[Art_beyond_sight_educators] Theater, artist, Scents and Sensibility, architects, Christmas cards

Tue Jan 8 12:10:32 UTC 2013

Twin Cities: For blind theatergoers, a play-by-play

You know when you go to the theater and there are people who won't stop 
talking during the show? Rick Jacobson is one of those people, except he 
wins awards and gets paid for doing it.

Jacobson, 53, is an audio describer. Much like the American Sign 
Language interpreters who sign shows for deaf patrons, he describes 
theater performances for blind patrons at about 15 area theaters. 
Jacobson sits in the audience at predetermined performances, speaking 
into a stenographer's muffle, which prevents his neighbors from hearing 
what he says. Blind patrons wear headsets so they can hear Jacobson tell 
them what the characters are wearing, what the sets look like and what 
the actors are doing on stage. For those efforts, the Ordway Center for 
the Performing Arts gave Jacobson last year's Sally Award for arts access.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_22326014/twin-cities-blind-theatergoers-play-by-play

    Blind artist: 'My fingers are my eyes'

With a deft hand, Julie Wallace uses a latch hook to create masterpieces 
from canvas and bits of yarn.
Her subject matter includes Jesus, flowers, animals and landscapes, just 
about anything one can imagine. What makes Wallace's artwork 
particularly fascinating is the fact that she has been blind since the 
age of 16, when retinitis pigmentosa robbed her of her sight. But she 
isn't letting that slow her down.

http://www.wdnweb.com/2012/06/27/blind-artist-my-fingers-are-my-eyes/

An artist's vision: Blind painter uses her hands to see

Annie Young sold all her paints when she lost her sight. All her 
brushes. She gave up on being an artist. Then a good friend brought over 
a canvas and paints.

"Enough of this nonsense," the friend told her.

Young painted. It was different than when she had her sight. Her paints 
are all marked in Braille. She uses acrylic --- something she can feel 
--- rather than oil. And her hands have become her paintbrushes.

http://lacrossetribune.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/article_d7a84028-60d4-11e0-b632-001cc4c03286.html

Exhibition hosts visionary display of sight loss artists
Scents and Sensibility's theme is fragrance expressed through exhibits 
including painting, sculpture and photography

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/apr/05/sight-loss-artists-exhibition-scents-sensibility
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/gallery/2011/apr/05/visually-impaired-artists-scents-exhibition?intcmp=239

iPhone app brightens up color blind world

Like most people termed color blind, Howard Hart is really color 
deficient. He sees some bold colors, but definitely not subtler tones.

"Even bananas, I kind of stopped eating bananas," says Hart. "I either 
buy them too green or they're over ripe."

But with the help of a new device, he can now see those shades in a 
different way.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/health&id=8053125

Berkeley Square team up with RNIB for exhibition of art by blind and 
partially sighted artists
A pop-up art exhibition showcasing the work of six blind and partially 
sighted artists will take place at the Vaad Gallery in London on 11 and 
12 April 2011. Scents and Sensibility is a collection of artists' 
interpretations of Bergamot Noir, Berkeley Square Cosmetics latest 
fragrance.

http://www.basenotes.net/content/707-Berkeley-Square-team-up-with-RNIB-for-exhibition-of-art-by-blind-and-partially-sighted-artists

Lighthouse for the Blind Publishes Guidebook: Exploring St. Louis from 
Blind Person's Perspective
*48 Page Guidebook is Blind Author Stephen Kissel's Assessment of Local 
Attractions' Accessibility*

http://www.prlog.org/11414641-lighthouse-for-the-blind-publishes-guidebook-exploring-st-louis-from-blind-persons-perspective.html

Touchy Exhibit at Miami Art Museum
Going to an art exhibit is a visual experience, but at the Miami Art 
Museum <http://www.mam.org> they believe in art for all - including 
those who are losing or have lost their sense of sight. Beauty is in the 
hands of these beholders.

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Please-DO-touch-the-Art-119015069.html

On the Town | Get the scoop on city's arts future
In conjunction with the exhibit, a panel discussion called "Louisville's 
Arts Future" will be held today at 5:30 p.m. at the Cressman Center. 
Panelists include Peter Morrin, head of the University of Louisville's 
Arts and Culture Partnerships Initiative; artist C.J. Pressma; 
artwithoutwalls director Alice Gray Stites and Roberta Williams of the 
American Printing House for the Blind.
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110401/SCENE05/304010036/1047/SCENE/On-Town-Get-scoop-city-s-arts-future?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CEntertainment%7Cs&nclick_check=1

The Blind Design Paradox

Those outside the design industry may often wonder what makes for good 
architectural design. Most laypeople would say good design is 
aesthetically pleasing and unique, but their assessment would likely end 
there.

Rarely do people stop to think what makes for good architectural design 
for those who lack the ability to see. The Blind Design Paradox, a term 
coined by WJM architect William J. Martin, considers what factors make 
architectural design 
<http://http://designbuildsource.com.au/room-star-designers-aus> stand 
out from the point of view of the visually impaired.

Martin says the blind design philosophy attempts to create equilibrium 
between design factors while transcending architectural fashion. In 
hopes of empowering architects and designers, the philosophy encourages 
finding an appropriate balance between three fundamental factors of 
architectural design: aesthetics, function and economics.

....

The Blind Design Paradox highlights the importance of balancing the 
three factors of architectural design effectively. In terms of catering 
for those who cannot see a building's design, architects focus on 
creating tactile and acoustic beauty to create aesthetic appeal.

http://designbuildsource.com.au/the-blind-design-paradox

website

http://www.wjmarchitect.com/info.htm
http://www.wjmarchitect.com/econofunctionalaesthetic.htm

Blind architect finds inspiration in loss
/Architects rely on imagination to help them see a building even before 
it's built. For Chris Downey that skill is essential. He designed 
buildings for 20 years, but then he lost his eyesight. Using special 
technology he's managed to continue his career in architecture and help 
design buildings for the blind. The California Report 
<http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201212281630/a>'s Scott Shafer 
has this story./
http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2013/01/03/29931/blind-architect-finds-inspiration-in-loss/

Blindness is no barrier to children's creativity

IT is a challenge presented to students across the country at this time 
of year -- creating a special Christmas card to add that personal touch 
for friends and family.

For pupils at the Royal Blind School, however, the annual Christmas card 
competition has a far more important part to play.

http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/latest-news/blindness-is-no-barrier-to-children-s-creativity-1-2695486