From fnugg at online.no Tue Jul 1 06:27:40 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:27:40 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Make a picture for your fingertips! Message-ID: <486A14AC.9000808@online.no> The Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind, located at 1839 Frankfort Avenue, will host a free one-of-a-kind craft workshop entitled ?Make a Picture for Your Fingertips? for children ages 6 to 10 on Saturday, July 19, from 10:30 a.m. until noon. Children will learn the basics about why and how pictures are made to be read by touch, use special paper and materials to create an instant touch picture that they can take home, and explore the museum?s collection of maps, globes, books, and other educational aids developed for blind and visually impaired persons. This event is free to the public, but space is limited so registration by July 17 is required. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Call (502) 899-2364, or e-mail arich at aph.org , to register. Visit www.aph.org/musuem for more information. http://www.aph.org/museum/saturday_fun.html http://louisvillealive.wordpress.com/2008/06/27/make-a-picture-for-your-fingertips/ From fnugg at online.no Tue Jul 1 06:35:49 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:35:49 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] APH Tactile Graphic Image Library Database Message-ID: <486A1695.6010901@online.no> Finding tactile graphics templates is now easier than ever. APH has launched an Image Library Database that is accessible from our website. Teachers, transcribers, students, families and paraprofessionals are now able to register to use the Image Library to find tactile graphics that can be enhanced for your needs. The database is searchable by category or keyword. When you find the subject matter you are interested in you can view the images in a thumbnail sketch just like any other clip art software. This database will continue to be populated with new images weekly. Some areas are still under construction so pardon our dust. Some images may be exactly what you are looking for but for the most part you will need to modify the image to be exactly what is needed by the student. You can download the image and tool your changes to the template or use drawing software to manipulate the graphic before you produce it. free 6 month trial http://www.aph.org/tgil/index.html From fnugg at online.no Tue Jul 1 07:43:30 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:43:30 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] art, photography, haptic Message-ID: <486A2672.6030705@online.no> Out of the attic: Artist Carol Dunkley joins Rail Walk Studios and Gallery excerpt Carol, a member of Carolina Artists and Mooresville Artist Guild, has written an artist's statement in which she talks about being color blind ? quite a challenge for her, obviously. http://www.salisburypost.com/Lifestyle/062708-carol-dunkley- --------------- Exhibit proves ?creativity is not connected to disability? excerpt Diversity of location isn?t the only thing VSA arts of Maine pushes, as they accept works from artists with physical, emotional and cognitive disabilities, Woodward said. ?We hear the word ?disability? and it conjures up a lot of preconceived notions,? Rudy said. ?People think a blind person can?t paint.? http://blog.southportlandsentry.com/2008/06/27/exhibit-proves-creativity-is-not-connected-to-disability-june-27-2008.aspx ---------------- Haptic refers to the sense of touch and this show - curated by Japanese designer Kenya Hara - aims to explore how technology and a more tactile approach to design can produce objects that engage with the senses in deeper ways than usual. Kosuke Tsumura makes lampshades out of hair - they look strangely like Cousin It from the Addams Family - and Matthieu Manche makes multi-socket extension cords from gooey silicone, and they feel alive, almost pulsating (and yes, this is as icky as it sounds). Kenya Hara, meanwhile, contributes a not particularly useful but startlingly beautiful water sculpture. On a long, angled board, hundreds of pill-shaped, water-repellent little buttons sit; water flows down the board, through the lozenge-shaped obstructions. Droplets race to the bottom, looking like gleaming mercury. It's captivating, the kind of movement you could watch all day. Elsewhere, designers apply themselves to remote controls - imagine one that comes alive and rigid in your hands, and sits, limp and dead, on the table - and a waterproof paper cagoule. Each of them is ingenious and subtly alters your notion of what the world feels like. Until Sep 29, The Lighthouse, 11 Mitchell Lane, Glasgow, Mon, Wed to Sat 10.30am to 5pm, Tue 11am to 5pm, Sun noon to 5pm, ?3, ?1 and ?1.50 concs, Sat free. Tel: 0141 221 6362. www.thelighthouse.co.uk http://www.metro.co.uk/metrolife/article.html?in_article_id=193421&in_page_id=248&in_a_source= ---------------------------- Seminole, Florida - As he has for decades, Warren Thomas once again puts paint to paper; creating something out of nothing. "Could be New Port Harbor or Tom's River or wherever. It's a figment of my imagination at this point," he says. Thomas paints for enjoyment; paints to sell and even though his vision is nearly gone?he paints. "I shouldn't be advertising that. A blind artist is kind of ridiculous." But don't tell that to the busloads of people from Thomas's retirement center that last week made their way to a St. Pete gallery for his opening. "This is probably the last exhibit I'll have, but I'm only 97," Thomas chuckles, "And you can't tell what will happen in the future." Thomas made a living as an industrial designer, but the weekends and his years after retirement belonged to his art. And he has this advice for anyone, no matter what their age. "If you can't paint, don't paint?sing, dance, draw, talk, preach. Whatever turns you on." Thomas's art can be seen through July 10th at Art Du Monde. The gallery is located at 2109 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg. Kathryn Bursch, Tampa Bay's 10 News http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=83500&catid=8 ------------------------- http://artdumonde.net/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=25&zenid=5327ed9c2f169719b75a713ce15820a2 97 years of existence, 81 as an artist, still painting even though legally blind! From Pennsylvania to Florida, by the way of New Jersey, New England, and Mexico, discover his journey through his watercolors and oils. An avid boater, Warren Thomas is known for his seascapes, marine and boating scenes. This inspiring artist will be sharing his work with his fellow residents of Freedom Square retirement center and to the public. Meet the artist, Friday June 20, 2-3 PM at Art Du Monde, Art and Antiques, 2109 Central Ave. St. Petersburg . The exhibition continues through July 10 2008. Gallery hours: Tue-Sat: 11-5; Sun: noon-4 --------------- Mindjet Connect boosts accessibility Mindjet Connect allows multiple users to work off the same map whilst each having their own view open; this means that a blind user can open up a text hierarchy view of the map whilst other users will have a pictorial view. http://www.it-director.com/business/compliance/content.php?cid=10568 --------------------------------- Camera sees what photographer cannot excerpt If a picture is worth only a thousand words, then Chris Balthrop tries to make each one count. Balthrop, an avid photographer, is featuring his work in an exhibit sponsored by the School of Environmental Design. He can take crystal-clear pictures with his camera, but not with his eyes. Balthrop was born with retinal damage from premature birth, leaving him visually impaired. Raised in Watkinsville, he graduated from the Terry School of Business in 2000 and works as systems administrator specialist for the School of Environmental Design. "I was hoping to find a reason to stay in Athens," Balthrop said. Balthrop's photography career started at a young age. He took pictures with a "cheap little camera" alongside his father and brother, who also were devoted to photography as a hobby. His second cousin, a professional photographer, helped give him more insight about the activity as Balthrop became older. He travels around the Southeast, taking pictures of wildlife, landscape and architecture. His visual impairment made it difficult to obtain a driver's license, and he needs special glasses in order to drive. However, it does not affect his ability to take pictures, as shown by his use of a regular Canon SLR camera. His pictures give him a clearer image of the world around him. "I'll take a picture and see things that I didn't see originally," he said. 'EYESIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY' When: Through June 30 Where: Circle Gallery of Caldwell Hall (bottom floor) Reception: June 27, 4 to 6 p.m., open to the public http://media.www.redandblack.com/media/storage/paper871/news/2008/06/26/News/Camera.Sees.What.Photographer.Cannot-3385470.shtml ----------------------- Blind artists exhibit work AN EXHIBITION of the works of a Liverpool group of artists who are blind opened at St George's Hall today. An Eye for Colour is the work of 10 artists who have lost their sight through conditions such as macular degeneration (central vision loss), diabetic retinopathy (blurred vision) and corneal problems, which distorts lights. The exhibits, which include a sculptured piece by Chris Pollock, are by Owen Owen, Rob Hunter, Jim Gamble, Louie Gregory, John Jinks, Nora Westwood, Eileen Stead, Linda Marsden and David Mulcahy. The group, Magnified Art, meet at Bradbury Fields, formerly Liverpool Voluntary Society for the Blind. An Eye for Colour runs until Aug 27. