The Talking Books program has taken a decidedly visual approach to public awareness with the launch of a traveling art exhibit titled “Through Different Eyes: Achieving a New Perspective.”
This is the first in what promises to be an annual exhibit showcasing the artistic talents of the blind, visually impaired and physically impaired Talking Books patrons in Kansas, sponsor say. It opened Saturday at the Great Bend Public Library, where it will remain through April 20. Admission is free.
“The State Library of Kansas wanted to show the public that though an individual may be visually or physically impaired, there is no limit to their ability to create,” the exhibit brochure explains.
Included in the exhibit is an acrylic on canvas painting by Donald Matthews of Great Bend. Titled “Lonesome Valley,” it shows a small cabin on a brown landscape, with mountains in the background.
“It just came up to my mind and I painted it,” the artist said.
Matthews said he’s been painting since the 1980s, if not earlier. It’s a hobby he especially enjoys since retiring. His late wife was legally blind, so they began receiving Talking Books in 1986, and he continues to check out four to six books each month. Currently, he’s listening to “Gunfighter’s Daughter.”
Some of the featured artists, such as Dana Smith of Wichita, have had visual impairments for most of their lives. Smith was born with an eye condition called Peter’s Anomaly, which left her blind in her left eye and with severe glaucoma in her right. Her grandmother introduced her to arts and crafts, encouraging her to expand her imagination through her hands. She has contributed a ceramics piece titled “A Braille Story” for this exhibit.
Other artists with works in the exhibit have continued to create after the onset of visual impairments. For example, Betty Austin of Fort Scott has enjoyed sewing since childhood. In 1996 medical problems caused her to become low vision, then in 2001 she lost sight in her left eye. “Farm apron,” an example of fabric art, is her contribution to the exhibit.
The brochure with photos of the works and a note about each artist is available at the exhibit, and there’s also a Braille version without photos. Visually impaired individuals are invited to touch some of the art as another away to experience it. The sponsors caution that visitors should be extremely careful when touching the art, and any piece that should not be touched is labeled. At the Great Bend library, many pieces are protected in glass showcases.
The exhibit also explains how to sign up for Talking Books. The service is available to Kansas residents who are unable to read or use standard printed materials due to visual impairment, physical impairment or reading disabilities.