North Pole Studio’s founding artist Davis Wohlford puts a lot of himself into his various art projects, both those done at the Studio, and the Studio itself. The Studio’s atmosphere is quiet and comforting, with plenty of large windows, looking out over the busy NW Portland streets, to let in natural light. It’s designed with autistic people in mind. Davis should know, since he himself is autistic. This magical place is all about finding disabled artists and giving their artwork the spotlight it deserves.
North Pole Studio has had a lot of opportunities to show off their artists’ work: in 2023, Davis’ art was shown off in the form of a TriMet bus wrap, along with the works of fellow North Pole artists Nathan Ueno and Dan Tran. TriMet’s director of transportation programs, Eileen Collins-Turvey, said that “Their designs not only captured the heart of our service, but also celebrated the diversity of the community we serve.” North Pole Studio has had a booth annually at The Outsider Art Fair since 2023. This annual exhibition, held in New York, showcases the works of self-taught artists, including North Pole’s own Austin Brague, James Enos, and Dan Tran. These artists didn’t just get the chance to show off their works, they received exposure through news stories covering the Fair.
In the article Outside In: North Pole Studio at the Outsider Art Fair, Hannah Krafcik writes that “The fair was, in a word, exhilarating. And North Pole’s booth, though unassuming at first glance, experienced landslide success. The studio attracted droves of passersby, sold over half the artists’ works, and even drew personal congratulations from Andrew Edlin, the fair’s owner. For three days, I tracked North Pole’s progress at the fair, watching patrons interact with the work and considering why this little studio enjoyed such magnetic [sic] pull in a sea of art from across the globe.”
Aside from Davis, North Pole Studio’s founders are his teachers from Victory Academy: transition specialist and educator, Sula Willson; artist and educator, Mary Ellen Andersen, and parent and advocate Sarah Mensah. Victory Academy is, to quote their website at Victoryacademy.org, “Oregon's only dedicated year-round private school, serving Oregon's children, teens, and young adults affected by Autism and related learning differences.”
Davis says that “I started drawing pictures with crayons and markers ever since I was a little kid.” When Davis was little, he watched a lot of cartoons and came up with his own make-believe land called North Pole Junior (he likes Christmas and Nick Jr), populated by cartoon characters from various media. He’s kept this going through adulthood, adding more and more to the fantastical land. When I interviewed him at the Studio, he was extremely proud of the map he’d drawn and painted of North Pole Junior and went into a lot of detail describing the various areas in it. The studio’s artists work with a wide variety of art materials—paintings, toys, sculptures, murals, and more. One interesting example is a pair of Nike shoes on which Davis painted a lot of his favorite characters; he successfully interwove his passion project with the Studio’s mission of showcasing the artistic works and potential of those with autism and other intellectual or developmental disabilities.
I talked to Mary Ellen while visiting the Studio, and also to the Studio’s current Executive Director, Carissa Burkett, about what brings them to the Studio. Carissa has a lot to say. She joined the team in 2023, and said that “Stepping into the role [of Executive Director] has been both humbling and energizing. North Pole Studio has such a powerful mission and a strong community, and I felt honored to be entrusted with carrying that forward. There’s also been a deep sense of excitement—getting to work alongside such talented artists and a dedicated team has made my work here incredibly rewarding.” Her favorite part of this job is “seeing the incredible creations that are made in the studio everyday. I'm endlessly delighted by the brilliance of the work that is produced. I also love seeing the greater community respond and interact with NPS artists' work. Seeing our artists' work resonate, delight, and deeply move others is so thrilling.”
Davis says that he has a super strength: “My super strength is that I can run, I can make all kinds of art, and make toys.” Also, he says that his autism "can help me come up with ideas, it can help me come up with new ways to do art.” His favorite part of doing art is “making modge podge pictures and collages.” He especially enjoys working on his passion project, North Pole Jr.
”North Pole Jr is a special land.” He says, “It’s not even a state, it’s not even a country, it's a continent. It contains 11 lands.” Davis envisions it as a massive Disney-like theme park that combines all the shows, books, and other things that hold a special place in his heart.
[side bar: “First—TV Show Jr, where you will see all kinds of PBS kids, video games, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr, and Illumination and other kids’ books and novels. Second—Equestria, home of My Little Pony. Third—Enchanted, also known as Fairytale Land. Fourth—Neighborhood Animals, you see all kinds of ‘em; wetlands, pets, backyard farm animals and other kinds. Fifth—Dinosaur, where you will see other kinds of real extinction dinosaurs and make-believe dinosaurs. Sixth—Creepy Creatures, also known as Halloween and other October holidays. Seventh—Carnival of Animals, where you’ll see all kinds of animals that are wild, some domesticated. Eighth—Farms, home of all different types of farm animals and farmers. Ninth—Dr. Seuss, home of all Dr. Seuss creatures. Tenth—Trail, home of the Wild Wild West, and Mexican lands, and outer space lands. Eleventh—Christmas Town, also known as Polar Prowl and other December holidays and all of North Pole Jr. magical lands where dreams come true.”]
