According to Megan Bent, gallery manager of Worcester’s Open Door Gallery, “expanding upon the communal understanding of what disability is” is the main goal of newest exhibition, “Shared.”

“Shared,” the gallery’s first group exhibition, will showcase the significance of community through the work of eight disabled artists from around Massachusetts.

Among the eight artists is Greenfield resident Chenda Cope, a musician, performer and visual artist whose work is “an exploration of care and crisis.”

The reception will include a performance by Cope of her poem “An Art of Care.” Four of the other artists whose work is being showcased, Liz Doles, Judith Klausner, DaNice D. Marshall and Sophie Pearson, will be leading walkthroughs of the gallery during the reception.

“In the past, a lot of our shows had been curated through artists that had either reached out to us or that someone had a connection with, so we really wanted to expand the way that we were inviting artists into the space,” Bent said. “We had our open call for a group exhibition and found we were able to be introduced to a lot more artists with disabilities within the state of Massachusetts.”

“Shared” also includes the work of artists Alana Guarino, Ọmọlará Williams McCallister, and Mika Cook-Wright. The exhibition aims to let audiences share the artists’ experiences with community, disability and identity through their meticulous processes and materials.

“We have some artworks that are interactive where you can become a collaborator in the art itself,” Bent said. “That’s one of the really exciting things about this exhibition … there’s so many ways to participate in it as a visitor.”

The Open Door Gallery is the only permanent museum art gallery in Massachusetts dedicated to showcasing the work of artists with disabilities. Since its inception in 2017, the gallery has hosted the work of hundreds of disabled artists, providing a platform of visibility for the community. This time around, the gallery is offering audiences the chance to experience the perspectives of multiple artists at the same time.

The exhibition is on view through May 22. Admission to the exhibition will be free to the public during the gallery’s regular hours of operations, every Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the third Thursday of every month from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The gallery is located on the first floor of the Higgins Education Wing of the Worcester Art Museum and is equipped with many accessibility features, including large print labels, braille guides, an audio tour, and tactile representations of the artworks. ASL interpreters and sighted tour guides are available upon request.

According to Bent, the gallery is planning on hosting at least one group exhibition per year going forward, and hopes to continue promoting artistic collaboration through shared themes.

“Disability is part of every community and it’s really expansive,” Bent said. “And that’s one of the things I really love about the gallery: the opportunity we have to get so many artists from the disability community to come and share their experience with us.”

For more information on the “Shared” exhibition, visit opendoorartsma.org/gallery/odgworcester.