Contact: Margaret Kovar
Local visual artists with physical disabilities will make their Columbus debut at an exhibition and artist's reception on Jan. 3 from 5:30 - 7 p.m.
The exhibition will be on display through January in the main gallery of the Columbus Arts Council in the Rosenzweig Arts Center. The event is part of the Express Yourself! art program at the T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability at Mississippi State University.
Through the program, the artists have the opportunity to feel the power of self-expression through art. They make all the decisions concerning their artwork, including canvas size and shape, paint color and consistency, type of standard and unique painting tools and artistic style. Trained individuals, called trackers, act as the painters' hands.
"Many of our artists are told how to do everything in their lives," said Judy Duncan, case manager. "Express Yourself! allows them to explore their independent, creative sides."
The project is funded in part by the Mississippi Arts Commission and uses the techniques of abstract artist Tim Lefens and the Artistic Realization Technologies organization.
Named for the university's longtime former vice president and leader in efforts to make the campus more accessible to those with physical and other challenges, the T.K. Martin Center provides comprehensive, multi-disciplinary evaluations to persons of all ages. Its mission is to help remove limitations through the application of assistive technology, allowing individuals to participate in educational, vocational and leisure activities to the fullest degree they choose.
For more information about the event, contact the T.K. Martin Center at 662-325-1028.