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/i-can-do-that/2008/06/26/blind-artists-exhibit-work-100252-21154466/ From fnugg at online.no Tue Jul 1 15:06:14 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:06:14 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] booking is now open Tactile,Graphics 2008 Message-ID: <486A8E36.1000404@online.no> Forwarding We are really happy to announce that booking is now open for Tactile Graphics 2008. You can now book your place at the conference through our online booking form on the conference website, and if you book now you qualify for the discounted Early Bird Rate which runs until 15 September 2008. Visit the conference website for more information: http://www.nctd.org.uk/conference/conf2008 If you have any problems with your booking or would like the form in a different format please contact us using the details below. ++ Pre-conference workshops announced Based on feedback from our previous events, we have carefully selected three pre-conference workshops which will run on Wednesday 3 December. Running for the whole day at the conference venue, all the workshops will be hands-on practical / interactive sessions run by industry experts and designed to develop skills and knowledge on a particular topic: Workshop 1 - An introduction to the world of tactile graphics. Workshop 2 - From real objects to tactile graphics: Designing, making and using simple but effective tactile resources for young children. Workshop 3 - Advanced tactile graphic design workshop: for those with some experience wishing to develop their skills. To ensure workshop delegates get the most from these sessions, places on the workshops will be strictly limited, so please book early to guarantee your place. For more information on the workshops, please visit the Pre-Conference Workshops pages: http://www.nctd.org.uk/conference/conf2008/workshops.asp ++ Don't forget - the Call for Abstracts is still open (closes 25 July 2008) We've already received many really great abstracts, but there is still time for you to submit an abstract to present or exhibit at Tactile Graphics 2008. This is a great opportunity to share what you are doing with international colleagues who are equally passionate about the subject. Further details, along with the abstract submission form can be found on the website. If you are interested in presenting: http://www.nctd.org.uk/conference/conf2008/cfa.asp Or you are interested in exhibiting: http://www.nctd.org.uk/conference/conf2008/exhibition.asp ++ Finally - lots more information on the website The website has recently been updated with lots of useful information about the event. Enquiries from our previous conferences has enabled us to build quite a comprehensive "Frequently Asked Questions" page, but if we've not already answered your particular question, please don't hesitate to contact us and we'll be happy to assist you. The Tactile Graphics 2008 conference team. RNIB, 58-72 John Bright Street, Birmingham, B1 1BN, UK Email: tactilegraphics2008 at rnib.org.uk Telephone: +44 (0)121 665 4240 --- Tactile Graphics 2008 will be on the 4 and 5 of December 2008, with pre-conference workshops on the 3 December, at Jurys Inn, Birmingham, UK. From lisa.yayla at statped.no Wed Jul 16 08:10:41 2008 From: lisa.yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:10:41 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] submissions Tactile Graphics 2008 !!! Message-ID: ++ Less than 2 weeks left to submit an abstract! Please remember, the deadline for submission of abstracts to present or exhibit at Tactile Graphics 2008 is Friday 25 July 2008. Previous conferences have attracted people from all over the world interested in discussing every aspect of tactile graphics, so this is an ideal opportunity to share your work, knowledge and experiences with others who share a passion for tactile graphics. We’ve had some great abstracts in already, but please keep them coming as we’re always eager to hear about what you’ve been working on. Further details, along with the abstract submission form can be found on the website. If you're interested in presenting: http://www.nctd.org.uk/conference/conf2008/cfa.asp http://www.nctd.org.uk/conference/conf2008/cfa.asp Or you're interested in exhibiting: http://www.nctd.org.uk/conference/conf2008/exhibition.asp http://www.nctd.org.uk/conference/conf2008/exhibition.asp ++ Make a difference make a tactile book... In association with Tactile Graphics 2008, the Tactile Book Advancement Group is running an International Tactile Book Competition, to design books with tactile illustrations that are effective for blind children. Entry is free, the closing date is 1 November 2008, and there are awards for various categories including a 'Delegates Choice' award which will be selected by people attending Tactile Graphics 2008. For details of the competition and the awards go to: http://www.tactilebooks.org/competition http://www.tactilebooks.org/competition ++ Booking for Tactile Graphics 2008 Booking is now open, so you can now book your place through our online booking form on the conference website at: http://www.nctd.org.uk/Conference/Conf2008/book.asp http://www.nctd.org.uk/Conference/Conf2008/book.asp . If you book now you qualify for the discounted early bird booking rate which runs until 15 September 2008, so book early to save some money! Kind regards The Tactile Graphics 2008 conference team RNIB, 58-72 John Bright Street, Birmingham, B1 1BN, UK Email: mailto:tactilegraphics2008 at rnib.org.uk tactilegraphics2008 at rnib.org.uk ? Telephone: +44 (0)121 665 4240 --- Tactile Graphics 2008 will be on the 4 and 5 of December 2008, with pre-conference workshops on the 3 of December, at Jurys Inn, Birmingham, UK. Lisa Yayla Huseby Kompetansesenter Oslo Norway mailto:lisa.yayla at statped.no lisa.yayla at statped.no From fnugg at online.no Tue Aug 19 04:11:23 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:11:23 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Samsung touch camera, BROOKLYN MUSEUM, water water every where Message-ID: <48AA8E3B.9080807@online.no> Hi Ike and all, That was a really interesting article. Sending some more links about it. Raises some questions - could the screen be used for other applications, a larger screen? How good is the transfer of the picture, is there any program to enhance and contrast or adjust the contrast, what about using the tounge instead of the forehead (work from Univ. Wisc-Madison)? Sounds like a really interesting product. Otherwise sending an article about the Brooklyn Museum and came across 3 articles bit off subject, but interesting. Regards, Lisa Seoul, Korea -- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announces that it has been honored with three awards in the prestigious 2008 International Design Excellence (IDEA) competition. The awards, which include a coveted gold award and two silver, were announced today by /BusinessWeek /magazine and the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), raising Samsung?s five-year total in the competition to an unmatched 15 awards. Leading Samsung?s charge was the Touch Sight, a revolutionary digital camera designed for visually impaired people. The Touch Sight, designed by Samsung Design China, was honored with a gold award in the Communications Tools Concept category, one of just 35 gold awards from over 1,500 entries. Judges lauded the Touch Sight for its unique features and attention to detail. Product highlights include a feature that records sound for three seconds after pressing the shutter button, allowing the individual to use the sound a reference when reviewing and managing the photos. Touch Sight also possesses a lightweight, flexible Braille display sheet which displays a 3D image by embossing the surface, allowing the user to touch their photo. ?The concept was immediately compelling by raising the potential of greater communication between the visually impaired and family and friends, said Thomas Garvey, associate professor at the Carleton University (Canada) School of Design and one of 20 world-renowned design experts comprising the IDEA jury. ?The number of well considered details, the visual approach and the very comprehensive presentation materials lifted this concept easily into the top category.? http://www.hardwarezone.com/news/view.php?id=11345&cid=5 http://www.snugd.com/2008/08/18/photos-for-the-blind/ A Chinese designer has designed a new Camera for visually impaired people. The camera named ?Touch Sight? has has a lightweight, flexible Braille display sheet which displays a 3D image by embossing the surface, allowing the user to touch their photo. In addition to the Braille display sheet ?Touch Sight? includs a unique feature which records sound for three seconds after pressing the shutter button. When taking photographs it should be held against the forehead like a third eye. Its proved that its the optimal position to capture the image. http://omenandblaq.blogspot.com/2008/08/touch-sight-camera-for-blind.html http://sansarcyber.blogspot.com/2008/08/article-about-camera-is-outta-sight.html http://ffb.ceoxi.com/2008/08/this-camera-is-outta-sight.html http://community.plus.net/blog/2008/08/14/touch-camera-for-blind-users/ http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/08/13/this-camera-is-outta-sight/ http://www.techravenews.com/2008/08/camera-for-blind-is-interesting-concept/ The Touch Sight concept is a camera for the visually impaired. It records sounds by transferring images with 3D embossing technology so that people who can?t see can have a recording of the sounds of the event. Those who can see use their eyes to view a photo, the blind will use their sense of touch to actually ?see? the image. It?s an innovative idea and so naturally it was one of the winning designs for the 2008 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), which honors stand-out designs in products, ecodesign, packaging, research and concepts like this one. It?s absolutely brilliant. http://www.slipperybrick.com/2008/08/touch-sight-camera-for-the-blind/ http://www.idsa.org/IDEA2008/Enter.html ------------------------ Howe?s Brooklyn Painter, Mentor Brings Artwork of Disabled Adults To Brooklyn Museum by Brooklyn Eagle (edit at brooklyneagle.net), published online 08-13-2008 THE WORLD-RENOWNED BROOKLYN MUSEUM, one of the oldest and largest art museums in the country, has permanent collections ranging from ancient Egyptian masterpieces to contemporary art, representing a wide range of cultures. Now and then, though, curators initiate more unorthodox exhibitions, drawing on the various talents of artists close to home. ?Click! A Crowd-Curated Exhibition,? which ended last weekend, is one such idea. Another is ?New York State of Mind,? opening Aug. 14, an offshoot of a four-year collaboration between the museum and Institute for Community Living (ICL), a non-profit agency that serves adults with serious mental illnesses and developmental disabilities. Bed-Stuy resident DYLAN STANFIELD has been the arts and activities counselor for the disabled adult residents of ICL for four years, since the Art Enhancement Project was initiated to increase tenants? quality of life. ...... Stanfield visits eight houses on a rotating basis, guiding residents in activities ? painting, drawing, clay and photography ? to help them express their interpretations of the world. ..........Both Stanfield and his students draw inspiration from their twice-monthly themed fieldtrips to the Brooklyn