Contact: Maridith Geuder
Tim Lefens
An award-winning abstract artist and author will lead two days of public programs during a special residency this month at Mississippi State University.
Tim Lefens of Bell Mead, N.J., will be on campus Oct. 20-22. He is founder of Artistic Realization Technologies, a nonprofit organization that works to empower persons with severe disabilities to create large, expressive artworks.
His 2002 book, "Flying Colors," describes his experiences discovering, fostering and promoting the concept that all people can create art--even those who are nearly immobile. Reader's Digest magazine named it "Non-Fiction Book of the Year."
While at MSU, Lefens will:
--Present a lecture on the 20th titled "A New Way of Seeing" that describes his odyssey leading to the organization of ART and its subsequent national exposure in media ranging from CBS News to the New York Times. The 7:30 p.m. presentation in Lee Hall auditorium also will showcase artworks by some individuals with whom he earlier worked.
--Direct workshops on the 21st and 22nd at the T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability in which volunteer trackers will be paired with aspiring artists with disabilities. The 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. daily sessions also are open to interested observers.
--Chronicle his own personal artistic journey at 7:30 p.m. on the 21st in a Lee Hall auditorium program titled "Abstraction: Purity and Power of the Essential."
--Conclude his visit on the 22nd with a 3-5 p.m. exhibition and reception at the T.K. Martin Center for participating local artists and their works.
The ART concept is based on a principle of facilitating or "tracking" movements that the artist dictates using a head-mounted laser, as well as other technologies. As Lefens writes in "Flying Colors," these "hands" free the artists from their physical constraints. He now has expanded the concept to include sculpture and photography.
"This brilliant program is based on a philosophy of unlimited potential," said MSU art professor Brent Funderburk. "Lefens believes that 'inside a limited set of connections are unlimited possibilities.'"
Unlike many traditional programs, the approach emphasizes the creative process for its own sake. "ART believes not just in mere therapy or recreation, but, according to Lefens, art fully realized," Funderburk observed.
Martin Center director Janie Cirlot-New expressed the hope that Lefens will establish a baseline for volunteer trackers that can be built upon for subsequent center learning experiences.
"Too often, we don't know if people with disabilities are creative, because they've never had opportunities to try," she explained. "We're inviting faculty members, local teachers, students, and others who are interested to learn more about this innovative approach."
MSU fine arts graduate Bac Shelton, a Martin Center art teacher, said he knows first-hand the struggle of someone with a disability to express individual creativity. "I want others to be able to do what I've done," said Shelton, who has cerebral palsy.
Selections from Shelton's abstract collection will be among those featured in the exhibit.
Lefens' MSU visit is made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission and the Starkville Arts Council. In addition to the Martin Center, additional on-campus support is provided by the College of Architecture, Art and Design; department of art; and University Honors Program.
For more information about Lefens' residency or to volunteer for training as a tracker, telephone the Martin Center at (662) 325-1028.
Parents of children 4 years old and older with limited or no use of their hands who would like their family member enrolled as a participating artist also are encouraged to call.