Bringing Awareness Through Art

The number of responses this year alone has validated the need for unique programs such as DVAF. With confidence, artwork and films presented increased our (mainstream) audience’s awareness and understanding of the Deaf experience. I believe that this experience will enrich relationships and further expand career opportunities for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind artists.

Tony Nitko Marketing Director

Photo left page During a meet & greet, DEAF, Inc. staff introduced themselves to new Board Members. Photo top page Jennifer Tandoc, a returning artist, won an award for Best of Show during the 2021 Festival. Deaf Visual Arts Festival

BRINGING AWARENESS

THROUGH ART

DEAF, Inc. is constantly pursuing opportunities to bring awareness about relevant issues as it relates to deafness and its cultural diversity to broader audiences. One of most effective ways to do this is through art.

This year, we hosted our first Youth Arts Program and our 5th annual Deaf Visual Arts Festival. This was the most comprehensive art program we have ever held, which was very exciting for us!

The Youth Arts Program was inspired by an opportunity afforded to us through a grant and the desire to offer an arts program for the youth. Storytime encourages language and pre-reading skill development that help your child grow into a successful reader. Many library branches offer regular story times; however, they are not accessible to children with hearing loss. To address this gap, DEAF, Inc. developed a series of five (5) ASL translated videos of children's books. Each book portrayed characters that identify as a person with hearing loss or represent Deaf Culture. This not only addressed accessibility, but also provided a safe space for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind children to feel empowered and develop a better understanding of or to embrace their uniqueness. To promote deaf cultural education and awareness, videos have been posted on YouTube and can be accessed by the broader community. In addition to this fun activity, we welcomed back deaf artist, Jon Savage, to teach young children the essentials of filmmaking while creating a fun and supportive environment to bring a story to life with moving images.

September is Missouri’s official Deaf Awareness Month. What better way to recognize and celebrate deaf culture than to host our 5th annual Deaf Visual Arts Festival online! A website was dedicated to the event – we provided a space for 30 deaf artists to display their artwork and a link to their online store. We hosted two (2) panel discussions, two (2) museum tours with a deaf docent (or tour guide), and three (3) education workshops which focused on art inspired by various groups within the Deaf community. And, back by popular demand, our third annual 1904 Deaf Film Festival featured 25 outstanding Deaf-inspired films. New this year was the Filmmaker's Lounge Chat, which gave the participants an opportunity to chat with our filmmakers. All-in-all, over 30,000 individuals visited or participated in DEAF, Inc.'s art program this year!

This event would not be possible without the generous support from our grant funders, corporate sponsors, local museums, artists, volunteers, and our media department.