News and Upcoming Exhibits
TOUCHING YELLOWSTONE
Going to the Banana Factory was more than I had expected. I can understand why people like to look at photographs of where they have been. Each photo was equal in beauty. Brian and Cheryl described the pictures and I formed a picture in my mind. As I touched each picture, I was amazed to find that the trees, clouds, water and rocks were exactly as I pictured them, even though I have never seen them!
I would go back to see them again in a heartbeat. Each picture evoked sounds, such as hearing the water, feeling the dampness of the fog. One picture showed ripples in the water, as if someone had thrown a stone into the water. I found that when I touched the ripples, they were as I imagined them in my mind.
I felt as if I had actually been to Yellowstone and wish I could see more.
- Annette
NEW BANANA FACTORY EXHIBITS SHINE SPOTLIGHT ON UNIQUE WAYS PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES CAN ACCESS THE ARTS
BETHLEHEM, PA — Two dynamic exhibits that focus on inclusive programming are coming to the Banana Factory in Bethlehem this winter. The shows, “Mikayla’s Voice” and “Life Accessible,” focus on two different ways that persons with disabilities are able to experience and access the visual arts.
Mikayla Resh, a young woman from Nazareth who was discovered to have severe, permanent brain damage when she was only 5-days old, has learned to create large acrylic paintings using just the wheels of her wheelchair. As part of the “Mikayla’s Voice” exhibit in the Banana Factory’s Hallway to the Arts Dec. 18-Feb. 7, viewers will discover the amazing work of Resh, as well as other students the 19-year old has taught through the Wheels of Friendship program started by her and her mother, Kimberly Resh. During PEEPSFEST, Dec. 30-31 at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, Wheels of Friendship will also be doing demonstrations of their accessible art program.
“Our goal is always to include students with disabilities and their peers at school when we create these paintings,” Kimberly says. “It’s important to show the children that everyone can be included.”
From Jan. 8-Feb. 28 in the Banko Family Gallery, photographer Stephen Cunic of Allentown will be showcasing 3-D prints for the visually impaired as part of his “Life Accessible” exhibit, which features braille techniques and labels. Cunic prints his images multiple times, which causes the ink to build up and create different reliefs. The resulting prints feature various layers and textures that visitors can touch, which ultimately helps those with vision impairments discover and enjoy artwork they otherwise could not see. Cunic’s largest piece, a 35-inch by-48 inch landscape of Lone Pine, Calif., allows visitors to feel the texture of the rock-covered mountains and the grainy surface of the sand, while other works allow visitors to trace the hairs of Alaskan Mountain Horses.
Banana Factory
Frank Banko Gallery
25 W. Third St.
Bethlehem
STEPHEN CUNIC 'LIFE ACCESSIBLE' SHOW OPENS AT THE BANANA FACTORY
Banana Factory
Frank Banko Gallery
25 W. Third St.
Bethlehem
January 8 through February 28
Hours:
8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
For more information, please visit: www.bananafactory.org.
For more about Jeffery Bell, Bellpress Images, please visit http://www.bellpress.photos.
January 8 through February 28
Hours:
8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Read the full article here: http://www.bananafactory.org/2015/12/10/new-banana-factory-exhibits-shine-spotlight-on-unique-ways-persons-with-disabilities-can-access-the-arts.
BANANA FACTORY EXHIBIT STRETCHES BEYOND THE LIMITS OF SIGHT
Photographer Stephen Cunic of Allentown uses a unique form of printing to create works like this one, titled "Yellowstone-Grassland," that can still be enjoyed by the visually impaired. His work will be featured in an exhibit titled "Life Accessible - Photography Beyond the Limits of Sight.'
- (ADDISON GEORGE / SPECIAL TO THE MORNING CALL)
We can feel a sculpture — its contours, its texture — but how do you sense a flat, two-dimensional painting or photograph without the benefit of your eyes?
What if you were allowed to touch a picture and instead of perceiving green trees or blue skies with your eyes, you felt them with your fingertips and could "read" the landscape through its differing textures?
Where there's a will, there's a way and that way has been found by photographer Stephen Cunic, who has developed a process that makes visual art — previously inaccessible to the visually impaired — come to life through the sense of touch.
"Life Accessible — Photography Beyond the Limits of Sight," opening Jan. 8 in the Banko Family Gallery at the Banana Factory, Bethlehem, features eight works that upgrade photography from the two-dimensional level to the three-dimensional. It's among a series of exhibits and other arts events that are part of a year-long "Arts and Access" initiative by the Lehigh Valley Arts Council and the Lehigh Valley Partnership for a Disability Friendly Community in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The exhibit features photographic techniques much like how Braille is used to read words. Photographs have layers of ink that have been built up to create a topography of reliefs and textures.
The works are landscape scenes of the breathtaking beauty in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park, which Cunic took earlier this year. In that landscape, Cunic found a variety of textures in the rocks, sand, grass and trees that he was able to translate into high relief on a flat surface.
What elevates Cunic's work is a complex printing process in which the surface of the sand actually has a different feel or texture than that of the rocks or the trees or the grass.
"Someone who's visually impaired can touch a pine tree, but they can never visually see the shape of the entire pine tree itself," he says. "This will be a new experience ... that's what's important, that they can interact with these shapes in the world."
What would be an impasto surface in painting, Cunic transfers to photography in a very subtle way. For example, one of his larger pieces, a 35-by-48-inch landscape of Hot Spring Meadow in Yellowstone, allows viewers to feel the texture of the rock-covered mountains, the fine branches of pine trees and the grainy surface of the grass in the foreground. Other works allow visitors to trace the hairs of Alaskan mountain horses.
"Michelangelo wanted a painting that looked like sculpture," Cunic says. "I wanted a photograph that looked like a statue."
