JCC MetroWest Show Focuses on Art of the Blind

WEST ORANGE, N.J. - Oct. 26, 2015 - PRLog -- The JCC MetroWest has invited NJ Foundation for the Blind (NJFFB) to present an exhibition of artwork by its program participants at the Gaelen Center for the Arts in the Leon & Toby Cooperman JCC in West Orange.

An opening reception with light refreshments will be held on Sunday, November 8, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is invited to attend free of charge.  The show will run through Friday, December 18, 2015.

The NJFFB Art Show will feature the works of 15 artists who participate in a weekly art studio held at NJFFB as part of its Better Health and Wellness program for adults with vision loss or who are blind. The show will include paintings as well as pottery produced in the classes.

Art therapy has been a staple of the NJFFB program for nearly ten years.  In 2009, Morris Arts honored NJFFB with their inaugural Arts Program of the Year Award.  Kris Marino, Executive Director of NJFFB, explained that the arts component adds value to its programs and services which build confidence and improve quality of life for those with profound vision loss.

“Our arts program has proven to enrich their lives and enlighten the public as to the abilities and creativity of those who become blind, often in the prime of their lives,” stated Marino.

In order to guide the artists, Ruth E. Basham, NJFFB art therapist, uses tape, strings, clamps, stencils, plastic shapes, glue and the artists’ own sense of touch, to help them in their creative endeavors.

“Utilizing these alternative ways for making art, our students go on a journey of self- exploration and self- expression, realizing they might have lost their sight, but they have not lost their vision,” Basham explained.

Visit the NJFFB Art Show in the Arts and Theater Lobby of the Ross Family Campus located in the Leon & Toby Cooperman JCC, 760 Northfield Avenue, West Orange.

For more information about NJ Foundation for the Blind (NJFFB) visit www.njffb.org or call 973-627-0055. Information on the JCC MetroWest is available by contacting Lisa Suss at 973-530-3413, or emailing lsuss@jccmetrowest.org.