Museum. For Stanfield those trips are learning experiences in other ways: How, for example, does one take a group of visually impaired adults to an art museum? ?Well, I?m learning that myself,? he says. ?It is a lot of explaining art and the concepts that go into it. We might look at tribal masks, feel them, and talk about why they were made and the cultural significance in how they were used.? The museum is also developing a touch garden, and on occasion holds special open houses where visitors can wear gloves to touch certain sculptures, which is otherwise not allowed. Stanfield, who moved from Olympia, Wash. 10 years ago, was involved with non-profits before ICL, teaching art in schools and even once painting a mural for one of ICL?s buildings. He was between jobs when ICL had an opening for this position. The artistic growth has since run in both directions, as Stanfield has been pushed by his students and their various needs to increase the mediums he works with. ?I was excited to work with a different population, grow a little, expand my horizons. I had no expectations, and I think that has helped me to appreciate the art in a very art for art?s sake kind of way. Originally I am a painter, but the first day I started at the Jaslow house, where all the residents are blind, I thought ?I gotta figure this out.?? Go to www.brooklynmuseum.org for visiting information. http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=18&id=22477 ------------------ The Tall Ships Blog Blind trainees not daunted by the challenge ahead All the trainees on board the Polish Class B vessel Zawisza Czarny are looking forward to the challenge of taking part in The Tall Ships? Races. Few of them have been to sea before which means they are complete novices around their ship, but for 16 of them there is an additional challenge to overcome, as they are blind or visually impaired. http://www.pabloavanzini.com/?p=94 ------------- Visually impaired teens swim with dolphins! Twenty-eight teenagers, ages 14 to 18, from Miami Lighthouse for the Blind summer camp will have the opportunity to partake in the Dolphin Encounter of a lifetime on August 7th at 11 a.m. at Miami Seaquarium, 4400 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne (Tel: 305-361-5705). The teenagers will get a chance to touch dolphins, feed them, play with them and get up-close and personal with these loving creatures. Photo opportunity available. http://facts-about-dolphins.blogspot.com/2008/08/visually-impaired-teens-swim-with.html ------------------- Visually impaired children learn how to surf! For two days on the Dutch coast, 24 blind and visually impaired children took to the ocean and were taught how to surf as part of The Out of Bounds program within The O?Neill Surf Academy. For 10 year old Dion Terlingen, who is completely blind and autistic, it was not only his first time on a surfboard, it was also his first time in the sea, the enjoyment of which he could not hide. ?We were encouraging him to stand up on his board,? said O?Neill volunteer Femke Terpstra. ?As soon as he stood up, he said ?I?ve done it, now I want to play in the water?. He was playing around in the waves non-stop for the rest of the day. Eva Van Den Berg, 17, who is completely blind, arrived at Out of Bounds, shy, her head down, saying she was not good at sports. After two hours in the water, elated from standing on her board, Eva declined a rest: ?I can rest for the rest of the holidays,? she said. Out of Bounds came from the inspiration of Santa Cruz native, Yael Dahan, a photographer and a surfer who worked with O?Neill to create the first program of its kind in Europe. http://visually-impaired.blogspot.com/2008/08/visually-impaired-children-learn-how-to.html From fnugg at online.no Tue Aug 19 07:33:56 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:33:56 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Touching art for the visually impaired on Rhodes Message-ID: <48AABDB4.2030908@online.no> * * *The innovative program ?Touching Art? will be the State Museum of Contemporary Art?s participation in the 1st Mediterranean Printmaking Triennale, that will take place in Rhodes from August 27 to November 2.* *?Touching Art?* is an international program which helps blind and visually impaired people to ?feel? prints that have been rendered in relief form. That means that the outlines of the figures have been done in carton and other materials that can convey the best possible feeling of the different colors, surfaces, shapes and techniques of each artist. The captions accompanying the works are in Braille. The initiative is part of an international program of museums worldwide, called *?Art Beyond Sight?.* This is the third time that *Thessaloniki?s State Museum of Contemporary Art* is adopting it. The Museum will participate in the *Triennale?s tribute to Greek printmaking at the Rhodes Municipal* *Gallery,* with 12 works in relief form that have been selected by the Association of Greek Printmakers. They are works by Odysseas Annitsakis, Giorgos Grekas, Dimitra Siaterli, Yiannis Stefanakis and others. The program has been jointly organized with the Ilios Foundation for the Protection of the Blind in Northern Greece and the Central Macedonian Union of the Panhellenic Association of the Visually Impaired. http://www.homeboy.gr/?p=1506 From fnugg at online.no Tue Aug 19 07:54:10 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:54:10 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Democratic National Convention, Dega, Pete Eckert Message-ID: <48AAC272.5090407@online.no> Disaboom to Raise the Volume of the "Unheard Voice" of Disability Community at the Democratic National Convention Disability-Focused Organizations to Speak to Denver Community, Democratic National Convention Delegates, Media Through Disaboom-Sponsored "Unheard Voice" Activities and Events August 14, 2008: 07:00 AM EST Disaboom (OTCBB: DSBO) (www.disaboom.com), the premier online community for people touched by disability, today announced that it will help the voice of the disability community to be heard at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver through the "Unheard Voice," a series of disability-focused events and activities. The series of "Unheard Voice" events, most of which are open to the public, will showcase the political issues of importance to people with disabilities, display accessible recreation opportunities and demonstrate how people with disabilities express themselves through visual and performing arts. "People with disabilities represent 15 percent of the U.S. population, 37 million of us are registered voters, and politically, our voices haven't been heard -- we are the unheard voice of this nation," said Dr. Glen House, founder of Disaboom and a quadriplegic himself. "The Denver 2008 Host Committee has afforded Disaboom and other disability organizations the unique opportunity to talk about the issues of importance to our community and to showcase the ways we've turned disability into ability on a national scale." http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0424809.htm ------------------------------ Degas by half-light Edgar Degas (1834-1917) began to complain of vision problems at 36, two years before his six-month visit to New Orleans to visit family with his brother Ren? De Gas. "What lovely things I could have done, and done rapidly if the bright daylight were less unbearable for me," Degas wrote to a painter friend. "To go to Louisiana to open one's eyes, I cannot do that. And yet I kept them sufficiently half open to see my fill." Does his need to work in dim interiors explain the sketchy finish of his portrait of his sister-in-law Estelle Musson De Gas? Most of Degas' New Orleans paintings look more resolved than this, but the portrait depicts a woman who herself was nearly blind. So we might see in the picture's loose definition more than a tract of Impressionist taste: an expression of sympathy for the subject's murky eyesight, and an evocation of the vividness of touch that we assume it brings forth. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/14/DD43129736.DTL ------------------------------ Last week, I traveled from California to New York city to assist blind artist, photographer, and friend Pete Eckert with his showing at the Leo Kesting Gallery in NYC. Pete's juried entry won the Artists Wanted "Exposure" competition sponsored by JPG magazine and others. The award included cash, press promotion, and a reception hosted by the Kesting Gallery on August 7, 2008. Eckert's work was also projected onto buildings on the streets of Chelsea, Dumbo, and Willamsburg in NYC from August 4th - 7th. My goal was to help take some of the stress off Pete, by helping him navigate the opening, and the city, and to photograph the energy, electricity, and excitement of the evening. Pete is a self contained man who can take care of himself in the world. But sometimes friends need a little help. He often says, "I am a visual person, I just can't see." Pete sees things many of us do not. I have spent time in Sacramento with Pete and his wife Amy, and I can tell you Pete has talent, and is in control of his destiny. His work is extraordinary regardless of disability. For more information about Pete Eckert go to www.peteeckert.com. http://www.jpgmag.com/stories/6391/ ------------------------ Pete Eckert "Exposure Photo Competiton Winner" ?I never really took photography seriously until I went totally blind.? This extraordinary statement comes from Pete Eckert a uniquely talented photographer who was just announced the winner of the major photography competition: ?Exposure? hosted by Artists Wanted. http://www.nyartbeat.com/event/2008/A81E From 2008-08-07 To 2008-08-10 Opening Reception: August 7, 6?9 pm. From fnugg at online.no Tue Aug 19 08:34:39 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:34:39 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Art Education for the Blind video on YouTube, Australia. Spokane, Cuadrado Message-ID: <48AACBEF.9030808@online.no> What's Possible? Art Education for the Blind video on YOUTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u65bKveNc0 ------------------ Biennale paints a picture for those who have ears to see AT 80, Lilian Yang's interest in art has never dimmed. But her sight has. Slowly at first, until about eight years ago when the doctor of philosophy in Chinese literature was declared legally blind. "I'm a real book person, also galleries and art have been part of my life for as far back as I can remember," she says. "So I don't want to be cut off." For the first time in a