SCD Artist Residency: I AM, Possibility Limitless

Written by Megan Krok

During their residency at the Siebel Center for Design, artist Alyx Bibbs transformed the Moonlight Bay gallery space into more than an exhibition—it became a gathering place, a personal journey, and a call to action.

In its duration from March 30 to April 12, the exhibition, titled I AM, Possibility Limitless, centered on themes of disability, identity, resistance, and community. Bibbs—who identifies as mixed-race Black, Indigenous, disabled, and queer-expansive—used the residency to reconnect with their creative roots and create what they describe as a “living archive” and “self-affirmation.”

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"This project is deeply personal,” Bibbs said, “It’s not only about what has been or what is—but about what can be. It is the insistence that dreaming, existing, and healing are intertwined acts of resistance and survival." 

The residency at SCD gave Bibbs the time, autonomy, and support needed to fully realize the project. They described the experience as the first time they felt safe enough to express every part of themselves.

“SCD provided the autonomy, accessibility, and care I needed to bring this vision into the world.” They continued, “I felt affirmed and uplifted in my approach, particularly through the radical framing of justice and agency, and the collaborative effort from the team.”

That support went beyond logistical needs. Bibbs said the emotional and communal care they received shaped not only the exhibition itself but the environment they were able to create for others.

The gallery was designed to be immersive and accessible. A key visual element was a spiral made of blue painter’s tape on the floor. Bibbs described it as a “visual poem” and a “revolutionary current.” It served both as a metaphor and a guide, drawing visitors into a deeper reflection on justice, access, and imagination.

"It asked: What do you return to? What futures are you brave enough to build? What does it mean to create a world spacious enough for your wholeness?” Bibbs explained."

Visitors were invited to participate in other ways as well. Dry-erase boards, markers, and blank paper were provided so attendees could create their own “I AM” affirmations. There was also a station where people could design Keith Haring–inspired disabled figures—each one a silhouette of movement and identity.

“Some people sat in silence. Others laughed with friends. One person cried. All were welcomed,” Bibbs noted.

While the artist has a long history with the arts—from childhood sketchbooks to academic studies in studio art and art history—their path eventually led them toward advocacy and activism. The residency allowed them to re-embrace their identity as an artist, this time integrated with their work in disability justice and queer liberation.

“This exhibition marked a profound return for me,” they said. “My artistry has always been tied to survival, to grief, to identity. But now, it blooms in alignment with my activism, my disability justice work, my expansive queerness. It is not separate from who I am—it is how I live.”

Throughout the space, personal and collective stories merged. Some pieces were created years ago, others the night before the show opened. A few even emerged during the exhibition itself.

At the literal center of the gallery was a round table labeled Community. It wasn’t decorative—it was infrastructural, Bibbs said. Around the table, friends, students, and visitors gathered to talk, rest, and share food. Gluten-free, allergy-conscious snacks and drinks were intentionally provided to create an inclusive, comforting environment.

“That table represented everything I believe in: that care is not a side note—it’s the foundation,” the artist said.

Bibbs also acknowledged the historical and cultural importance of their presence as an artist-in-residence at SCD, reflecting on what it meant to be the possible first artist of their intersecting identities to hold the position.

“If so, I honor them deeply. If not, I understand this opportunity as part of a larger legacy—not just mine, but ours,” they said.

As the artist prepares to graduate, they are thinking about the future—not only for themselves but for the residency and the impact of their work. They hope to leave behind a “future-facing artifact” at SCD, something that will continue the spiral forward for others.

"“I want to give others a way into that truth,” they said. “Every piece in the exhibition carries a part of me. A moment in time. A prayer for a world where disabled lives are not only remembered but cherished."

I AM, Possibility Limitless stands as a powerful reminder that the most radical work often begins with care, and that design, at its best, can hold space for wholeness.