Insights 2009-The 20th Exhibition of Works by Blind and Visually Impaired Artists

The Public Reception for Insights 2009 celebrates the 20th professional exhibition of works by blind and visually impaired artists presented by the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in partnership with the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery’s Art at City Hall program.
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Celebrities, blind and visually impaired artists come together for Insights 2009 SAN FRANCISCO, CA - This year, familiar faces are lending their voices to Insights 2009, the LightHouse’s 20th exhibition of works by blind and visually impaired artists. Top Chef Season 6 contestant Mattin Noblia, Starlight Room impresario Harry Denton, NBC Bay Area’s Traci Grant, KALW’s David Latulippe and San Francisco District 4 Supervisor Carmen Chu are among the celebrity presenters providing descriptive recordings on this year’s audio tour. Sponsored by Acoustiguide, the audio tour accompanies the juried exhibition, which kicks off with a reception on October 15 at 5:30 p.m. on the ground floor of San Francisco's City Hall. The reception is free to the public. Wine and appetizers will be served, and artists and audio tour celebrity presenters will be on hand to talk about their experience with the show.
“Not only is the Insights exhibition compelling and visually stunning, the show’s commitment to accessibility encourages dialogue about what it means to make the arts accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired,” said Supervisor Chu. “I’m honored to be featured on the audio tour, describing works by artists Bobbie Gray and Kurt Weston, and also to serve on the Insights Honorary Committee,” Chu said.
The LightHouse provides the free audio tour each year as part of its commitment to making the arts accessible to individuals with vision loss. In addition to descriptive audio, the LightHouse offers Braille and large print versions of all Insights materials, including the show’s catalog and all signage. Nearly one-fourth of the works are touchable. Additionally, this year’s jury included Ketra Oberlander, a visually impaired artist who has shown work in past Insights exhibitions and is the owner of the Art of Possibility Studios in Santa Clara. Oberlander was joined on the panel by Larry Rinder, Director of the Berkeley Art Museum and Joyce Gordon, owner of Joyce Gordon Gallery in Oakland.
“We had over 200 mixed media pieces to choose from, created by artists with a range of visual impairments, including artists who are totally blind,” said Oberlander. “We selected work based on its artistic merit and not with the individual’s disability in mind. It’s important to clarify that first and foremost, Insights is a professional exhibition featuring the work of national caliber artists. It happens to feature the work of blind and visually impaired artists.”
Showcasing nearly 120 works by 38 artists from across the country, Insights is presented in partnership with the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery’s Art at City Hall program and is one of the only professional exhibitions of its size featuring the works of artists with vision loss while connecting them with one another and to prospective buyers. The LightHouse assists in facilitating sales but takes no commission.
“The Insights exhibition is a catalyst, bringing people together. That’s important because it’s easy for blind people to be shut off [from their communities]. For me, LightHouse is that way out, that avenue, that connection. There are a few other exhibitions for blind people in the country, but this one creates that sense of community,” said Charles Curtis Blackwell, a long-time Insights participant and 2009 featured artist.
Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the San Francisco Foundation and Safeway, Insights runs from October 5 through December 11, 2009. Audio tours will be available from October 16 through December 10 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and can be arranged by calling (415) 431-1481. Tours can accommodate individuals and groups of up to 25.
The LightHouse is a nonprofit organization, promoting the independence, equality and self-reliance of individuals who are blind and visually impaired and is the largest provider of vision rehabilitation services, information and advocacy for individuals with vision loss in Northern California. For more information, call (415) 431-1481 or visit http://www.lighthouse-sf.org.