Sydney gallery, she won't be. Four audio describers - volunteers trained to commentate a play or film for those who cannot see it - will conduct guided tours of some of the Biennale of Sydney artworks on August 23 as part of the Lord Mayor's Community Access Day. Already well established at the Tate in London and the Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the program describes the colours, shapes and effect of a work to allow a visually impaired person to imagine and make their own judgment of it. "Using really well-organised, beautiful language, you can come away thinking: I saw that picture," Yang says. The one-day program will focus on biennale artworks that would otherwise be inaccessible to those without sight, such as Jesus Rafael Soto's mixed-media optical kinetic relief, Triptico Azul, Negro y Violetta (1977). A volunteer for Vision Australia, Mettina Pavlakis, says the event will be groundbreaking for the four describers because they have only worked in theatre and television since the program was set up in Sydney in 2000. "Something like this is complex to look at - let alone describe - so we're really looking forward to it," Pavlakis says. A similar event has been planned using sign language for the hearing impaired, and the Art Gallery of NSW will include about 10 works in the visual program, with a further four featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art, and three at Pier 2/3 at Walsh Bay. "You still use the names of the colours and what you see, so there is no difference [describing for] someone who has been born blind, or has in the later years developed blindness," Pavlakis says. And they hope to get feedback. "We're very happy to take questions, but we're going to play by ear." http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/biennale-paints-a-picture-for-those-who-have-ears-to-see/2008/08/12/1218306891079.html ------------ Non-profit to add more Braille in Spokane SPOKANE -- A Spokane non-profit is trying to get the word out about the struggles of the visually impaired by offering a free Braille-translation service for local businesses. The Lilac Services for the Blind is offering all Inland Northwest business owners the opportunity to translate their pamphlets or information sheets for free. The non-profit organization recently completed menus for some Spokane restaurants and hotels and will soon begin translating Spokane Transit Authority maps and bus schedules. http://www.kxly.com/Global/story.asp?S=8833461&nav=menu683_2 -------------------------- The fact that Cuadrado was going blind while the film was being shot makes the picture an even more amazing accomplishment. The fact that Victor Erice has only made two feature length films since this amazing debut is a tragedy. The Spirit of the Beehive takes place in 1940 Spain, shortly after Francisco Franco took over power. The film, made near the end of Franco's reign, was made in a time of censorship by the Spanish government. Films during this era were forced to use allegory and fantasy to disguise any political messages. While The Spirit of the Beehive does not assert an overtly political agenda, the lives of the people affected by the Spanish Civil War are presented in a way showing the feelings of the director towards the regime. http://www.411mania.com/movies/columns/82607 ---- From dandrews at visi.com Wed Aug 20 11:51:10 2008 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:51:10 -0500 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Free Canes in US: National Federation of the Blind Launches Largest-ever White Cane Initiative Message-ID: Baltimore, Maryland (August 19, 2008): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind people, today announced an initiative to ensure that any blind person in the United States and Puerto Rico who needs a long white cane will have one, regardless of ability to pay. The NFB will provide a free cane to anyone in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico who is blind or has low vision and who uses or desires to use a white cane in order to travel independently. This historic initiative is the largest effort ever of its kind to provide white canes to individuals who are blind or have low vision. "The white cane is both a symbol of and a tool for independence," said Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind. "It allows blind individuals to travel whenever and wherever they want, leading to self-confidence and self-sufficiency. With the initiation of this landmark program by the National Federation of the Blind, every blind person who wants the freedom and mobility that a white cane provides can have it." The long white cane provides an effective means for blind students to get to school, blind adults to get to work, and blind seniors to remain active. Art Schreiber, a retired broadcaster from Albuquerque, New Mexico, said: "As an active blind person and someone who has traveled throughout the world, I know the white cane means freedom for blind seniors everywhere." Melissa Riccobono, a blind stay-at-home mom and educational consultant said: "As the mother of an active twenty-month-old son, my cane helps me to safely navigate through my busy day from walking to the playground to visiting the pediatrician." It is estimated that 109,000 of the 1.3 million legally blind people in the United States use a white cane. By supplying canes free of charge, this program provides the opportunity for all blind Americans to have a white cane and to participate fully in society. The National Federation of the Blind will provide a straight, light fiberglass cane to any blind individual in the United States or Puerto Rico who requires the cane for personal use. Canes are available in the following lengths: 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, or 63 inches. Individuals may only request one free cane in any six-month period. For more information on the use of the long white cane and the National Federation of the Blind free cane program, please visit www.nfb.org. ### About the National Federation of the Blind With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind. From fnugg at online.no Tue Aug 26 03:05:49 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:05:49 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] online guide to making tactile picture books and articles IFLA Message-ID: <48B3B95D.5050400@online.no> How links to articles about tactile graphics on IFLA Tactile picture books for blind and visually impaired children Guidelines by Beatrice Christensen Sk?ld Annica Norberg http://www.ifla.org/VI/1/guidelines/tactile_picture_books_20080109.pdf by IFLA, ALP and TPB ----------------- More from IFLA believe have posted this a long time ago - but very good article by Yvonne Eriksson /How to make tactile pictures understandable to the blind reader/ http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla65/65ye-e.htm ------------------- Creating a Loans Collection of Books with Tactile Illustrations for Young Children with a Visual Impairment Marion Ripley ClearVision Project http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla73/papers/156-Ripley-en.pdf ---------------------- /Presentation of Tactile Materials: The Need for Research/ http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla65/65jg1-e.htm John Gill Chief Scientist, Royal National Institute for the Blind, 224 Great Portland Street London W1N 6AA United Kingdom ------------------- Picture books accessible to blind and visually impaired children Beatrice Christensen Sk?ld, Reseracher/International Coordiantor, Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille (TPB). Chair IFLA Libraries for the Blind Section. http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla73/papers/156-Skoeld-en.pdf ------------- excerpt "Libraries - A voyage of discovery" http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla71/papers/084e-Nguyen.pdf Through the donations of the Force Foundation, services using CCTV were introduced into all the reading rooms of the General Sciences Library in 2002, and were followed up with similar services at the National Library of Vietnam in Hanoi the following year. Tactile graphic facilities and talking book machines were made available in these 4 libraries in 2003, and these services have since been gradually introduced into other public libraries throughout Vietnam ---- Cr?ation d?une collection de pr?ts de livres avec illustrations tactiles pour jeunes enfants avec handicap visuel Marion Ripley Projet ClearVision Londres, Royaume-Uni http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla73/papers/156-Ripley-trans-fr.pdf From fnugg at online.no Tue Aug 26 04:25:35 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:25:35 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Geograffiti Message-ID: <48B3CC0F.7000906@online.no> Interesting article about a free service that lets you make voice tag areas for mobile telephones - sounds like do it your self audio tour in any area you want. Have not tried this out but sounds interesting - idea for mobility, tour information, etc - It says to keep message to under 5 minutes Sounds like this has potential article "you can create your own voicemarks. A voicemark is an audio "blurb" posted on a virtual free verbal message board ... for exchanging location-specific community information ... any place with any mobile phone ...... (YES! you can listen to voicemarks on your phone as well as view them on a map...great for visually impaired students)." website GeoGraffiti is a free telephone-based service that enables any caller to verbally publish or retrieve location-specific information; it is meant to be used while out?n about ... on location. GeoGraffiti aggregates voice message content marking real-world places with pertinent information. Your real-world experiences, opinions and voice is all you need with GeoGraffiti - no fancy web enabled mobile phones required. You don't even need to register with us to use the service! .....A Voice Mark is a short phone message, made available to the public, that shares opinions and information about a locality, restaurant, store, park, ... or really anything else you can think of. http://www.geograffiti.com/ information about geograffiti http://www.geograffiti.com/helpandfaq.html http://www.geograffiti.com/video.html article link http://www.cellphonesinlearning.com/2008/08/geograffitivoicemarks-mobile-audio.html From fnugg at online.no Tue Aug 26 04:29:09 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:29:09 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] French museums, tactile