has been exhibited in leading museums and galleries around the world, earning widespread recognition for their originality and depth.

These vibrant, expressive designs are more than just clothing—they’re a celebration of identity, creativity, and inclusion. Read on to learn more about each of the artists whose works have brought this collaboration to life. 

Jack Lahaderne

Jack has been practicing at Creative Growth since 2013. His work features watercolors and ink drawings of cityscapes, cars, trains, and portraits of dogs, and is often characterized by his use of bright colors and bold, geometric shapes. 

Gail Lewis

A member of Creative Growth since 2008, Gail is known for expressing herself through textiles—embroidery, crochet, needlepoint, and knitting—as well as collage using coupons and kitty litter ads to highlight cats (her favorite subject!). She also published a cookbook, Sweet Treats, in 2017 that features her original drawings and recipes.

Dan Hamilton

Dan has been with Creative Growth since 1975. Inspired by minimalism and efficiency, Dan's figurative paintings and ceramic sculptures are characterized by flat perspectives, solid color forms, and clearly defined lines. 

D'Lisa Fort

D’Lisa, who has practiced at Creative Growth since 2009, always knew she wanted to be an artist, following in the footsteps of her dad, who was an artist too. “Most of my ideas come from my dreams,” she told us, but she’s also often inspired by stories and characters in Greek mythology. Her advice to young artists? “There’s no right or wrong in art. Scribbles can be art. Stick people can be art. The more you practice, the better you get.”

Mayra Gonzalez

Mayra has been at Creative Growth since 2012 and is best known for her bubblegum machine series. Her penchant for exploring different mediums and scales is reflected in her joyful work, with pieces ranging from bursting compositions to small, iconic profiles.

Jack Starbuck

Jack, a Creative Growth artist since 2002, creates detailed, narrative-rich works on paper featuring whimsical landscapes filled with mythological creatures, talking animals, unicorns, and dinosaurs. Using materials like color sticks and watercolor, he also crafts artist books that pair his imagery with original poetry.

Alice Ung

Alice started practicing with Creative Growth in 1992. With a strong sense of color and design, she has explored a number of subjects in her art— but she is best known for her vibrant rainbow birds, which appear across her works in all different mediums, including embroidery, painting, and printmaking.

Ricardo Gaitan

Ricardo discovered his love for art when he was a child and saw a photo of the ocean in a book. “I was in awe,” he said. “That made me want to be an artist.” He's been at Creative Growth since 2004, where his first works were inspired by his childhood neighborhood in Nicaragua, with lots of houses drawn close together. Today, he still uses that same repeating style, but he draws all kinds of things he finds in the studio, filling every inch of the paper with his ideas.

Susan Glikbarg

Susan, who's been with Creative Growth since 1997, works in textiles, watercolor, and wood to create layered floral appliques, colorful tapestries, and expressive painted cutouts. Her signature embroidery and detailed patterns bring animals, cowboys, and historical figures to life. She also serves as a vital bridge between Deaf and hearing artists, interpreting and teaching ASL in the studio.

Gina Damerell

Gina, a multimedia artist with Creative Growth since 1991, works in ceramics, printmaking, and on paper, often blending those techniques across mediums. She is known for her bold compositions that feature birds, angels, and plants outlined in thick black lines, with abstract patterns and vibrant planes of color.

As part of this collaboration, 20% of net proceeds will be donated to Creative Growth in support of their mission. Shop the entire Primary x Creative Growth collection here.