[Art_beyond_sight_educators] Tim Lefens, Tactile picture recognition by early blind children: The effect of illustration technique, Art Beyond Sight, engineer, 3D

Fri May 30 12:32:49 UTC 2014

St. Augustine Art Association celebrates Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month
The St. Augustine Art Association is featuring its 12th Annual Tactile 
Art Show for the month of October, Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month. 
Partnering with the Florida School of Deaf and Blind, the Tactile Art 
show will feature touchable art that is visually intriguing while also 
engaging those that are vision impaired.
http://gargoyle.flagler.edu/2013/10/st-augustine-art-association-celebrates-art-beyond-sight-awareness-month/

Tactile USA flags with 'The Pledge of Allegiance' in braille presented 
to MSAB
http://www.austindailyherald.com/2013/10/society-news-oct-20/

Use of different materials with varied textures improves recognition of 
tactile images by blind people

The use of different materials with varied textures improves the 
recognition of tactile images by young blind people, researchers from 
the Laboratoire de psychologie et neurocognition (LPNC) (CNRS/Université 
Pierre Mendès France/ Savoie University) have shown. This result, which 
was recently published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology Applied 
was achieved in collaboration with Geneva University's Faculté de 
psychologie et des sciences de l'éducation and Les Doigts Qui Rêvent 
(Dreaming Fingers) in Talant (Côte-d'Or, France). Among other factors, 
the researchers emphasise that early, regular use of tactile material by 
blind children is necessary to improve recognition through touch.... For 
blind children therefore, it seems that interpreting tactile images is 
not automatic and requires practice.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20131003/Use-of-different-materials-with-varied-textures-improves-recognition-of-tactile-images-by-blind-people.aspx

Summary:

The use of different materials with varied textures improves the 
recognition of tactile images by young blind people. This result 
emphasizes that early, regular use of tactile material by blind children 
is necessary to improve recognition through touch.

*Journal Reference*:Anne Theurel, Arnaud Witt, Philippe Claudet, Yvette 
Hatwell, Edouard Gentaz. *Tactile picture recognition by early blind 
children: The effect of illustration technique.*. /Journal of 
Experimental Psychology: Applied/, 2013; 19 (3): 233 DOI: 
10.1037/a0034255 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0034255>

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131002092141.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news+(ScienceDaily%3A+Top+News)

Tactile picture recognition by early blind children: The effect of 
illustration technique.
http://psycnet.apa.org/?&fa=main.doiLanding&doi=10.1037/a0034255

Art created for the blind

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2013/may/23/art-created-for-the-blind/

Braille smartphone to revolutionise life on the go for the blind

The screen is able to raise its surface to create images and texts in 
Braille.
http://www.west-info.eu/braille-smartphone-to-revolutionise-life-on-the-go-for-the-blind/

Blind Engineer Paves the Way
When former pentathlon competitor Vincent Martin walks across the stage 
to get his Master's diploma at top-tier Georgia Tech on May 3, it will 
be part of another grueling multi-event race. Martin is completely blind 
and about to graduate from the College of Computing in the School of 
Interactive Computing.
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/33576-blind-engineer-paves-the-way/

    3D Printing Studio
    <http://www.noelartmuseum.org/visit/3d-printing-studio>

The Ellen Noël Art Museum is the first in the state to have a 3D 
Printing Studio.  The studio includes three Makerbot Relicator 2s.  This 
studio will serve educational and outreach purposes as the Museum offers 
child and adult 3D printing classes as well as a collaborative course 
with the University of Texas at the Permian Basin. Another purpose of 
the 3D printers will be to create 3D kits for the visually impaired to 
aid in learning about art
http://www.noelartmuseum.org/visit/3d-printing-studio

Smith: Ken, the kids & their art on 'Today'

A national NBC-TV crew shot the scene Monday as Santa Rosa artist Ken 
Rossi, who's blind and scoots about in a wheelchair, showed 32 
fourth-graders at the Sonoma County Museum how he creates his dramatic 
and colorful pictures.

"Is it hard to draw when you can't see?" asked a girl from teacher 
Hilary Sowers' class at Windsor's Brooks School.

Ken replied: "It's harder because you have to concentrate more."

However, he added, as a piece is coming together, a blind artist isn't 
bothered by an "internal judge," so the process flows more naturally.

The students then had a chance to try drawing with oil pastels, too. 
With their eyes closed.

The story is scheduled to appear on The Today Show at 6 a.m. Saturday.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20131028/articles/131029556?title=Smith:-Ken,-the-kids-&-their-art-on-'Today'

Legally Blind Artist Exhibits New Paintings at Bwe Kafe
The most recent work of accomplished blind artist Tim Lefens is on 
display through November in the gallery at Bwe Kafe 
<http://www.bwekafe.com/>.

Lefens, who lost his eyesight to retinitis pigmentosa more than a decade 
ago but has continued painting through the use of "ingenious" methods, 
has spent the past 18 years helping people with severe physical 
disabilities express themselves artistically.
  http://hoboken.patch.com/groups/arts-and-entertainment/p/legally-blind-artist-exhibits-new-paintings-at-bwe-kafe

    What is A.R.T.?

Through his non-profit A.R.T <http://www.artrealization.org/>, which 
stands for Artistic Realization Technologies, Lefens has created various 
innovative technologies that give people who cannot walk, talk or use 
their hands a way to paint, sculpt, create art photography and make music.

http://www.artrealization.org/what-is-art.html

Unleashing the Power of ART: Tim Lefens at TEDxNJIT

"The urgency to take control"  quote from the talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arXN677GLx8

Flying Colors
by Tim Lefens
Beacon Press, 2002
http://www.artrealization.org/flying_colors.html