You break an arm. What do you do? While it heals, you likely find ways to use your other arm.
You lose your sight to a progressive disease. What do you do? If you’re Pete Eckert, you become an internationally acclaimed photographer, and your work is central to an exhibit—“SIGHT UNSEEN: International Photography by Blind Artists”—that has toured the world.
On display beginning March 3
The exhibit will be on display at Purdue University Calumet throughout March, beginning Tuesday (3/3) in the Library Gallery on the second floor of the Student Union & Library. The exhibit is part of Purdue Calumet’s observance of Indiana Disability Awareness Month.
The campus observance officially begins at 1 p.m., Wednesday (3/4) in the Student Union & Library’s Alumni Hall with a showing of an HBO documentary that profiles the works of Eckert and two other blind artists. Viewer discretion is advised, as the documentary includes images of nudity.
The photographs and documentary explore how someone who is blind can be an accomplished photographer, as well as reasons why individuals who cannot see desire to engage in what seems to be an inherently visual art.
19+ percent of Hoosiers have disabilities
According to the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, not only do adults and children with disabilities represent slightly more than 19 percent of Indiana’s population, but the percentage will increase as the Baby Boom generation ages.
For more information about Indiana Disability Awareness Month activities at Purdue Calumet, visit the Access @ Purdue Calumet website, or contact the Office of Disability Resources or the Office of Equity & Diversity on campus.
Purdue Calumet's observance of Indiana Disability Awareness Month is sponsored by the Office of Disability Resources and the Multicultural Campus Council, with support from the ADA Advisory Committee, the Web Accessibility Initiative and Student Activities / Campus Life.
“SIGHT UNSEEN: International Photography by Blind Artists” has been curated by Douglas McCulloh and originated by UCR/California Museum of Photography, an affiliate institution of ARTSblock, the University of California, Riverside, and toured by Curatorial Assistance, Pasadena, Calif..