DeaFestival 2012

Iris Nelia Aranda is a Panamanian professional artist in oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, ink, ceramics, wood and metal sculpture, and photographs.

“All my figures, whether plants, animals, fruits, or human forms, reverberate in the depths of my starry, surreal skies. My soulis drawn to living lineal figures and natural cylindrical shapes. My colors fuse freshness, harmony and spontaneity -- the joy and rush of life in the natural world of animals, water and climate that flows from within me into my art”.

Born deaf, she experiences the earth visually. As a child, she basked in the beauty of the waves and sand on family treks to the oceanside. Her parents recalls her surprise and inspiration by the salty taste of seawater. So she began making drawings of the seaside. With encouragement from her family, she progressed through many areas of art, receiving her Masters of Applied Arts Design from the University of Panama in 1997.

Her greatest inspiration came from the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo in Panama City. There she found, not only a connection between her heart and the visual arts, but also support from the professional community. In the United States she has had the great pleasure of creating murals, sculpture and children’s workshops for schools such as the Wisconsin School for the Deaf, Milwaukee Sign Language Immersion School, Burroughs Junior High School, and Engleburg Elementary School. I have contracted privately to design corporate and home interiors, and have had the honor of several special gallery showings of my work.

Internationally, I have exhibited in Central America, South America, Cuba, and Europe. I am proud to have worked for UNESCO, OAS, and the CSD companies. Support and sales have ranged from private sector individuals to VSA, and IP-RELAY, Sprint VRS , and Sorenson VRS.

I was born deaf in 1971 in France. I graduated from the School of Beaux-Arts in France and I joined the University of Visual Arts named La Cambre in Brussels (Belgium). For 20 years, I intensively worked on Deaf Identity, art and culture. In 2009, in Europe I created the movement of Surdism. I wrote a manifesto and proposed a creative, political, philosophical, artistic and cultural exchange in World of the Deaf identity, history, bilingualism, biculturalism, audism, deafhood, including the emergence of Deaf Art. My aim is to make Deaf culture visible, but mostly to give a common name for Deaf artists who express themselves through their artwork. SURDISM is awareness of identity and the cultural plural (cinema, theater, literature, visual arts…) by the Deaf.

Fred Micheal Beam is internationally known performing artist who has different artistic outlet in many forms. He has been a visual artist since his high school years where he won several local arts awards for his outstanding work. His work has been shown in National Black Deaf Advocates Confernce, D.C. Black Deaf Expo and one of the Kentucky DeaFestival in the past.

Melody Bock-Freeman graduated with a Master’s degree in Art Education and Secondary Education (MAEd) in 2006 and with graduate certification in Teaching the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in 2007 from Eastern Kentucky University. She is a certified Art Educator and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education for all grade levels with the Kentucky Professional Standards Board. She was born with severe to profound hearing loss and has a strong oral background. She served as a Service Provider Representative for KCDHH from June 30, 2007 until June 30, 2010. She is an active artist in her community as well as for the state of Kentucky.

“Not only do I love painting, I also take great joy in creating pottery pieces. I love getting into the mud and turning it into a functional piece of art that can be used to eat or drink from. I make each piece very unique, from coffee cups with indentations for holding or an extra large handle, to plates for hors d'oeuvres with cups for dip in the middle or to one side. I've even crafted dipping cups with cheese spreader handles attached, and my latest designs have been flower vases. I love to include embellishments such as turtles, lizards, butterflies, flowers and ferns. The more pieces I create the greater the level of craftmanship. I work in white cflay, red clay, and sandstone, and by using a variety of glazes, and methods of firing I've created some very colorfulpieces.”

She is mentoring with the Kentucky Artist Roster for VSA arts and a member of the Lexington Art League. Ms. Bock-Freeman is currently teaching undergraduate Elementary Art Education courses at Eastern Kentucky University. Ms. Bock-Freeman currently resides in Lexington, Kentucky with her husband, Bruce Freeman.

My love for art began at age of 4 when I discovered that art is a medium that I can use to communicate with my hearing parents who didn't know sign language. I loved to get reactions from my parents when they saw my art work. It started a life of art passion.

My artistic growth was pretty much limited to drawing until I took high school visual arts class at California School for the Deaf, Riverside. My visual arts teacher was impressed with my natural art talent and decided to let me do a lot of advanced independent art projects. It gave me a chance to explore different art mediums from ink drawing to stained glass to lincocut. When I created a surrealist linocut image, my teacher was blown away by the depth and essence of my linocut image. She asked me if I got this idea from Salvador Dali, a famous surrealist artist and I told her I had no idea who he was! This is how I learned about Dali and he is one of my favorite artists. My art work has won several awards in different art contests in Riverside county.