map, scanned model, artist Message-ID: <48B3CCE5.8080400@online.no> Full Participation in Cultural and Social Life: French Museums Take Steps to Make Handicapped Visitors Welcome http://www.ifla.org/VII/s9/nd1/51.pdf article Tactile map will honor school's anniversary To commemorate the 150th anniversary of its founding in the basement of the Kentucky School for the Blind in 1858, American Printing House for the Blind has created a tactile map of the Frankfort Avenue corridor as a gift to the school. This one-of-a-kind map will be presented during a special reception at 11:30 a.m. Friday. Kentucky Education Commissioner Jon E. Draud will speak to students, faculty and guests about the unique learning needs of students who are blind or visually impaired. He also will recognize school staff for their work as part of the Education Department's Employee Appreciation Week. http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080825/NEWS0105/808250424/1008/NEWS01 article Visually-impaired visitors can now fully appreciate the beauty of one of North Lincolnshire's major tourist attractions, thanks to modern technology. Special Braille and tactile models have opened at Thornton Abbey, near Thornton Curtis. They allow blind or partially sighted guests to visualise the historic abbey's architecture using only touch. English Heritage, which manages the abbey, has worked with Goxhill-based Visually Impaired Media Access Consultants (Vimac) to create the displays, made using cutting edge technology. Laser scanners were used to capture and record part of the facade of the abbey's 14th century gatehouse, as well as creating a replica of a medieval stone capital. The data was then manipulated using computers before being fed into a machine to produce a tactile model made of plastic. This was then inset within a stylised relief of the building. English Heritage senior curator Kevin Booth said the lasers could also help preserve the abbey for the future. He said: "Scanning technology has the potential not just to create tactile exhibits, but is also being investigated as a way of recording our historic fabric for conservation purposes. "We have also produced Braille guides and a large tactile plan of the monastic complex at Thornton, giving insights into the fascinating history and sheer scale of this amazing monument." Vimac director Paul Thornton said the new displays were the first in the world of their kind. He said: "This was an exciting new development for us as a company and I believe it is the first time worldwide that this technique has been used in accessible interpretation of heritage sites. .... Find out more: www.english-heritage.org.uk/ thorntonabbey http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:u1hTHo3dhUEJ:www.redorbit.com/news/business/1531226/handson_look_for_gatehouse__visuallyimpaired_visitors_can_now_fully/index.html+Special+Braille+and+tactile+models+have+opened+at+Thornton+Abbey,+near+Thornton+Curtis&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1 article Go for It - One Mans Approach to Fadding Vision Wolf has designed a t-shirt with VISUALLY IMPAIRED RIDER emblazoned across the front and back of it so other people around him give him some extra room when he is riding. When it comes to his artwork, Wolf uses a computer to accommodate his narrow visual field, shrinking images down so he can see them more easily. After he?s completed a project, he?ll enlarge it for printing. He recently had one large print ? three feet by three feet ? on display at a gallery. Some of Wolf?s creations are abstract interpretations of what he sees with his visual impairment. http://originalgimp.org/?p=108 ---------- From fnugg at online.no Tue Aug 26 05:26:04 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:26:04 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] tactile diploma, photographer, game, model, garden, artists Message-ID: <48B3DA3C.8030606@online.no> CHAMPAIGN, Ill. ? Christie Lynn Gilson recently graduated from the University of Illinois with a doctorate in special education. Because she is legally blind, she wouldn?t have been able to read her own diploma without the assistance of some dedicated university staff members. When she was finishing her graduation plans, she asked a staff member in the records division of the Office of Admissions and Records if she could receive a Braille diploma.... http://www.news.uiuc.edu/news/08/0819diploma.html Blind photographer sees the big picture Georg Gordon?s personal goal is to photograph every home basketball game this season at Carrboro High School . This may not seem like a remarkably ambitious goal ? except that Gordon is legally blind. After multiple surgeries to correct developing macular holes, cataracts and the loss of pigment in his retinas, Gordon?s impairment forced him to retire from his career as writer, photographer and editor. Fortunately for the town of Carrboro, even the loss of his sight couldn?t stop him from doing what he loves. ?Digital [photography] has saved my life,? said Gordon. He knows the range of his camera and with help from the bold lines running the length of the court, he knows where to expect action. caption to picture: Legally blind photographer Georg Gordon stands ready with his camera during a triple-header on Jan. 25 at Carrboro High School. Walking the baseline, the experienced photographer is keeping his goal of shooting every home basketball game for the Jaguars. You can see his work weekly in the Carrboro Citizen. http://carrborocommons.org/2008/02/01/blind-photographer-sees-the-big-picture/ link http://bestofbp.blogspot.com/2008/08/blind-artist-photographer-and-friend.h art Singapore-MIT game lets visually impaired share the fun May 13, 2008 A new computer game developed by MIT and Singaporean students makes it possible for visually impaired people to play the game on a level field with their sighted friends. The game, called AudiOdyssey, simulates a deejay trying to build up a catchy tune and get people dancing. By swinging the remote-control device used by the Nintendo Wii, which senses motion, the player can set the rhythm and lay down one musical track after another, gradually building up a richer musical track. game download site http://gambit.mit.edu/loadgame/audiodyssey.php AudiOdyssey was developed with four research goals: * The visually-impaired and the sighted can enjoy the same level and quality of gameplay * Navigate game's menus with ease and efficiency approaching that of conventional UIs * Create a fun and natural control scheme using the Wiimote * An engaging game that relies more on high quality audio than visuals article New technique allows blind to 'see' gatehouse Barton upon Humber-based company Visually Impaired Media Access Consultants (Vimac) worked with Hull University's Design Enterprise Centre and English Heritage on the project. A small part of the abbey's intricate facade was scanned into a computer and the data manipulated and fed into a "rapid prototyping" machine to produce a tactile plastic model, set within a stylised relief of the gatehouse. The technique has been used to recreate a medieval stone capital, showing the high-quality masonry of the abbey in its heyday. Paul Thornton, from Vimac, said: "This was an exciting new development for us as a company and I believe it is the first time worldwide that this technique has been used in accessible interpretation of heritage sites. Everyone who has tried it has been impressed by the detail and also pleased that for once someone bothered to consider the needs of people who have a visual impairment." http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/localnews/New-technique-allows-blind-to.4413468.jp article Appealing to the senses CNIB's Fragrant Garden a 'place of tranquility' Pamela McDowell, For Neighbours Published: Thursday, August 21, 2008 When Rosalie Cooksley steps out into the garden, she likens it to stepping into a Monet painting. "The large blocks of colour are all a bit blurred. They sort of blend into one another, like a painting," she says. Legally blind since 1984, Cooksley understands the impact a garden has on visitors on many different levels as it appeals to all our senses, and this became her guiding principle in designing the CNIB's Fragrant Garden. http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/neighbours/story.html?id=d18c7423-f948-4e48-b9b1-447a67067daf article Art feature: Sculpting without sight: Woman creates with clay Click photo to enlargeSherri Fizer talks about her sculpture work in her home on July 24 in Chico. Fizer is blind and...?12345?CHICO -- Sherri Fizer has a passion for making ceramics, but her favorite projects are her "praying people." She rolls the clay between her hands into long strands, pinching it off to make the bodies for the 5-inch kneeling people. A ball of clay gets put at one end of the strip for the head and another strip gets wrapped around for the arms. She doesn't paint them because color wouldn't mean anything to her. Fizer hasn't been able to see colors or much else for more than 20 years. "I like the creating part of it," Fizer said of her ceramic work. "I don't care what color it is. It's the construction and form of the piece that interests me." Fizer was born with glaucoma, which worsened as she got older. Her left eye hemorrhaged when she was eight years old and her right eye continued deteriorating. Now she can only sense light perception. article Art after injury: woman paints Santa Dollar art Brooke Becker sits at her desk with the painting she did for the Santa Dollar program. Becker had a major head injury in a car accident in 1992, and this year her art will be featured on the Santa Dollar bills and cards nationwide. CLEARWATER ? At 14, Brooke Becker taught the 20-something models how to move for an ad. She was popular, wore a big smile and wasn?t afraid to give her dad a kiss when she later worked as a hostess in a Clearwater restaurant. At 20, her date?s car was hit by a truck. She was in a coma for months. Her right side is paralyzed. The right side of both her eyes are blind. She can?t form sentences or say most words. But Brooke Becker can paint. This summer, Brooke, 36, of Clearwater painted the Santa Claus face that will appear on more than a million Santa Dollars across the country and painted the picture that will appear on the cards. http://www.tbnweekly.com/pubs/clearwater_citizen/content_articles/082008_cit-01.txt From fnugg at online.no Fri Aug 29 01:30:05 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:30:05 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Simon Hayoe on BBC History of blindness, Message-ID: <48B7976D.3080306@online.no> Forwarding from Simon Hayhoe. It is an interview with me about the history of blindness, education of the blind, and also about current educational policies in the UK. In this homepage, click on "Listen to the latest edition" close to the top of the page. Alternatively, click on the second link which gives an MP3 version: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/intouch.