FAIRFIELD, IA. – The colors might appear differently, or not at all. The lines might not be as sharp. Partaking might ask a lot more effort of the viewer – and some extra support from the artist and studio.
But visual art can still be meaningful for people with visual challenges. And those folks – people whose vision is limited, different, gone, or never existed – are the main audience for a show tonight in Fairfield, Ia.
“Visual Spectrums” is part of tonight’s Fairfield First Fridays, a monthly arts showcase. The show from 6 to 10 p.m. features artwork by – and customized for – the “visually diverse.” says founder Jocelyn Engman.
The extra steps visitors will find include adjustable heights for the artwork; auditory elements like music, narrations, and ASMR like the “sound of ice melting;” braille and large print; and touchable textures. “You can enjoy art, even though you can’t see perfectly, or at all,” Engman said from her Fairfield family farm. “And part of that is being able to know something about the art.”
Interactive exhibit about ICE’s chilling immigration crackdown is part of Visual Spectrums
The featured artists include six creators who are each accomplished throughout Iowa in other ways, too. Miriam Alarcón Ávila (above) is known for her 2015 Luchadore Immigrants series, where she portrayed Iowans wearing the masks identified with Mexican professional wrestlers, as part of an effort to find connection to her culture in the mostly white state.
Tonight, she’ll showcase a work in progress that is especially meaningful to her as a Mexican immigrant and during today’s turbulent times: a multi-media, multi-sensory portrayal of how recent anti-immigration actions by ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) has created a chilling effect on many Iowans.
Titled “Iowa Nice: Make Iowa Nice Again,” Ávila’s creation portrays interviews of people portrayed behind sheets of ice. Sound elements include recordings of the sound of ice melting. For touch and smell, Ávila’s display includes flowers and soil.
Those visiting her artwork will have the opportunity to participate in the process, by picking up pieces of ice and melting them with their own hands, to nourish seeds they can plant.
“This has really allowed me to think of how we can have different views. Not just because of how we see, but how our brain thinks,” says Ávila, who said the project was both “fun and challenging,” and left her feeling “grateful.”
“I’ve been pushing myself to explore how we can really tell the story of an immigrant,” she said, “who comes from a place where you left everything behind. And your hope just grows like a seed. And then, to be able to have a beautiful plant and share the fruits of labor with everyone. This has been really pushing me in different ways I never thought I could explore, to tell the story.”
Also featured:
- Jessica (Jesse) Bly: A Kirkwood Community College student, Bly has created several commissioned murals and specializes in wirework jewelry, ink and digital media. Bly also lives with achromatopsia, which causes color blindness.
- Engman: An author and also operator of Pickle Creek Herbs, Engman gave up the visual arts in her early 20s because of an autoimmune condition that caused the gradual loss of her vision. She’s newly re-engaged and is the founder of the Visual Spectrums effort, which she coordinates along with jewelry designer and visual artist Cheryl Weatherford from Iowa City.
- Sarah Fitzgerald: A former at teacher at Washington Elementary inf Mount Vernon, Fitzgerald works in drawing, painting, sculpture and video. She is also Mount Vernon’s first-ever artist-in-residence.
- Sena Graham: Blending lighting, shapes and color into “cohesive compositions that reflect both technical precision and personal expression,” Graham is also a survivor of retinoblastoma, or childhood cancer of the eye.
“They all see the world in different ways,” Engman said.
The display is emotional for some. Her interview prompted Avila to recall when she was eight years old and first received eyeglasses. “I refound the world again. Everything was always dreary.” Engman also becomes emotional talking about “Visual Spectrums” and sharing a comment from fellow artist Bly.
“You can mourn it, or you can move on …. It really is universal. We all eventually lose our sight as we age. We all experience loss as we age.”
Engman and the artists have also hosted workshops for kids, and they plan to take the Visual Spectrums display on the road to central Iowa, Sioux City, Dubuque, Davenport and more.
Catch the display this evening from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Fairfield CoLab, 101 N. Court St., along with art displays throughout the community. For more information, see the website at visualspectrums.org.