After my graduation from college with degrees in special education and history, my art passion went into deep hibernation for nearly 20 years because I had been teaching social studies which had little to do with art and was very busy raising my three CODA kids with my wife. The 18 years of teaching social studies started to wear me out and I started to explore other teaching options. Fortunately, an opportunity came knocking, a long time CSD art teacher had just retired. I took this chance to become an art teacher to replace her. With my Deafhood journey background, I decided to teach Deaf-centered visual arts class with emphasis on De' Via. My students study many De' Via artists such as Chuck Baird, Susan Dupor, Betty Miller, and Nancy Rourke (They are my favorite De VIA artists!). De' Via helped my students anaylize and explore their Deafhood experience and express them in art. It was a huge success. I have been teaching art at CSD for five years now.

www.eyehandstudio.com

New Artist from Russia!

As a Deaf Artist I enjoy using the media of oil to paint children on the beach. When I paint that type of thing I can feel the ocean and I can imagine the surroundings. I also enjoy doing Intaglios which are a challenge and that is what makes them so much fun. The subject of hands is a big part of what I do in Intaglio. When I first started to sell these pieces of art people were so excited that it inspired me to do more.

www.clantonart.com

Sculptor Terry Clayton of Logan County began his collegiate career intent on becoming a weightlifting coach. And although he is still as physically fit as he was during his days as a football player for the University of Kentucky, his path has taken a different direction.

Clayton, who has been deaf since he was 5, graduated UK in 2007 with a degree in kinesiology, but he is still at the school pursuing a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. In metal sculpture, he found an art medium that communicated with him.

“I’m a muscle man,” he says. “Muscle requires you to do metal work. I just love working with metal.”

Clayton was honored recently by having his sculpture, titled “Cherished,” placed on permanent display on the University of Kentucky campus. The work is an abstract piece, depicting a mother cradling a baby child. In his own description of his work, Clayton writes that his mother always let him know how precious he was to her and she would not let people mistreat him because of his deafness.

“She gave me unconditional love and protection as I was growing up,” he writes. “I would hope that any parent with a disabled child would cherish them as much as my mother did me.”

Clayton is the first deaf student at UK to have his work displayed in a permanent public setting. Its home is outside the student disability services office near the student center. He was one of three other UK art students whose work was accorded the honor of being displayed on campus.

Although he still works out in the gymnasium, Clayton says his main workout comes in the metal shop, working with blowtorches, welding arcs and pouring hot iron into molds to fashion his creations. In addition to his art accolades, Clayton was honored in 2007 as the inaugural winner of the Rudy Award. The award, created by the inspiring Notre Dame walk-on Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, recognizes “Character, Courage, Contribution and Commitment.”

This is the Russellville native’s first time exhibiting at DeaFestival.

Jack Cochran

Jack Cochran’s art takes many forms, primarily oil painting, but also includes drawing, watercolor, print making and screen-print, woodcut and monotype. Jack is a late-deafened person; therefore, the language of art is his communication mode. It is his belief that there is no barrier to understanding a beautifulpiece of art, whether it be a tonal study, vibrant floral work, portrait or landscape. At the age of 69, he recently graduated magna cum laude with a degree in art from the University of Kentucky.

Bernice Wood

Oil painting had always been her medium of use until 1990. All this changed when she enrolled in watercolor classes taught by Robert James Foose at the University of Kentucky. These informative classes continued for several years and added to her experience. She continued learning by participating in many workshops taught by prominent watercolor artists.

She currently instructs a University of Kentucky sponsored watercolor Osher Lifelong Learning Class. She also teaches a weekly Thursday evening class at Artists’ Attic and a yearly watercolor workshop for The Winchester Art Guild.

Her studio is located in Artists’ Attic in Victorian Square where she is a juried member and serves as president of the artist organization of twenty artists members.

Her watercolor paintings are on exhibit in her studio and can be seen daily during open hours. She welcomes and encourages visits to all Gallery Hops and scheduled member exhibits at Artists’ Attic. Her paintings can be seen at www.artists.attic.org.

Her art is now being shown at Artists Attic along with other gallery members. Recent art exhibits featuring her work were in August 2007 and 2008 Member Shows, Annual Plein Air Shows in October of 2007 and 2008; also in Christmas Shows held in November and December of 2007 and 2008 as well as previous years.

