[Art_beyond_sight_learning_tools] BlindArt Permanent Collection - PRESS RELEASE

Wed Jan 2 05:01:35 CST 2008

Hi,
Forwarding.
Happy New Year.
Best,
Lisa
PRESS RELEASE
Touching Art Touching You
BlindArt Permanent Collection
Always promoting cultural inclusion
for visually impaired people
Catmose Gallery
Rutland&#8217;s leading centre for cultural excellence
11th January &#8211; 27th February 2008
Touching Art Touching You is a fresh and unique concept on the arts landscape. The exhibition breaks through traditional hierarchies & barriers in the arts by actively encouraging all works to be explored through touch. By shifting the established rules of art appreciation from sight (look) to the sense of touch (feel) the gallery experience instantly becomes an intimate, fresh and liberating art experience
The BlindArt Permanent Collection provides a platform for the works of both visually impaired and sighted artists on an equal footing, showcasing exceptional works that appeal to a multitude of senses; questioning the nature of artistic perception and whether visual ability is essential for artistic excellence and aesthetic appreciation.
"Over throwing years of not being allowed to touch art. Quite mind bending".
Exhibition visitor
"Fantastic! Really liberating. I will really remember this exhibition."  
Exhibition visitor  
 &#8220;Felt nervous and excited touching the art. Taboo/freedom/liberating."  
Exhibition visitor

The Catmose Gallery opened in May 2003 with the aim of providing its hybrid audience of students and the community with access to a varied program of high calibre national, local and student exhibitions. It has quickly established itself as one of Rutland&#8217;s leading centres of cultural excellence and attracts visitors from across the region. Visit the website for up to date information http://www.valeofcatmose.co.uk www.valeofcatmose.co.uk
The exhibition is comprised of 20 works from the BlindArt Permanent Collection and 10 works of art shown at BlindArt&#8217;s Sense & Sensuality exhibitions 2005 and 2006, which will be for sale.  All works in the exhibition come with visual descriptive text and large print & Braille labels to make them accessible to a diverse audience. All works can be explored through touch.
Address: Catmose Gallery, Vale of Catmose College,
Cold Overton Road, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6NU
Opening Hours: Tuesday &#8211; Saturday, 10am &#8211; 12.30pm & 1.30pm - 5pm
Artists Donations to BlindArt Permanent Collection
The following works were kindly donated by the artists to the BlindArt Collection:
Palpation, Sarah Barber; Mirror, Frances Aviva Blane; Just Looking B, Joanna Brendon; Reclining Figure, Peter Clossick; Musical Hirst, Alexandra Conil-Lacoste; Chromosphere, Jenny Cordy; Lolly Gobble Choc Bomb, Stephen Farley; Elvis (What do you want me to do?), Nigel Foster; The Laughing Record, Nicola Green; Drawing Table, Monica Hughes; The Lost Reels, Matthew Humphreys; Spinning Out of Control, Jolanta Jagiello; Blood Cells, Natasha Lewer; Barnacles, Natasha Lewer; Head, Liz Munro & Nuala Watt; Pulse, Hermanti Patel; Braille Rail, Maggie Rose; Untitled, Image No 8, Keith Salmon; Aspen Tree Yorkshire, Gary Sargeant; Men as Trees Walking, Gary Sargeant, Threadbare, Pnina Shinebourne; Large Bowl of Strange Fruit, Jon Williams.
On loan from the artist to BlindArt Collection for this exhibition only: The Beginning, Linda Lieberman; Flow, Ruth Caig; Dantes Hands and Beatrices Blue Shoes, Mark Dickens; Supersonic Cockney Boy, Susan Hippe; Are You Sitting Comfortably?, Kevin Hunt; Childhood Revisited, Ruth Schreiber; Contradiction, Miho Suganami; Installation of Hugels, Julie Taylor; Anemone, Dr Kate Wells; S1&ht3d, Fiona Zobole
Editor&#8217;s Notes:
BlindArt http://www.blindart.net www.blindart.net
 Tel:020 7245 9977, mailto:newsdesk at blindart.net newsdesk at blindart.net
BlindArt Permanent Collection http://www.blindart.net/home/permCol http://www.blindart.net/home/permCol
BlindArt
BlindArt is an innovative, all-inclusive charity founded in 2004, that promotes contemporary works of art that can be explored through all five senses, especially touch. The BlindArt Permanent Collection is the world&#8217;s first permanent showcase of visual art accessible to visually impaired people, and includes paintings, sculpture, installations and other works of art. Promoting artistic excellence regardless of visual ability.
BlindArt&#8217;s aim is to tour the collection nationally and internationally so that it can be enjoyed by as many people as possible.
BlindArt organizes the multi-sensory, interactive Sense & Sensuality exhibitions that break down traditional artistic barriers by helping to dispel the notion that sight is essential to creating or enjoying exceptional art. The overall message of BlindArt is artistic excellence regardless of visual ability.
Lisa Yayla
Huseby Kompetansesenter
Oslo Norway
mailto:lisa.yayla at statped.no lisa.yayla at statped.no