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00d4pyr Best wishes, Simon From lisa.yayla at statped.no Mon Sep 8 03:57:18 2008 From: lisa.yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:57:18 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Magna Jenssen's exhibitions Message-ID: Hi, In case you are in Norway Magna Jenssen will be holding 3 exhibitions this fall. Galleriet i Schweigaardsgt. 88. ?????September 11- 22 Opening ???4 pm - 7 pm Opening weekdays ?3 pm - 6 pm Saturday/Sundays ??1 pm - 4 pm Galleriet i Frognervn 44 E. ???? ?October 9 - 20 2 pm - 5 pm ? Galleriet i Theresesgt. 5. ???? ?November 15 -23 2 pm -5 pm ? Her website is http://www.magnajenssen.no www.magnajenssen.no Regards, Lisa Lisa Yayla Huseby Kompetansesenter Oslo Norway mailto:lisa.yayla at statped.no lisa.yayla at statped.no From lisa.yayla at statped.no Mon Sep 8 04:00:12 2008 From: lisa.yayla at statped.no (Lisa Yayla) Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:00:12 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Tactile Graphics 2008 Conference Message-ID: We've had an excellent response from those submitting abstracts, with contributions from 15 countries covering an extensive range of exciting topics. Therefore Tactile Graphics 2008 is shaping up to be a very relevant, interesting and innovative conference and exhibition. The discounted Early Bird booking rate closes on 15 September 2008, so you have only two weeks to benefit from this reduced rate. ?You can book your place using our online booking form on the conference website at: http://www.nctd.org.uk/Conference/Conf2008/book.asp http://www.nctd.org.uk/Conference/Conf2008/book.asp ++Exhibiting at Tactile Graphics 2008 Exhibiting at Tactile Graphics 2008 is an ideal opportunity to share your work, products, services and good practice with international delegates who share your passion for tactile graphics. ?It is also an excellent networking opportunity for making new contacts and building on professional relationships within the tactile graphics community. All exhibitors are delegates of the conference, so you will be able to participate in any conference sessions you wish. ?Therefore you will not need to miss out on any of the exciting content. There is still time to get involved. ?However there is limited space remaining, so please submit your exhibition abstract promptly. For more information and the Call for Abstracts please go to the Exhibition Page of the conference web site at: http://www.nctd.org.uk/Conference/Conf2008/exhibition.asp http://www.nctd.org.uk/Conference/Conf2008/exhibition.asp We look forward to hearing more about your interesting and important work! Lisa Yayla Huseby Kompetansesenter Oslo Norway mailto:lisa.yayla at statped.no lisa.yayla at statped.no From fnugg at online.no Wed Sep 17 09:24:57 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (fnugg at online.no) Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:24:57 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Haptics, artist, snow sculpture, Imke Durre Message-ID: <48D11339.1000008@online.no> excerpt Haptics: I?m Feelin? You Back in 1932, Aldous Huxley imagined a Brave New World (the year he picked was 2540) with elaborate movie theaters equipped to provide a sensation of touch. Turns out ?the feelies? will make their appearance far sooner, and they?re coming to our pockets. http://www.e-gear.com/story/story.bsp?sid=134947&var=story article Blind artist chases dream Duyen Xuan To Lien's artworks reveal how profoundly happy she is. Her kaleidoscopic choice of colours extends across the rainbow spectrum and she works with the brightest of hues. Her patterns and stripes are embellished with cheery motifs: hearts, stars, flowers and smiling faces. To's artworks won her many admirers at her small solo art show, for one night only, at the Helen Maxwell Gallery in Braddon on Monday. The crowd of 60 who gathered to see her work marvelled at the detail, particularly astonished as To, 19, is legally blind. She has a rare disease, septo-optic dysplasia, which means the nerves that connect her eyes to her brain are underdeveloped. To's sight will continue to deteriorate over time. Her disease also causes dysfunction in her growth and development, and in some of her other capabilities. The disease is incurable and inoperable. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/blind-artist-chases-dream/1274544.aspx excerpt Snow is Transformed into Art in Breckenridge Each year, four-person teams are assigned 12-foot-tall, 20-ton blocks of machine-made snow. These teams work within a five-day period to create sensational sculptures. From these blocks of snow, the teams often create enormous pieces of whimsy, although some deliver powerful political or social commentary. Some sculptures are even interactive and allow spectators to experience the tactile as well as visual grace of the fleeting exhibit. http://www.atmstravelnews.com/viewpressreleases.asp?ClientID=243&rid=2316 excerpt great article about Dr. Imke Durre, Climatologist at Fred's Head http://www.fredshead.info/2005/11/dr-imke-durre-climatologist.html From fnugg at online.no Wed Sep 17 10:10:19 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (fnugg at online.no) Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:10:19 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] World Haptics 2009, The Center for Creative Growth, Albert Watson, Safari Message-ID: <48D11DDB.1010305@online.no> Submissions are now open for World Haptics 2009 (the 3rd Joint Eurohaptics Conference and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems), to be held March 18-20, 2009, in Salt Lake City. http://www.worldhaptics2009.org/ excerpt The Center for Creative Growth: Celebrating the Potential of Every Human Being When the family of Ramon Avalos, a blind and mentally disabled man in his 50s, received a check from Center for Creative Growth for a few hundred dollars from the sales of his artwork, they sent the check back thinking it was a mistake. Founded in the mid-1970s in Oakland, California, The Center for Creative Growth (CCG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing those with mental, physical and emotional disabilities a place to make artwork. Avalos had been working at the Center for years and was known for his colored pencil on paper abstracts. ? CCG gives disabled men and women a place to create art. Photograph courtesy of CCG. ?The Center for Creative Growth is an innovative organization that has not only paved the way for a better understanding of people with mental and physical disabilities but also maintains an unfailing belief in the healing power of art. Led by its dynamic director, Tom di Maria, the Center has built a solid board of directors that includes leaders in the fields of contemporary art and business. Most of the onsite staff members are professional artists. http://thewip.net/contributors/2008/09/the_center_for_creative_growth.html Creative Growth Art Center http://creativegrowth.org/ excerpt Albert Watson - Best of Albert Watson may be blind in one eye (a fact hinted at in the title of his legendary book, Cyclops), but this does not diminish his ability to see in any way. Whatever he captures on camera - whether it be Mick Jagger, the hand of a chimpanzee, Kate Moss in Morocco, or a domina in Las Vegas - he creates an iconic image. From September 2008, a collection of his work will be on display at the NRW-Forum. This retrospective will cover a wide range of photos from early icons to brand new studio photos. http://www.actuphoto.com/8273-albert-watson-best-of.html excerpt Lincoln Children?s Zoo will host a special event for children and adults, of all ages, with visual disabilities. Sensory Safari will offer the opportunity for those who cannot see the zoo?s animals to experience them in a special way. Dozens of volunteers will be on hand Sept. 17 to introduce participants to mounts of animals that can be touched to determine texture, shape and relative size. Animal recordings will provide the opportunity to hear the animal?s vocalization and identify its various moods as demonstrated through sound. Guests must pre-register to attend. Contact Candace Rehmeier to register at 1-800-826-4355. http://www.fremonttribune.com/articles/2008/09/11/news/local/doc48c7e8154a91d346708492.prt From fnugg at online.no Wed Sep 17 11:02:48 2008 From: fnugg at online.no (fnugg at online.no) Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:02:48 +0200 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Go!Fest Competition, ANOTHER VIEW, school design, woodturning , Things That Motivates A Visually Impaired Photographer Message-ID: <48D12A28.3050104@online.no> Artists With Disabilities Encouraged To Enter Go!Fest Competition posted September 12, 2008 An Art Expo for artists with disabilities will be part of Go!Fest on Oct. 11 at the Warner Park Zoo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The entry deadline for artists with disabilities has been extended to Sept. 29. Acceptance to exhibit in the ArtExpo will be determined by a three-person jury selected by the Go!Fest committee that will choose artists based on their collective review. Notification of acceptance will be made by email. Mission of Go!Fest is to encourage young people with disabilities and their families to explore the available services, resources and opportunities that would enable individuals to realize their maximum potential in setting and achieving lifetime goals and personal success in every area of life. http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_135001.asp article ANOTHER VIEW - A Collection of Artwork Created by and for the Blind A special exhibit including paintings, sculptures, prints, and mixed media work with an emphasis on tactual accessibility that has been created by blind and visually impaired children and adults will be on display at the Middletown Arts Center from September 28 through October 12. The eclectic works will raise awareness and dispel stereotypes regarding the abilities of the blind and visually impaired to create deeply emotional and beautiful works of art. The children included in the exhibit are from St. Lucy Day