As you can see, Davis is very passionate about his North Pole Jr creation. Aspiring entrepreneurs with disabilities might be wondering if Davis has any advice for them. He does:
“[I would advise them] to use their tools [motivational/relaxational things like taking a deep breath or practicing patience] whenever they are feeling nervous, or if they are sad, or if they are mad. I had to keep being patient and wait to see what it [the final form of the art piece he was working on] looked like.”
Davis wants to “[Inspire others to] hope that someday they would become an artist like I am or [that] they would be a part of our studio.” If you want to help North Pole Studio, he says, please do what you can to raise money for them. If you want to be an artist like him, you’ve got a lot to look forward to, a lot of proud moments. In his own words, Davis is most proud
“When I’ve done something really big. Like a really big picture with different tiny little animals on a big green canvas. The biggest project I did was working on a Micheal Jordan and Nike swoosh logo [on a large canvas] for Nike.”
Carissa feels like Davis plays something of a key role: “Davis Wohlford is one of the most incredible people I have the honor of knowing and working with. His creative mind, his compassion for others, his firm foundation on his values, and his endless drive inspire me. There's not a doubt in my mind that Davis' career will continue to grow and grow and I look forward to seeing his work exhibited in Galleries and Museums across the country. His vision and values are what keep me focused and will continue to guide us as an organization moving forward.”
If you’d like to purchase some North Pole Studio art for yourself, you can find them at one of the many upcoming exhibitions listed at www.northpolestudio.org/events.
Interview Questions & answers
Mitch Blatt: Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about North Pole Studios?
Davis Wohlford: "North Pole studio is a studio where artists who have autism come to work and do their art. (note from Carissa: we serve artists with any type of intellectual or developmental disability)"
MB: I hear you’re a lifelong artist. What first kindled your interest in art?
DW: "I started drawing pictures with crayons and markers ever since I was a little kid. I was so inspired by this routine I did. And how colorful my drawing skills got."
MB: What inspired you & your co-founders to start North Pole Studios?
DW: "We were wanting to make our own art studio. My two teachers and I decided to create a way to make our studio and to bring in other artists."
MB: What areas does North Pole Studios serve?
DW: "The art that happens the north pole we make paintings, we make collages, some of us make toys, we make sculptures, we make models, yes, and anything."
MB: How has your autism shaped your artistic journey—positively or otherwise?
DW: "My autism has brought how much I share joy and fun when I bring all my special talents together."
MB: What do you mean by that?
DW: "You know, my autism brings the life and all the fun and how much I created. It makes me feel like a king cause everyone says I’m very quite creative."
MB: What barriers have you faced, and how have you overcome them?
DW: "It wasn’t too difficult because I’ve been learning about different types of art for years."
MB: What has been one of your proudest moments in your entrepreneurial journey so far?
DW: "Is when I’ve done something really big. Like a really big picture with different tiny little animals on a big green canvas. The biggest project I did was working on a Micheal Jordan and Nike swoosh logo (large canvas) for Nike."
MB: What does inclusion mean to you, especially in the world of business and entrepreneurship?
DW: Inclusion means including something else. It means when you’re including a different kind of art.
MB: How do you hope your work impacts your community or the broader world?
DW: "(Inspiring others to) hope that someday they would become an artist like I am or they would be a part of our studio."
MB: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs with disabilities?
DW: "To use their tools whenever they are feeling nervous, or if they are sad, or if they are mad. I had to keep being patient and wait to see what it looked like."
MB: What are "their tools" and "it"?
DW: "Tools are something like you take a deep breath or tell yourself to give it a try. Or understanding why, or being flexible. Like when there’s something coming up that you don’t know and you really want to know, but it's going to be a long time to wait so you'll just have to be patient."
MB: How can others support your mission?
DW: "They can raise money for us."
MB: What’s your dream for the future?
DW: "My dream is to make a film making factory."
MB: How did you come up with the name "North Pole Studios"?
DW: "I named North Pole Studio after my own logo that I would bring out into the real world someday, with all the characters that I love and I have seen from my childhood, to bring them all together for a new company called North Pole Junior, and created three special theme parks connecting to it. And it’s also a world I made. I have a map of what it looks like."
