The College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) and the Industries of the Blind (IOB) have partnered on an innovative and multidisciplinary project — the installation of a public art piece which tells the stories of the blind and low-visioned using sight, sound, and touch.
The installation is located at the IOB building at the corner of Gate City Boulevard and Tate Street, one of the main entrances to the UNC Greensboro campus, and is the culmination of an innovative collaboration between the IOB and the CVPA’s School of Art and School of Music, as well as Interior Architecture University Libraries.
Sight: Students in Associate Professor Mariam Stephan’s painting III class were paired with IOB employees for a series of conversations focused on ideas of independence, empowerment, and access. Based on those conversations, the students created paintings, which were then printed on 8’x10’ banners hung on the side of the IOB building.
Sound: Art History students with Assistant Professor Dr. Nicole Scalissi worked with the painters to record verbal descriptions of the paintings and narratives surrounding their creation. School of Music students, under the direction of Professor Mark Engebretson, created original musical scores in response to the paintings and the exchanges. To hear these stories and songs, participants can press a button on audio boxes under the banners — which were designed and constructed by Derek Toomes’ Interior Architecture students.
Touch: Not only can the paintings be viewed, they can also be experienced by the blind and low-visioned. Installed beneath each banner is a touchable bas-relief bronze sculpture created by students in Assistant Professor Dane Winker’s Sculpture course, using a three-dimensional computer modeling program and traditional metal casting methods.
Images, audio material, transcripts, and more stories will be publicly available online through a website designed by Assistant Professor Maggie Murphy and hosted by UNCG University Libraries.
Adam Carlin, Director of Community Engagement for CVPA, initiated and has led the project from concept to reality. He says it started as a way to support the School of Art’s community engaged activities, but it grew to something much bigger:
“This is a project that has the potential for far-reaching impact not only to UNCG students and Industries of the Blind employees, but for the entire community. Creating public art that is experienced through sight, sound, and touch has allowed UNCG students to expand their artistic practice to be more accessible for the community. It is our hopes that this approach can inspire countless other artists in our community. The project will also act as a window into Industries of the Blind, allowing them to share their thoughts, feelings, and hopes for anyone who passes by the building.”
Carlin says this is the first iteration of a three year project, and that there will be new art and new voices in the coming years:
“The partnership between Industries of the Blind and UNCG’s College of Visual and Performing Arts will be a long-running project as there are many stories to tell from people who are blind or low-vision that the community needs to hear. This collaboration will build a more inclusive community, provide education through art, demonstrate what people are capable of, and will highlight what IOB can provide to the surrounding community in the form of employment opportunities and personal growth for people who are blind or low-vision.”
The project has received grant funding totaling $27,900. One of the major funding organizations is The UNCG Green Fund, which operates as a campus-based grant program that offers education, research, and professional development opportunities for students and employees by investing in campus infrastructure and programming to help meet the goals of the UNCG Climate Action Plan. UNCG’s Sustainability Specialist Sean MacInnes says the project is in sync with the heart of UNCG’s mission — to make the world a better place by building thriving and vibrant communities:
“This project, with its synergistic connections to the environment, economics, aesthetics, and social equity, is an embodiment of that mission. This isn’t just a simple beautification or place-making project. It was a collaborative effort, it encourages interaction, and it elevates the connections we have with each other and with the places in which we live, work, and play. We’re excited to be a part of it and look forward to future iterations.”
Richard Oliver, Director of Community Outreach at Industries of the Blind, says the partnership has proven successful:
‘Industries of the Blind is proud to collaborate with UNCG on such a tremendous project. These pieces of art capture the journeys of our associates and show the empowerment and sense of achievement that all Industries of the Blind associates strive for as they work towards their American Dream.
Video Walk through of new art piece created by UNC Greensboro faculty and students and installed at Industries of the Blind building https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2WiahnnZr4&feature=youtu.be
About Industries of the Blind For more than 80 years, Industries of the Blind has been providing opportunities for employment and personal development for people who are blind or visually impaired to achieve greater independence. Since 1933, Industries of the Blind in Greensboro has been dedicated to eliminating barriers for our blind and visually impaired community. Industries of the Blind is about the power of possibility. We look forward to sharing more of that spirit with you. Please visit us at www.industriesoftheblind.com.