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Tactile art and art shows are in the works this fall, with collaboration and coordination from the ������’s as the common medium.

First, Arapahoe Community College’s now-annual “Shared Visions” tactile art show will open with a reception on November 10 at the from 5 to 8 p.m. The show, which will be open to the public until November 18, will feature tactile and sensory art from ACC Painting and Ceramics students, as well as works from CCB students and staff in several media. CCB’s Ann Cunningham teaches classes each week to Independence Training Students and to Older ������ Programs.

Tactile art classes, taught by sculptor Ann Cunningham, have been a unique part of training at the ������ since the 1990s. Students might work in stone, clay, make tactile drawings with Ann’s Sensational Drawing Board, or go wherever their creative sense pulls them.

Just before his graduation from the Center and return to New York, Peter talked about his experience in Ann’s art class at the Center and what it meant to him.

Monday afternoons our art class meets with our long-time teacher and friend to make tactile are pieces from stone, clay, paper or whatever creative fancy strives to take flight.

Shelby will graduate next month, and she’s been a fixture in art class since last fall. Here she is with her latest art project, titled “Beacon”. She started out to make the two maroon ducks sitting on their lime green nest, but along the way got the idea of a kind of lamp, its light shining from one of their mouths. So after she fired and lazed the piece, she went out to the hardware store to get the wiring and put it all together. Creativity, we may observe, is a process.

And so, it is a beacon!

The “Shared Visions” exhibit at Arapahoe Community College’s Colorado Gallery of the Arts on November 19 and 20 was a big success, featuring numerous multi-media and very tactile paintings by students in Nathan Abels’ painting classes, as well as pottery pieces from joint activities between Center students in Ann Cunningham’s art classes here and those in classes taught by Katie Caron, Ceramics Coordinator at ACC.

In addition, the cooperative activities and exhibit were featured on the Breaking ������ YouTube channel in two videos. See what Maureen has to say and what she experiences:

For nearly two decades, Colorado artist has been teaching art classes at the ������. Initially drawn to us because she was curious about how blind people experience art (such as the stone carvings she produces), she has become one of North America’s leading teachers, advocates and innovators with respect to access to the arts for the blind – both as observers and creators.

Natalia at the wheel in the ceramics studio on the ACC campus.

Whew! So this is the way this week has been – really, the entire month!

A small but dedicated cadre of staff and students went out for a good hike on Sunday at Mt. Falcon near Morrison, and just to the south of Red Rocks. Like rock climbing and our Urban Adventures program, we partnered with the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) on the hike, which was 6.4 miles round trip, and rising from 6000 feet to 7500 feet in elevation.

Monday certain students attended a Boomers’ Career Fair. We don’t need to call out the attendees by name.

Pipi is teaching a sewing class on Monday afternoons, and they made a trip to get materials this week for their projects.

Ann Cunningham had a room full of artists later Monday afternoon, chiseling and filing and having a great time.

Tuesday Group 3 went rock climbing at El Dorado Canyon with NSCD.

(Mosaic, our 2014 fund-raising event, will be held from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, September 5 here at the Center. We’re especially excited out our main musical guests, Café Americana, and we want you to be excited too! Here’s a bit more about them, and don’t forget to buy your tickets using the link on this page!)

We’ve captured a few strays from the Denver area acoustic roots band Stray Dog: Eric Woods, Zac Cottrell & Anne and Joe Rigley. From numerous original songs, acoustic interpretations of classic rock tunes, 1940’s jazz standards, all the way to bluegrass and blues, they put their own mark on a broad, eclectic mix of music. Eric’s unique touch on the guitar over Joe’s classy bass backs Anne’s remarkably sweet, pure and honest voice, all while riding Zac’s magical percussion on the Cajón.

Audiences consistently remark that the unique hallmark of this group is their ability to make you feel as if you are sitting around the coffee table with them in the basement making music, with as much focus on enjoying the music as playing it.

Colorado artist Ann Cunningham has been teaching art to blind students at the Center since … well, it feels like she’s always been with us! That’s why we’re excited to spread the word. For the next two weekends, Ann will be demonstrating stone carving at the Denver Art Museum as part of their weekend artist demonstrations. We’re reposting some of the info explaining what that’s all about from DAM’s web site. If you want to find out what other artist demonstrations are coming up, follow the link.

Every day the museum is open, visitors can explore the creative process behind assorted techniques and mediums in the Sculpture Studio.

Every weekend, visitors will have a chance to pull back the curtain and immerse themselves in the artistic process as local artists demonstrate a variety of sculpting techniques.

Weekend demonstrations will take place Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3 pm.

August 23 & 24, 30 & 31: Ann Cunningham — Stone Carving (outdoors on Martin Plaza)