Artists with Disabilities Break onto the National Art Fair Scene

Minneapolis, MN — Fresh Eye Arts is thrilled to announce that three artists from our studio program will be participating in their first national art fair, the Open Invitational, this January in San Francisco!

The Open Invitational has partnered with Creativity Explored on this milestone art fair, which will champion artists with disabilities during San Francisco’s legendary Art Week (January 23–25). This is an exciting first for our program that promises to expand our connections nationwide and provide more opportunities for these talented artists to market and sell their creations.

“A highlight of SF Art Week, San Francisco’s annual celebration of creativity that draws thousands of art lovers, Creativity Explored X Open Invitational will invite locals and visitors to experience affordable, transformative art and inspiring public programs spotlighting progressive studios and their artist’s economic empowerment,” shares Creativity Explored. Click here to visit the Open Invitational event page.

The three Minnesotan artists showing work at the Open Invitational represent a variety of styles and mediums: textile artist Dede Decker, painter Lynda Mullan, and painter Soon-Wai Wong. You can read more about each artist below.

Dede Decker

Diana “Dede” Decker is a textile artist who has been creating latch hook artworks for many years. Inspired by the rug-hooking kits gifted to her by family, Dede began to create her own original designs in large-scale pictorial pieces. Dede’s subjects are kittens, puppies, and other natural elements like flowers and trees. Dede uses photo references to incorporate the pets of people close to her in her works. Many of her pieces feature a red or burgundy background with a green border: these colors represent Christmas and convey that the animals depicted are celebrating the holiday together.

Lynda Mullan

After attending MSS for multiple decades, Lynda Mullan started painting in 2018 after entering the studio which is now known as Fresh Eye Arts. Her practice developed quickly and since then, her identity as an artist has become a proud accomplishment. Lynda will often introduce herself as “Lynda Mullan the artist.” Lynda’s work mirrors this boldness; intricate colorscapes grab the viewer’s attention with color and maintain it with her compositional puzzles. Lynda has shown work locally, nationally, and internationally.

Soon-Wai Wong

Working from personal travel photography, Soon-Wai Wong creates expressive, detailed linework portraits of places and landscapes. His method of observing perspective is self-taught and intuitive. Soon-Wai's studio practice started in 2016 with small illustrations of his favorite subjects: classic cars and cityscapes. Over time, these works have grown in complexity and scale. Soon-Wai’s primary subject matter is architecture, with people in positions of transience, moving in and out of focus.

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✋ 2026 marks five years of Fresh Eye Arts & Gallery! In honor of our fifth birthday, we'll be sharing artist and studio spotlights, hosting special events, and celebrating our community all year long. Stay tuned!