Janna Dahl was born and raised in the town of Tolyatti , Russia which is southeast of Moscow. She lost her hearing at the age of four, within a world of silence, she observed everything in bold color and brilliant images. Her father was also an artist but she never observed him working. When she was around seven years old, she asked him if he could buy her painting supplies and without asking for lessons, she taught herself how to paint. With the encouragement of her family, she expressed her artistic ability on canvas throughout her childhood.

Calling her work "soul-inspired," Janna continued her art studies and graduated from Leningrad Rehabilitative Center in St. Petersburg with a degree in that respective field, initially specializing in oil painting and batik methods. Around that time, her artwork began to sell locally but she still needed to earn a living which made it more difficult for her to do artwork on a full-time basis.

Janna believes that everything happens for a reason, and when a friend invited her to visit Flagstaff, AZ in 2004 she knew she had to go. She fell in love with the Southwest and her future husband. Along the way, she learned the English language and applied for citizenship which is currently in process. Janna resides in Flagstaff with her husband and Russian son. Specializing in acrylic, she continues to produce various art pieces, some of which are already on display in local places, office of the Literacy Volunteers of Coconino County and The Seasoned Kitchen.

www.dahlspiritualart.com

Matt Daigle is profoundly deaf but has ears to wear and is 40 years old with 18 year old sideburns. Born in San Antonio, Texas but has lived and traveled around the US (though not yet to the northwest states). After living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for five years, he was tired of making too many snowmen. For a new adventure he and his wife of 12 years and their three year old son relocated to the Golden State and now live in California where the climate is a few degrees warmer! He is still a stay at home Dad, playing with his son all day. His nights are filled recharging his creative juices and creating the hilarious cartoons and illustrations you will find here. He loves to spend his time producing work to share his humor with others!

Matt’s illustrating skills, developed in childhood and were honed at Northern State where he graduated with a B.A. in Advertising and Graphic Design. He has worked in the field of Graphic Design for 15 years, both freelancing and as a full time designer. Being a cartoonist and stay at home Dad compliment one another beautiful. Matt continuously inspired by his son has the time and flexibility to jot down ideas or do quick sketches. A big thanks goes to Matt’s best half who is always supportive of his artistic path as a cartoonist/illustrator… even though she still expects him to cough up ‘the bacon’ for their son’s tuition fund.

www.mattdaigle.com

Susan was born deaf and has a brother who is hard of hearing. She grew up in Wisconsin where she went to school in mainstreamed hard of hearing programs. In 1987, she enrolled at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. After a while, she transferred to School of the Art Institute of Chicago earning her bachelors in fine arts. She also studied science at Art Education from the University of Rochester along with art.

www.duporart.com

Chuck Baird and I grew up together in Kansas. I have been on an extensive journey with Chuck in order to set up an arts foundation. Since his recent death, we have been talking about an extension to the current Deaf Cultural Center building that will include an arts gallery in his name. I am motivated to advertise about an upcoming gala celebrating his vision on June 29th, 2013 in the Kansas City area.

I serve on a Deaf Cultural Center Foundation Board. My task is to raise funds for the DCCF/CBF. Currently, the CBF is affiliated with the DCCF that is located in Olathe, Kansas. We cherish his vision for a growth in appreciation and support for emerging visual artists.

Chuck Baird
February 22, 1947 – February 10, 2012

The Spirit of Chuck lives on in a wonderfully spiritual painting made for the 2007 Deaflympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. This painting entitled "Double Arch" is a limited edition, numbered, piece of art, of which only 250 exist. The gold medals given at the Deaflympics have been matted with the artwork to authenticate the painting.

Click here to see the painting and to get some information about how to obtain one for yourself.

Local favorites!

Sammie Hudson was born in Marengo County, Alabama in 1946. He was enrolled in Birmingham public schools from grades 1 through 8 before he entered the Alabama School for Negro Deaf(ASND). While growing up, Sammie had no one to communicate with due to being deaf. So he used pencils and papers to express himself through drawing. His drawing ability and expertise grew over time. Mr. Hudson uses variety medium such as pencils and oils. He takes pleasure with his work and is married to Carolyne Deborah Byers and has 2 sons.

