[Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] School for Blind students express themselves through art

[Shelley L. Rhodes]

It is my impression that all students no matter the disability should enjoy 
a whole aray of art activities and curriculum, yes even figure drawing.  I 
was shocked to find that a lot of the Schools for the Blind don't offer 
these kinds of classes.  One school offered an optional once a week Art 
Club, but they had music and gym so why not art?

When i first lost my vision, actually I am still loosing it, got to love RP, 
I didn't have anyone to turn to to find out ways of doing things as far as 
art making is concerned.  It was just trial and error.  it is great that 
activities like the one in this article are going on.



American News, South Dakota
Friday, January 21, 2005

School for Blind students express themselves through art

By Bill E. Wambeke, American News Writer

First project making molds with clay

Even those challenged by the loss of their eyesight can express themselves 
through art.

Northern State University professor Ruth McKinney and her two NSU student 
assistants Cassie Houston and Katie Kaiser are teaching art to high 
school-aged students at the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually 
Impaired.

The goal is for the visually impaired students to create works of art every 
Tuesday until the end of the current school semester.

This week, the first art class of the semester, McKinney and her assistants 
were helping the children put clay on plastic faces to make molds.

"Right now they're exploring texture. We're giving them a new material to 
work with," said McKinney.

With the clay that the students were putting over the masks, in the 
following weeks they are going to add features to resemble or exaggerate 
their own faces.

In the school, one hall is designated for art pieces done by freshmen art 
students at NSU as part of their freshmen requirements. The pieces have 
different textures that allow the blind students to feel them.

"You get to have fun with it and do something outside of the box," Kaiser 
said.

This is not the first art class for the students, as in the past they have 
had pottery and papier mache classes through the city's parks and recreation 
department.

In the future Houston would like to give a presentation on fibers at the 
School for the Blind, while Kaiser would like to do painting. Eventually in 
May they would like to have an art show comprised of works created by the 
school's students.

Kaiser, whose mother is the superintendant of the school, feels working with 
the students gives her a chance to broaden her teaching horizons.

"In the art education department, you don't get the chance to work with 
challenged kids. We feel really good about what we're doing with them."

Kaiser said that she would like to teach painting by giving each student a 
block of Masonite. They would paint on it what they wanted and create a 
mosaic from the blocks. With the varying levels of sight in the class, she 
would try and give them a common theme to paint about.

"Ruth kind of had the idea for this, and I was looking to fill my 
professional credits," Kaiser said about her work at the School for the 
Blind.

She added that working with the visually impaired kids will give her needed 
teaching experience.

Kaiser is a junior art education major at NSU and would like to teach 
secondary art when she graduates.

"These kids haven't had the chance to work with art a whole lot. This is 
providing them with an opportunity to express themselves."


http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/10698871.htm




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