TAMPA, FL / ACCESS Newswire / January 5, 2026 / The Neurodivergent Empowerment Institute (NEI), part of the Bionic Bloom Wellness Collective family of wellness centers, is issuing a special call for artists creating touchable, interactive, and sensory-friendly artwork for upcoming installations within its therapeutic and educational spaces.

As a member of the Bionic Bloom collection, NEI is grounded in an integrative, empowerment-based philosophy that blends mental health care, somatic regulation, creativity, and community. Art within NEI spaces is intentionally curated to support nervous system safety, self-expression, and embodied learning, especially for neurodivergent individuals.

This call specifically welcomes work that invites hands-on exploration, tactile engagement, and multisensory interaction. At NEI, art is not meant to be fragile or off-limits. It is meant to be experienced, explored, and used as a tool for grounding and connection.

What We're Looking For

We invite submissions of work that is:

• Touchable, durable, and safe for repeated interaction

• Created with tactile or sensory-rich materials such as textiles, fibers, wood, silicone, soft sculpture, or layered surfaces

• Designed for regulation, curiosity, comfort, or rhythmic engagement

• Free from sharp edges, toxic materials, or easily breakable components

Art that incorporates pattern, repetition, pressure, texture, weight, movement, or modular interaction is especially encouraged.

Who Should Apply

• Neurodivergent artists

• Disabled artists

• Sensory, fiber, and sculptural artists

• Artists exploring embodiment, identity, autonomy, emotional worlds, or sensory experience

Lived experience is valued. Formal credentials are not required.

Why Create With NEI

• Your work will live in spaces where interaction is explicitly permitted and encouraged

• Art is integrated into therapy, education, and community programming

• Audiences include neurodivergent children, teens, adults, clinicians, educators, and families

• Opportunities for rotating installations, commissions, and long-term collaboration within the Bionic Bloom ecosystem

Submission Guidelines

Please include:

• A brief artist statement, including how the work is meant to be touched or interacted with

• 5-10 images or short videos of the work

• Materials used and durability or care notes

• Dimensions and installation requirements

• Pricing or commission range (if applicable)

• Website or social media links

Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis.

How to Apply

Email submissions to ella@bionicbloom.org with the subject line:
"NEI Sensory Art Submission - Touchable Works"

About the Neurodivergent Empowerment Institute
The Neurodivergent Empowerment Institute is a specialized center within the Bionic Bloom Wellness Collective, dedicated to redefining how neurodivergent individuals are supported and celebrated. NEI integrates therapy, education, creativity, and community through an empowerment-based lens that honors autonomy, regulation, and lived experience.

SOURCE: Bionic Bloom