Tactile Ann Cunningham returns to IDB for workshops on art accessibility

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                              Contact:       Shoshana Hebshi

June 21, 2010                                                                                                       515.281.1338

Renowned tactile artist Ann Cunningham returns to Iowa to teach about art accessibility for the blind
 
When: Thursday, June 24 to Sunday, June 27, 2010
Where: Iowa Department for the Blind, 524 Fourth St., Des Moines
 
DES MOINES—The artist who created touchable public art last summer is returning to Iowa to teach the public and blind Iowans the value of making art that is accessible to the blind and ways those with significant vision loss can appreciate art.
 
Ann Cunningham, a Colorado-based tactile artist, will conduct three workshops June 24 to 27 at the Iowa Department for the Blind building in downtown Des Moines. Cunningham has years of experience working with blind and deaf populations, and is well-known for her tactile artwork, which includes a rendition of Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” hanging in the IDB’s lobby.
 
The first of the three workshops will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Thursday, June 24 for Iowa artists and art professionals, as well as Iowa Department for the Blind staff. During this workshop, Cunningham will discuss ways to make art more accessible to those who do not process information visually. Participants will also create their own tactile art and talk about how art can open avenues of communication.
 
The second workshop will be for blind and visually impaired youth who are part of the Department's youth transition program. Called Artful Antics, the workshop will be held from noon on June 24 to noon on June 26. Participants will talk in depth about art appreciation, how pictures work and how to incorporate emotion and experience into artwork. They will travel to Gray's Lake and explore that area, then take their experiences back to the work room and create a piece of art that reflects that experience. They will also spend some time at the Des Moines Arts Festival. 
 
A third workshop will be for blind and visually impaired adults. They will spend a half-day from 1 to 5 p.m. on June 26 learning about art and art accessibility.
 
“When Ann created our impressive tactile art permanent installation for our building, I knew the public could gain so much from the way she looks at art as a way to build connections,” said IDB Director Karen Keninger. “As a society we are constantly reminded that art is not for touching, but for those of us who can’t see, our only way to experience the art is by touching it. These workshops will help break down traditional barriers and open our minds to new ways of creating, presenting and appreciating artwork.”
 
“We have multiple senses and they beautifully coordinate with each other to tell us about our world,” said Cunningham. “It is rare that we are offered an opportunity to explore our world with the focus on just one of those senses. In this workshop we are going to explore the world through our sense of touch.”
 
For more information about this event or the Iowa Department for the Blind and its services for blind and visually impaired Iowans, contact Shoshana Hebshi, communications specialist, at (515) 281-1338 or Shoshana.Hebshi@blind.state.ia.us
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