Tuesday, October 22, 2002

Touchable art was one way exhibit tried to reach out

When Ibitz Dolan and Jane Fortune founded the US Artists show 11 years ago, Fortune had a secondary goal of making it accessible to everyone — particularly those with hearing, sight and mobility loss.

Fortune and her friends Susan Guill and Ellie Fine were three of 550 guests at the US Artists preview party Thursday at the 33rd Street Armory.

"We're going to take some visually impaired guests to the show this weekend," said special-needs program director Fine, who with Guill and Fortune are members of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) Women's Board, sponsor of the benefit art show." They will enjoy the show through the touchable art that's here.

There were 60 galleries displaying and selling art in the show, about 10 had touchable art. Alfred. J. Walker Fine Art of Boston brought a revolving statue of two figures that those with sight loss could touch.

The four day show also featured a PAFA exhibit called “15 Exposures”, dedicated to 1925 PAFA alum Quita Brodhead who died Sept. 4 at 101 years old. Among the alumni showing artwork were Pat Boyer, Marlyn Ivory and Helen Mirkil….