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$3.3M ART CENTER OPENS FRIDAY

First-of-a-Kind Gallery Houses Collection by Deaf Artists

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Oct. 23—The largest art gallery in the world devoted to exhibiting significant works by deaf artists will open its doors Friday at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Donors, RIT community members, media and other invited guests will view the Center's first exhibit at a grand opening reception 4-5:30 p.m., Oct. 26 at RIT’s Lyndon Baines Johnson building.

Formerly an outside courtyard in the center of the main building of the nation’s first and largest technological college for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, the Joseph F. and Helen C. Dyer Arts Center is named for the couple who gifted $2.5 million toward its development.

Helen Dyer, who passed away last month, was an amateur artist throughout her life. Her husband Joseph Dyer, 88, worked as a mechanical engineer for a major pharmaceutical company.

"We were born long ago into an age when choices for deaf people were limited," said Mr. Dyer. "The founding of NTID gave many new chances for deaf people to advance themselves. That's why Helen and I wanted to help support NTID, which has made significant contributions to deaf education, technology and the arts."

The Center's marble floors span 7,000 square feet, divided into seven exhibition areas, where visitors can view NTID's permanent collection, student work, sculptures, paintings, photography, visiting exhibits, and a future web-based virtual gallery, featuring other works by deaf artists around the world.

The center was specifically designed to accommodate deaf people's visual and communication needs. For example, to prevent vision obstructions throughout the main gallery, the columns supporting the roof were built in the corners. Off to one side is a sunken, tiered conversation area, designed to hold workshops for art classes, or lectures while not being disruptive to other gallery visitors. In addition, sixteen skylight scoops filter the northern light, allowing for a soft, consistent light to view the pieces without damaging paintings or other artwork.

The grand opening ceremony will recognize the Dyers as well as longtime NTID supporters Elizabeth "Cookie" Williams and Ray Ohringer for their $500,000 and $300,000 donations, respectively.

“We are responsible for providing a well-rounded education," said Robert R. Davila, NTID CEO and RIT vice president. "A center to showcase artistic expression, while applying high-end technology in the process will only enrich our students' educational experiences for generations to come."

The artists featured in the Dyer Arts Center's inaugural invitational exhibit include RIT alumni and painter Chuck Baird, honorary curator. A full-size photographic print of his 1992 painting Tyger, Tyger, symbolizing RIT's mascot and deafness, will be unveiled at the grand opening ceremony.

More than 100 pieces from NTID’s permanent collection will be on exhibit until Jan. 25, along with the other featured artists in the Dyer Arts Center Inaugural Invitational Exhibit. They include Photographer Rita Straubhaar, Ron Trumble, woodworker and furniture designer, Paula Grcevic, fine arts paper maker, Morris Broderson and Charles Wildbank, painters, and Sculptor
Carl Zollo. Future exhibits will include artwork from deaf and hearing artists alike.

A special Open House for the public will take place 2-4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 10. The Art Center will be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., starting October 29. Admission is free.

The National Technical Institute for the Deaf, one of eight colleges of Rochester Institute of Technology, offers educational programs and access and support services to its 1,100 deaf and hard-of-hearing students from around the world who study, live and socialize with 13,000 hearing students on RIT's Rochester, N.Y. campus. Web address: http://www.rit.edu/NTID.