Eight artists, one voice: Repeat After Me at the Worcester Art Museum
Exhibition statement for Repeat After Me at the ODG at WAM exhibition that ran from March 6-May 13, 2026. Photo by Taylor Gregory.
A Reading graduate among a select group of artists redefining disability and creativity at the Open Door Gallery at the Worcester Art Museum.
(3-minute read)
A Reading graduate is among a small group of Massachusetts artists whose work is reshaping how audiences understand disability, creativity, and identity in one of the region’s most significant museum exhibitions this spring.
Repeat After Me, presented by the Open Door Gallery (ODG) at the Worcester Art Museum (WAM), ran from March 6 through May 13, 2026, showcasing painting, fiber, sculpture, and video works by artists with disabilities selected through a highly competitive open call. Delia Harrington, who grew up in Reading, was among those chosen - just one of eight artists selected from 75 who applied.
A gallery with a mission
A tactile representation of one of the exhibition’s works, created with raised lines and textures so that both sighted and non-sighted visitors can experience the art through touch. One of many accessibility features offered by the ODG. Photo by Taylor Gregory.
The ODG at the WAM marks its tenth year as one of the few permanent museum galleries in the country dedicated solely to promoting the work of artists with disabilities. It was established as a three-way partnership between ODG, an affiliate of the Seven Hills Foundation, and the WAM, and since its launch, it has showcased the work and stories of hundreds of emerging and established artists with disabilities, creating a platform for community conversation about disability, identity, and culture.
Accessibility is built into the gallery’s DNA. The exhibition offers large-print labels, braille guides, an audio tour, tactile representations of artworks, and image descriptions. American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and sighted guide tours are also available upon request.
The Gallery Committee for ODG, which includes disabled artists, oversees curatorial decisions and artist selection, ensuring that disabled voices are centered not just on the walls but in the decision-making process itself.
Repeat After Me: the exhibition
The exhibition’s title is a deliberate provocation. Its mission statement defines “repeat” across four meanings: to say again, to say from memory, to make it do again, and to express or present oneself again. The artists, the statement declares, are the experts in their own experiences, and this exhibition positions them as teachers.
Through their diverse mediums, processes, and lived experiences, the eight artists explore themes of connection, embodiment, mapping, community, and identity. Together, the works form what the gallery describes as a rich meditation on agency and return; an invitation to look, to listen, and to reconsider.
The work on display spans a striking range of formats and subjects: a personal pain scale rendered visually; themes of religion and faith; video works exploring life and illness; a spectrum of stress mapped in color and form; mosaics, and large-scale canvas paintings in vibrant, commanding color.
Delia Harrington’s hand-embroidered migraine series (2018-2021). Each framed piece maps a full year of chronic pain data, with color-coded squares ranging from green (no migraine) to deep red (mega migraine). Photo by Taylor Gregory.
A Reading artist at the Museum
Delia Harrington (they/them) grew up in Reading and is now based in the Greater Boston area, working as a disabled, queer, non-binary fiber artist, photographer, writer, and arts worker. Their inclusion in Repeat After Me marks only their second exhibition, and their first in a museum setting.
Harrington noted that showing work at a museum like the WAM carries both personal and professional significance. Beyond the recognition, they emphasized the importance of being part of a space that centers disabled artists. The ODG, they said, has created an environment that is both supportive and intentionally inclusive.
Turning data into art
Harrington’s contribution to Repeat After Me is a series of hand-embroidered pieces that transform years of personal health data into tangible, immediate form. The works are based on migraine logs that they have kept at the request of their doctors, records tracking the frequency and severity of migraines over time. What began as a medical tool evolved into an artistic practice.
Each piece resembles a calendar, with every day represented by a colored square. The color scale runs from green (no migraine) through shades of pink and deep red, indicating increasing pain levels. Displayed together, the pieces reveal patterns that are immediately recognizable: clusters of difficult days, recurring triggers, and the sheer frequency of symptoms.
Large-scale canvas painting featuring vivid blues and pinks created by Sam Fein on display as part of the ODG at WAM. Photo by Taylor Gregory.
“I was sitting on years of data about my health,” Harrington said. “I was looking for a way to make something that’s often invisible more visible.” The result is a series that is both methodical and deeply personal, where repetition becomes a visual language for lived experience.
A process shaped by lived experience
Harrington’s approach to art is closely tied to how they navigate their own health and identity. Their work blends photography, fiber art, and data, reflecting both their background and an evolving creative practice. While they first became involved in photography during college, they have more recently explored embroidery and textile-based work, often combining the two.
The process itself is intentional. Embroidery allows them to work away from screens and at their own pace, which is critical in managing migraines and maintaining their health. “I can’t rush it,” they said. “It takes the time that it takes.” That mindset, prioritizing sustainability over speed, has shaped both their work and perspective as an emerging artist.
Harrington also described frustration with how often chronic conditions like migraines are misunderstood or minimized. By translating that experience into a clear visual format, that work invites viewers to confront the reality of chronic pain in a new way. “It becomes a stark visual,” they said, noting that viewers often begin asking questions about the patterns they see.
Expanding representation in the arts
Jess Skyleson’s video works on display, including “Telling the Bees,” “Entangled,” and “One Voice.” Viewers can listen through headphones as personal narratives about illness, identity, and memory unfold on screen. Photo by Taylor Gregory.
Harrington sees their work as part of the broader conversation about accessibility and representation in the art world. They noted that artists with disabilities often face barriers to entry, from application requirements to expectations around production and output. Creating more inclusive pathways, they said, is essential to ensuring a wider range of voices are seen and heard.
At the same time, they encourage other artists, particularly those with disabilities, to focus on finding processes that work for them rather than trying to meet external expectations. “Find something that works for your brain and body,” Harrington said. “That’s what matters.”
Harrington has also written widely on disability and accessibility in the art world. View their artwork at DeliaHarrington.com.
The artists of Repeat After Me
The eight featured artists were selected from 75 applicants by the Open Door Gallery Committee through an open call process:
Marcus Clarke
Sam Fein
Tim de Christopher
Timothy Hyunsoo Lee
Delia Harrington
Erika Schwarz
Jacoba Niepoort
Jess Skyleson
Visit & learn more
Tim de Christopher sculpture, “Never Believe Your Longings Unattended,” buff-grey limestone, 3”x2.5”x5”. On display as part of Repeat After Me at the ODG at WAM. Photo by Taylor Gregory.
The Open Door Gallery at the Worcester Art Museum is located in the Higgins Education Wing at 55 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA. It is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am - 4 pm, with extended hours until 8 pm on the third Thursday of each month. The gallery is free and open to the public.
Learn more about the Open Door Gallery and upcoming exhibitions on the Worcester Art Museum website.