School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Philadelphia. The adults are from the New Jersey Blind Citizens Association at Camp Happiness in Leonardo which operates under the direction of Doug Scott. These adults have participated in creative sessions at the Middletown Arts Center. Both groups have received national recognition for their artwork. Also exhibiting is Dennis Gentile, an 83 year-old artist from New Haven, Connecticut who is donating the proceeds from his landscapes to the International Council of Education for People with Visual Impairment. Susan Ferraro, an accomplished artist and art instructor, will have work included in the exhibit. Location: Middletown Arts Center 36 Church Street Middletown, NJ 07748 http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080911/GETPUBLISHED/809110599/-1/LOCAL02favicon.ico article Gordon Murray + Alan Dunlop Architects push the barrier of functionality to win DesignShare Award The goal of the US based DesignShare Awards is to find those learning environments that meet at the crossroads of innovative design and pioneering educational programs. This year the proud recipients of the award are Glasgow based Gordon Murray + Alan Dunlop Architects with Hazelwood School, the first school from Britain to win the award. The winning design for the school that caters for children aged from 4 to 18 with severe visual, mobility and sensory impairment, is a `low slung? building conceived as a natural free flowing form, which `meanders? gracefully through the site respecting its existing landscape of mature lime and beech trees. Timber is the predominant structural and cladding material selected for its natural weathering qualities whilst presenting a warm and tactile surface to the children who will learn in its sustainable environment. The main circulation space features a ?sensory wall?, a tactile device that allows blind children to locate their class room using the folds in the wall. A trailing board weaves through the school allows the children to practice mobility and orientation skills. The design was the result of close consultations between the architects, the Glasgow City Council as the client and the user group through workshops, meetings and seminars. Since opening in August 2007, the school has received many positive feed back from users and supporting associations. Attention to multi-sensory details, adaptability of the space, use of natural materials were some of the features of the design that were highly praised by the jury panel of the DesignShare Awards. http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=10304 excerpt Invercargill man Lance Jarvis is new to the precision art of woodturning ? something made more remarkable by the fact he is completely blind. For an art that requires a keen eye, Mr Jarvis relies on feel, sound and smell to craft vases, candlesticks and other items on a lathe. Seven lessons into it his tutor Southland Woodworkers Guild member Bill Finlay credits Mr Jarvis as one of the best students he has ever had. "Compared to a lot of fellows, Lance listens and follows what I say," the 35-year veteran woodturner said. http://www.stuff.co.nz/southlandtimes/4685525a6568.html excerpt Things That Motivates A Visually Impaired Photographer "Being visually impaired is a trip, especially if the fields you have chosen to pursue are photography and fine arts painting. When I write a Blog my computer screen fonts have been adjusted so I can read the text and view the images therein. When I take a photo I am looking through a special magnification ditty that I have flitched off of an old Game Boy handheld. This enables me to view the resultant shot I just took. While painting I am constantly consulting my color wheel charts to make sure my values are correct even before I begin to apply paint to the canvas." http://www.myshutterspace.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1177697%3ABlogPost%3A113824 From Kirsteen.McSwein at tate.org.uk Thu Sep 18 09:36:31 2008 From: Kirsteen.McSwein at tate.org.uk (Kirsteen McSwein) Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:36:31 +0100 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Close Up Talk - Tate Britain - Tues 14 October Message-ID: <39BC6C7B1C17FB469357BBF26C0E9BCAD88373@TB-GALLERY-EX6.gallery.tate.org.uk> Close Up Talk at Tate Britain Tuesday 14 October 2008 11:00 to 13:00 Meet in the Manton Studio Please join us for a morning of art appreciation especially for visually impaired visitors. This will include an audio described tour of works by twentieth century artists who were interested in paint and how texture and colour can inform the image. The artists we will discuss include: Francis Bacon Walter Sickert Frank Auerbach Sir Matthew Smith Then experience Martin Creed's Work 850 (the runner!) before heading back to the Manton Studio for a cup of tea or coffee. To book CALL 020 7887 8888 Book Tickets online: www.tate.org.uk Please enter by the Manton entrance at the side of the gallery on Atterbury Street. Tate Britain Millbank, London SW1P 4RG Please contact me if you have any questions. Warm regards Kirsteen Kirsteen McSwein Assistant Curator: Interpretation (Access) Tate Britain +44 (0)20 7887 8922 -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Tate Britain Programme VI - Aug 2008.doc Type: application/msword Size: 35328 bytes Desc: Tate Britain Programme VI - Aug 2008.doc Url : http://www.nfbnet.org/pipermail/artbeyondsightmuseums/attachments/20080918/d2627609/attachment.doc From dandrews at visi.com Tue Sep 30 10:28:08 2008 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:28:08 -0500 Subject: [Artbeyondsightmuseums] Information on Blindness the Movie Message-ID: I am posting the information below to most of the NFBNet.org mailing lists. I am doing so because of my concerns about the great harm the movie Blindness can cause. David Andrews, List Owner below are two documents which were released in their final form on Monday afternoon. Please read them carefully. 1) a "Frequently asked questions" to give more information about the movie, the reasons for our objections, and other helpful information; and 2) a flier that will be distributed along with other literature at various informational protests around the country. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Movie Blindness Q: What is the premise and plot of the movie Blindness? A: Blindness is based on a novel of the same name by the Portuguese writer Jos? Saramago. The premise of the movie is that unnamed residents of an unnamed city in an unnamed country suddenly and mysteriously go blind. Those who experience the blindness see only a white glare, so the blindness is sometimes called the "white sickness." The blindness is contagious and the government immediately quarantines the victims in an abandoned and dilapidated mental asylum, with orders that anyone attempting to leave is to be killed. The prisoners are given food and supplies, but deliveries are inadequate and become increasingly irregular. The asylum also becomes filthy because the blind inmates, as portrayed in the movie, cannot find their way to the bathroom and simply relieve themselves on the floor or in their own beds. Some of the inmates die from infection, disease, or are shot by guards when they try to escape or simply become lost and wander too close to the fence. The inmates of ward one, led by an ophthalmologist's wife who can still see but feigns blindness to remain with her husband, fare slightly better than the rest; the implication is that this is solely because she assists the blind, portrayed as being unable to do anything for themselves. As food supplies dwindle, another group of blind inmates, whose leader has acquired a gun and dubbed himself "the King of Ward Three," begins to terrorize the others. The armed clique in ward three hordes all the food, extorting money and valuables from the other inmates and eventually demanding sex with the women from other wards in exchange for allowing the rest of the inmates to eat. One of the members of this clique, who was born blind and is not a victim of the white sickness, knows how to read and write Braille and is given the task of taking inventory of the valuables stolen from the other inmates. When the women from ward one go to ward three to exchange sex for food, one of the women is beaten to death as she is raped. The doctor's wife later kills the King of Ward Three, but the man who was born blind takes his place as leader of the armed gang and threatens to avenge the "King" by killing the doctor's wife. Being blind, however, he is unable to shoot her and she escapes unharmed. The rest of the inmates finally decide to do battle with the gang in ward three; just before the showdown, someone sets a pile of bedding alight, starting a fire that soon engulfs the entire asylum. During the ensuing confusion, the man who was born blind shoots himself. When the surviving inmates, including the group led by the doctor's wife, escape the burning asylum, they discover that no soldiers are standing guard and they are free. Outside the makeshift prison, everyone has gone blind and the city has descended into total chaos; no government services or businesses are functioning and nomadic groups of mostly naked blind people wander through the streets, squatting in abandoned houses and shops for shelter and taking food where they can find it-including in rubbish heaps. There is no electricity or running water, so the streets and buildings of the city are as filthy as the asylum was. Dogs that people used to keep as pets have gone wild and roam in packs, feeding on refuse and human corpses. The home of the doctor and his wife, however, is intact, and their group sets up residence there. The movie ends just as they regain their sight-as suddenly and mysteriously as they lost it. Q: Have you seen the film? A: Yes. Members of the National Federation of the Blind were permitted to screen the film. Many other members of the National Federation of the Blind have read the novel, and according to the filmmakers themselves, the movie is "true to the book." Q: How will this film harm blind people? A: Blind people already suffer from irrational prejudice based on ignorance and misconceptions about our capabilities and characteristics. This prejudice-which is based on ignorance and low expectations but is no less harmful than prejudice based on ethnicity, religion, or sex--is the cause of the overwhelming majority of problems experienced by blind people, including an unemployment rate that exceeds 70 percent and the lack of proper education for blind children. This