Born Deaf in Manhattan, New York but grew up in New Jersey for 7 years. Went to public school where Ellen learned poorly without sign language and interpreters. Spent all summers in Goldens Bridge countyside, north of New York City. She earned a BFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Ellen has led a life filled with art and experiences with a background in drawing, painting, batik, ceramics, and many other mediums that have brought her onto her current journey. When she moved to Maryland, she began to recognize just how much her Deaf identity had been part of her artwork. Life was starting to blossom as she was surrounded by Deaf culture and sign language, which developed increasingly colorfulimages including watercolors , oil paintings and tile paintings in her artwork.

Ellen had commissions for handpainted tiles for mural decorations, kitchen backsplashes, fireplace mantel surroundings, and murals behind ranges for past 20 years. She led many workshops in ceramics, drawings and paintings for over 200 Deaf children, children of Deaf parents, and adults.

Ellen keeps a home studio called Ellen’s TileStroke Studio in Frederick. The studio has a kiln for firing both low and high fire tiles from greenware to final glazing in the range of 1922 and 2174 degrees. She works in a variety of aesthetic and technical styles including sculpted relief, carved plaster blocks, tile presses and mosaic tiles. All the tiles are finished in a wide palate of earthenware and stoneware glazes.

I am currently an art major/theatre minor at Gallaudet University. I come from the Deep South with a big heart. Here, you can see the variety of arts, which goes to show that I am an expressive outlaw! One interesting fact: I always bring my portable drawing sketch with me wherever I travel.

A lifelong Texan, Tony Landon McGregor was born in Garland on November 18, 1958. He became deaf when he was approximately 18 months old, from hereditary causes.

Strongly inspired by Southwestern Indian designs, especially the Mimbres drawings, Tony McGregor uses wood burning tools to etch the designs onto the gourd’s surface. His Southwestern Native American-styled gourds have been shown at many festivals in Texas and New Mexico. And many galleries in those two states, and in some on the Eastern Seaboard, carry Tony’s fine gourd artworks. Each is a unique, exquisitely handcrafted work of art.

“I am always involved in many things with my hands; I am constantly experimenting with art. My favorite medium is mixed media. For the last 20 years, I have traveled to West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah, and those areas have greatly influenced my way of thinking. The most prominent artists who influenced me significantly are Georgia O’Keefe of New Mexico and, of course, Francisco de Goya of Spain. In addition, I have been surrounded by Native American friends living in the Southwest area and their culture and folklore are fascinating to me. I have been exploring juxtaposition as a concept in many of my artworks. To me, it means a unique blending of two cultures: the Native American culture and Deaf culture. This concept creates a new frontier called Southwestern DeVIA art. The works of art I have composed are extensions or dimensions of my artistic personality.”

Warren was raised in Cleveland, Ohio but the circumstances regarding his deafness are vague. His parents discovered he was deaf at five years of age, but his brother, who was seven years older, believed that he had meningitis.  While growing up, Warren was influenced by his father's and grandfather's artwork, and started to learn to draw. His dad always brought a small pad and pencil whenever he went, and encouraged Warren to draw and improve his skills.

In 1970, his dad passed away unexpectedly.  Warren became more focused on his art and started to experiment with different types of media such as oil, watercolor, chalk, pastel, colored pencils, and acrylics. Warren attended Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and upon graduation decided to pursue a career in graphic design. His first job was at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and then nine years later he went to the University of Nevada for a year, and then returned to Indianapolis to work for Marian College. After nine years of working at Marian College, he was hired by Wood-Mizer where he worked as an Art Director for eight years until the company downsized due to the recent economic turmoil.  Warren’s family and friends are encouraging him to pursue his passion to paint again and he is currently focusing on a series of paintings about deaf culture.

Born and raised in Louisville, KY, Dick graduated from Kentucky School for the Deaf in 1968. He then attended Gallaudet University for a few years, until he decided to become a printer and was hired at the Washington Post in D.C. Dick is married and has four grown children and two grandchildren. He retired a few years ago from the Washington Post and now enjoys traveling with his wife in their recreational vehicle. He also enjoys sailing, riding his Harley, and of course pursuing photography.

Dick has always been interested in cameras. He purchased his first Nikon when he was in college. He started by selling his photography as key chain viewers at deaf sports events such as AAAD. He is a professional freelance photographer doing a wide range of work from weddings and sports events to portraits, groups and he also works with the Deaflympics. His work has been published in various newsletters, the Washington Post newspaper, and many magazines. He is now exploring a different venue of photo work, by selling his photographs to the public.

