[Artists-making-art] Highlights for Art lovers

[Lynda Lambert]

Good morning to my fellow arts lovers, special friends and  NFB family: it's nearly Spring and that  must mean our Pennsylvania winter might be about to leave for a few months of warm weather. We are all looking forward to that by now. I have a few things I want to share with the folks on this group today. We all need a boost of encouragement some times, and that is my inspiration for this note today. For us, as artists with sight loss, it is not an easy path to make our work and get it "out there" to the public audience. It takes a ton of work from the time we begin to think of having an art show, till the time we are standing in the gallery and smiling and greeting the visitors. And, for us, it is so much more of an effort and careful planning and getting everything we need in place for it all to happen.  It is my firm belief that we all need each other, and that we need to promote each other every chance we get.  I had some opportunities recently and want to share them with you today.

First,  my article on the art work of Tammy Ruggles, a sight impaired artist in Kentucky. *Click on the attached article to read it.  The article was published in Arts Across kentucky Magazine, and it was just released this past week. I am attaching a copy of the article so you can view Tammy's beautiful and powerful paintings and learn more about her work through this article I wrote about it. Congrats to Tammy for her launch of the new "Promo Show" on Blog Talk Radio, too. I was one of her first guests and it was so much fun to speak with her about making art as an artist who has lost sight. I am scheduled to do another Blog Talk Radio show with my friend, Alvaro Alvarito of Bogota' Columbia in the next week, too. We'll be talking about the technologies that make life so good for blind people these days, and the importance of visiting the LOW VISION SPECIALIST when you begin to have any sight loss symptoms. 

    Second, the exhibition:  Vision and Revision, Two Artists with Limited Sight, not Limited Vision ...opened Friday evening, March 7th at Merrick Art Gallery in New Brighton, PA.  A  full-house attended  the opening.  We were  privileged to give presentations on  our  pieces in the show. The most important aspect of my talk was  was the stories about other artists who are making dynamic work despite their sight losses. I shared the insights of Karen Bailey of Muncie, Indiana who makes the most powerful images of birds and other animals that I have ever seen - using clay. I personally purchased on of her pieces and when it arrived we were thrilled with it. There is a "livingness" to her birds that show an understanding of the life force of the bird, and the interior structure that forms the outward appearance of them.  Karen has no sight and uses a guide dog to get around by herself in the city, and gets to her pottery studio where she creates her stunning work. I am looking forward to several more commissioned works from Karen - they are ordered! 

    I also spoke of  Jeannie Nylander of Lacrosse, Wisconsin, who creates sculptures of musical instruments out of clay. She  is deeply involved in the art scene in her city. She has no eyes because they were removed a few years ago. Yet, she continues to follow her vision in creating meaningful art that is respected and honored by her peers in the art world. Their stories and their victorious lives thrill me! 

    You can have a look at the photos from this exhibition by visiting me on Face Book, Search for:  Lynda McKinney Lambert - or - River Road Studio on FaceBook. I have attached three photos of works in the show, too.  Be sure to "like" my River Road Studio page, and sign up to be a member of my page and get updates as I post new information on art. 


    Third,  I was a presenter at Slippery Rock University of PA last week. I did two presentations for the President's Conference on Disabilities and Inclusion. 

    I shared information on the technologies that I use, and spread awareness of the myths of blindness that are challenges.  All of this has happened in just the last six days, and you can imagine there are other exciting and challenging writing and art projects  on the horizon  that I am currently working on.  I am taking a little "break" for a couple of weeks, and then I will be back in the studio creating works for my forthcoming solo exhibitions in the next couple of years. Stay tuned for information on those later on!

    If you want to catch a view of the Vision and Revision exhibition, it will be on display until April 3 at the Merrick Art Gallery, New Brighton, PA.  The opening on Friday night was a tremendous success, filled with excited and positive people, and sales of my work were beyond any expectations I could have had. Thank you for your support of my work - it is created in an atmosphere of peace and joy, and it is my privilege to share it as I do through exhibitions. I am very pleased to visit the exhibition with you or your GROUP, just let me know when you would like a person walk through the show and I will do my best to help you out.  I am already scheduled to present  a unique class in the gallery for Geneva College humanities students - and can do the same for you!!!! 

Thank you!

Lynda McKinney Lambert, MFA
Artist, Educator, Author
104 River Road, Ellwood City, PA 16117
http://www.lyndalambert.com

"Human beings are creatures who conceal an interior of uncharted chaos which lies beneath the surface reality"James Baldwin, The Creative Life (1962)

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