movie will further entrench myths and misconceptions about blindness and blind people, thereby contributing to the barriers to equal participation in society that we face. Q: What is wrong with the way blind people are portrayed in the film? A: Blindness falsely depicts blind people as incapable of almost everything. Even accepting that most of the characters are newly blind and thus have not learned certain skills needed to function effectively as a blind person, their complete and utter incompetence is simply not credible to anyone who has had even casual contact with actual blind people. The blind people in the film are unable to dress or bathe themselves; they usually go about naked or nearly naked and relieve themselves on the floor or in their own beds. The doctor's wife is shown helping him dress by holding his pants so that he can step into them, and he comments at one point that she even has to clean him after he has defecated. In reality, even newly blinded individuals do not experience this level of incapacity; they do not forget how to dress, wash, or use the toilet. The blind people in the movie are portrayed as perpetually disoriented and having no sense of direction or ability to remember the route from one place to another. However, blind people regularly travel independently using white canes or guide dogs. The blind people who are not completely helpless in the novel and movie are depraved monsters, withholding food from the others in exchange for money, jewelry, and sex. One of the worst of these criminals is a man who was born blind and has adapted to his blindness, yet he sides with the criminal gang of ward three, participating in brutal rapes and attempting to kill inmates from the other wards. Thus, all of the blind people in the film are portrayed either as helpless invalids or degenerate criminals. The movie suggests that blindness completely alters the human personality, resulting either in total incapacity or villainous evil. The movie also makes it clear that blindness is cause for complete and irreversible despair; one blind man comments, "I'd rather die than stay like this." Blind people, in fact, do live happy lives once they have learned to accept their blindness and adjust to it. The movie also suggests that the blind must always defer to the sighted; when the doctor's wife leaves him outside a supermarket so she can attempt to find food, he says, "I know my place." The dignity, worth, and individuality of blind people is constantly denigrated in this way throughout the movie. The National Federation of the Blind objects to this portrayal of the blind because it simply isn't accurate. Blind people are a cross-section of society who happen to share the physical characteristic of being unable to see. The blind are employed in almost every profession imaginable, have homes and families, raise children, do volunteer work in their communities, and generally lead normal, productive lives. To the extent this is not the case, the problem is not blindness itself, but rather the misconceptions and stereotypes that society holds about blindness and blind people. This film will further those myths and misconceptions and deepen public prejudice against the blind. Most members of the public do not know a blind person and may therefore assume that this portrayal of blindness is accurate and true. It is not, and the falsehoods in this film will damage the prospects for equal opportunity, productivity, dignity, and happiness for blind people throughout the world. Q: Isn't this just a matter of political correctness, or a difference of opinion with the novelist and filmmakers? A: No. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but not his or her own facts. If an artist were to create a painting called "Elephant," but the picture in fact represented a giraffe, a camel, or a creature from the artist's own imagination, then any art critic-or any layman-would point out that the picture does not, in fact, represent an elephant. The person pointing out the inconsistency would not be accused of "political correctness" or a "difference of opinion" with the artist, but would be recognized as having good common sense. The portrait of blind people in this movie is simply wrong; artistic license does not permit a writer or a filmmaker to make false assertions about an entire group of people. The stereotyping of blind people is just as inappropriate as the stereotyping of African-Americans, women, Hispanics, or any other group of individuals who share common characteristics. Q: Isn't blindness being used as a metaphor in the novel and film? A: Yes, and this is one of the movie's main problems. Blindness is simply the physical characteristic of being unable to perceive things with the eyes, but the author and filmmakers want it to be a metaphor for everything that is bad about human nature. At the very least, blindness in this movie represents lack of insight or perception; arguably it represents even worse traits, since many of the blind characters engage in rape, murder, and other forms of criminal behavior. Blind people, however, are not inherently obtuse or incapable of discernment. Although we cannot see with our eyes, we are aware of the world around us through our other senses and through the alternative techniques we use to learn about our environment, such as traveling with a white cane, reading and writing Braille, and using technology. Blindness is no more an appropriate "metaphor" than other physical characteristics, like hair color or ethnicity. Movies in which all of the villains have dark skin or a foreign accent are rightly criticized as employing racial stereotypes. If a movie were to be made in which people's hair suddenly turned blonde and all of the characters with blonde hair were vapid idiots, then people with blonde hair would rightly be outraged. In today's society, it should likewise be unacceptable for blindness to be used as a stand-in for depravity, incompetence, and lack of understanding. Q: Doesn't your protest violate the First Amendment rights of the filmmakers? A: No. The First Amendment protects the production and screening of this film, but it also protects our right to protest its production and screening and to tell the public that it portrays blind people in an outrageously false manner. Q: Have you brought your concerns to the attention of the filmmakers? A: Yes. We sent letters to officials involved with the production asking to meet and discuss our concerns but they refused to respond. *** Flier Blindness: A Movie that Harms the Blind [] We Condemn and Deplore The National Federation of the Blind condemns and deplores the negative, damaging, and distorted description of blindness and blind people in the movie Blindness, adapted for the screen from the novel of the same name by Jos? Saramago. This outrageous and offensive movie reinforces society's fears and misconceptions about the blind and will lead to lost opportunities for employment and social acceptance. Contrary to the stereotypes and images this movie portrays: ? Blind people travel, work, go to school, raise families, play sports, and participate in their communities. ? Blindness need not be a tragedy. ? Blind people are confident and competent human beings, with as much imagination, creativity, and capacity as the average sighted person. The Truth About Blindness Contrary to the assertions about blindness and blind people found in both the film and book, the National Federation of the Blind wants you to know that: ? Blind people are responsible; a sense of responsibility is not in any way related to visual acuity. ? Blind people can care for themselves both physically and emotionally. ? Blind people are conscious of the importance of hygiene and personal appearance; they do not live in filth and squalor. ? Blind people can successfully travel; they are not generally disoriented or wandering without direction. ? Blind people are unique individuals; they are not without identity. ? Blind people are active in society, not isolated from others and the world. ? Blind people can perceive their surroundings and exercise judgment. ? Blind people are as dignified and conscientious as their sighted peers. [] This Film Gets It Wrong The premise in the film Blindness is that everybody but one person becomes blind. The description of society as an increasing number of its members become blind is one of filth, greed, perversion, and vice. The film depicts blind people as incapable of doing everything, including basic tasks like bathing, dressing, and traveling. Blindness becomes a metaphor for all that is bad in human thought and action. Blind people in the movie have every negative human trait and few of the positive ones. The only encouraging element in the release of this film is the almost universal reaction of the critics that the film is a failure. Marc Maurer, President of the 50,000-member National Federation of the Blind, said of the film in his July 2008 banquet address, "The Urgency of Optimism": "The capabilities of those who become blind remain essentially the same after they lose vision as they were before they lost it. Although the loss of any major asset (including vision) will bring a measure of sadness to some and despair to a few, it will also stimulate others to assert their will. Blindness can be a devastating loss, but it also has the power to galvanize some to action. The reaction to blindness is not the least bit one-dimensional. Therefore the description is false. . . . The charge that loss of vision creates a personality alteration to a sordid and criminal character is in itself sordid and defamatory to an entire class of human beings." This film will do incalculable harm to the public image of blind people. Society labors under multiple misconceptions about blindness and blind people, and this film promises only to affirm and strengthen these false impressions. The film Blindness will diminish opportunities for blind people to find employment, a distressing reality considering that over 70 percent of blind people are already under-employed or unemployed. The film will also further lower the general public's expectations about the ability of blind people to be fully contributing members of society. Both of these consequences will be devastating to the hopes and aspirations of blind people. President Maurer concluded his reflections on the film when he said, "The description in Blindness is wrong-completely, unutterably, irretrievably, immeasurably wrong. That such falsity should be regarded as good art is revolting and amazing." David Andrews and white cane Harry.