Mindy Moore is a multi-talented entertainer who truly leaves a mark on the stage and on her art, batik tie-dye. She hand crafts beautifuldresses, scarves and shirts for children, adults and even your dog…you only have to ask her…

Mindy is extremely versatile, excelling as an actress, storyteller, poet, mime and visual artist. She currently teaches Art, Drama and Deaf Studies at the Texas School for the Deaf. She also directs school plays, gives workshops and is a full time mother to her two children. She and Theron, her husband, work together on stage performances and market DVDs depicting ASL Stories and Deaf Culture.

www.justmindy.com

I believe, whole-heartedly, there is no answer for why something is considered to be a ruin, a relic, a fragment or a token. I am drawn to the remains - the piece from the past that carries its own story; from a culture - living or dead; from a machine; from nature. As an artist, I gather these things to create a story. This approach to storytelling allows me to visually communicate without barriers to a broader audience.

Here, on this plane, I have gathered remains I believe carry a spiritual purpose. Every second of every day, something dies, is ruined or thrown away... and, as well, is born, built, and recycled. I am amazed by the complexity - the many layers and dimensions that we as human beings materialize. These marks in space are my harvest - a harvest I intend to give back.

Planes touching other planes. Amazing.

www.chuckbairdfoundation.org/?portfolio_item=jeremy-quiroga

All of my childhood life, I was always creating new pieces, and exhibited my artwork—everything from painting rocks to canvases—at art fairs, in contests, and at galleries from childhood to high school. I went on to study graphic design and painting at the National Technical Institute of the Deaf and Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and earned a master’s degree in computer graphic design and painting.

In 1979, I had my very first showing at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. I then was among 12 Deaf artists participating at the Heart, Eye, Hand exhibit held at the Los Angeles-based Ankrum Gallery. This gallery was owned by Joan Ankrum, Morris Broderson’s aunt. Morris Broderson was a famous Deaf artist. It was at this point in my life that I stopped painting. I did not have full confidence in my chances at success in the art community, so I chose to become a 9-to-5 employee.

It was until 2010, I became involved in the Deaf Art, and realized I had discovered my passion. I waited so long to start working on Deaf Art. I put off wanting to express my past experiences by audism and oppression from the realm of Oralism. I was not ready to come out of the nutshell and then I did not think I would do well in the Deaf Art, in other word, De’VIA. I was hesitated to show the world my Deaf Art. In the past, the Deaf community kept their anger and frustration quiet and low profile. This oppression and discrimination by the Oralism was getting to be too much that I finally opened up. I received a Puffin Foundation Grant to study, through painting, on Deafhood, Deaf culture, audism, Deaf history, Deaf politics, American Sign Language and bilingualism.

www.nancyrourke.com

Born Deaf, Ann Silver is a founding member of the historic Deaf Art Movement (DAM) of the 1960s-1970s that preceded and set the stage for the De’VIA movement. Her groundbreaking art depicts the Deaf perspective on the oppression of Deaf children and adults in a variety of areas. She continues her social commentary via artistic expression on a variety of subjects near and dear to the Deaf community. Silver has exhibited, published and lectured widely. Her visual arts background is varied, ranging from book jackets, logos, poster art, graphics, greeting cards, Deaftoons and art direction. She advocates for the recognition, inclusion and representation of Deaf Art in the art world and in academia. She graduated from Gallaudet with a Bachelor's degree in Commercial Art and earned a Master's degree in Deafness Rehabilitation from New York University. After working as designer/art director for major book publishing companies in Manhattan, Silver moved back to her hometown of Seattle where she has created her most iconic work.

Kelly is a self-taught painter, specializing in drawings and oils. Her style seems new and is ever-evolving. She is still experimenting as to where her desires will go, but her passion is to portray these moments of true emotions in oils, in the rich vibrant colors and the ability to blend and soften are what she loves the most about paintings.

www.kellysimpsonphotography.com

Sriharsha Sukla is from Mumbai, India. He was born hearing impaired. His elder brother is also hearing impaired. In spite of their disability, they feel that they are able in every respect. Sriharsha was inspired by his parents, especially by his mother, to dive into art. "Whatever position I have reached, it is due to the blessing of all my superiors and well wishers", Sriharsha says.

Sriharsha does oil painting and water colors with a focus in collage work.

Sriharsha has been awarded with a number of prizes by different organizations, national as well as international. Recently one of his works was awarded 1st prize at the Juried Exhibition of Arts and Crafts held at the Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital in Malvern, PA.