Born and raised in Allentown, Cunic runs the family business Signs by Tomorrow on Tilghman Street in Kuhnsville. Photography, particularly of wildlife and nature, has always been his passion. "I've spent my whole life in the woods," he says.
"I've always been inspired by Ansel Adams and conservation," he says. "I want to make the mundane monumental,"
For the past year, he has been working on his printing process in his shop, combining black and white and color printing into a layered effect through digital photography combined with his sign-making printing process. Using an Olympus E-M1 SLR digital camera because he says, "it's lighter for my field work," he then spends about 10 to 15 hours creating each photo in his studio.
Cunic builds up around 30 to 40 layers of ink, with the bottom layer in black and white with printed color inks on top. Each photograph is printed on aluminum compound material.
"It's based on contrast and the absence of light," Cunic says. "This takes my passion for dark room work and brings it into digital. I stay very true to what I do in the dark room."
In May he showed some of the results of this process to Janice Lipzin and Deb Miller, former and current ArtsQuest director of visual arts, who were enthusiastic about his work and invited him to exhibit.
While the works weren't designed for the visually impaired, Cunic says, the result is the same.
Cunic's exhibit is showing along with "Mikayla's Voice," which features the work of Mikayla Resh, a 19-year-old from Nazareth who has brain damage since she was an infant. Resh learned to create large acrylic paintings using the wheels of her wheelchair.
"Mikayla's Voice" is on display and continues through Feb. 7 in the Banana Factory's Hallway. Also on display are paintings by students that Mikayla taught to paint through the Wheels of Friendship program.
"The Banana Factory is excited to bring these two wonderful exhibitions to our galleries, helping to make the arts more accessible to a broader audience through innovative and creative approaches to art," says ArtsQuest Director of Visual Arts Stacie Brennan.
Read the Full Article on The Morning Call.
Tim Higgins is a freelance writer.
Jodi Duckett, editor.
jodi.duckett@mcall.com
610-820-6704 • Info: 610-332-1300
www.bananafactory.org
'LIFE ACCESSIBLE'
What: Photographs by Steve Cunic that can be touched by the visually impaired; part of the Lehigh Valley Arts Council's year-long Arts & Access celebration, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Where: Banana Factory, Frank Banko Gallery, 25 W. Third St., Bethlehem.
When: Through Feb. 28
Hours: 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Opening reception: 6-9 p.m. Jan. 8 as part of South Bethlehem's First Friday. Also, for Mikayla's Voice
STEPHEN OPENS EYES AT OLYMPUS HQ
"There is more to photography than a photograph" a message that resonated Wednesday, the 2nd 2015 at the Olympus Corporate Headquarters, USA. When photographing camera in hand we are experiencing more than just beautiful imagery. We experience a story and moment of our lives; there are tastes, sights, feelings, smells, and touch involved in our experience and that has to be captured along with brilliant imagery. Inspired by the observations of an Olympus staff member, Stephen went through the process of how he developed and created the first every printed photograph for the visually impaired. Throughout the speech Stephen recognized the limitations of photographer and set out to create an equal opportunity for all to experience photographs beyond the scope of the current artistic standards. Stephen began this process early this year in 2015 by creating a multiple layering effect of printing which takes hours to create his images. He explains " it takes hours of time and patience in the process, just like it takes patience, time, and dedication, when photographing landscapes and wildlife".
Stephen explains that his prints are all hand made and printed by him on a variety of materials all in which are recycled to support his mission to conserve and protect our natural world. Printing in such a way gave him the opportunity to push the limits of normal photographic printing. "I print on just about anything, from recycled aluminum sheets, glass, rocks, wood; anything I can use to re-purpose and give life to items that typically would have been wasted". This capability led Stephen the opportunity to print and use his understanding of printing his images to create depth within his imagery. There is more to this than just seeing the image, you can feel it and you are able to experience these prints in a way that has yet to be duplicated. At the summary of the discussion Stephen was meet with great appreciation, amazement and praise for his work as the Olympus staffers and members of their Photography club felt and discussed his printing. "It was a great moment, to have individuals who dedicate their lives to imaging experience these prints and get animated at what I have created" These interactions are what motivates Stephen to push forward; for all to experience photography through touch.
While Stephen continues to explore the capabilities of his photography and printing methods for the visually impaired he continues to strive to make his pieces interactive for all. While speaking to the group Stephen notes that he is currently exploring technologies and funding to add auditory elements to the pieces for individuals with visual impairments to obtain instructions as to how to interact with the piece and "see" what they are feeling. By January Stephen has determined he should be able to solidify this aspect just in time for his Solo show at the Banko Gallery in the Banana Factory in Bethlehem PA. If you would like to see and feel his work it will be on display throughout the month of January and if you would like to meet Stephen an Open House will be held on the scheduled first friday of January.
LONE PINES CALIFORNIA STEPHEN CUNIC PHOTOGRAPHY Morning CALL -
To read the full article by Ryan Kneller please follow the link as attached: http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/arts/mc-arts-and-access-lehigh-valley-0718-20150717-story.html
Another highlight of the Arts & Access program is photographer Stephen Cunic's 3-D prints, which will be displayed as part of a "Life Accessible" exhibit Dec. 19 through Feb. 15 at the Banana Factory in Bethlehem.
Cunic is a professional photographer who got the idea to create prints for the visually impaired after Stephanie Sherry, Olympus director of marketing, noticed the "layering effects" of his photos at an exhibition at Blink Optical Gallery in Allentown.
"That got me thinking, and I began to play around, printing multiple times and creating multiple layers," Cunic says. "I found out that I could use the printing technology from my father's sign company [Signs by Tomorrow in Upper Macungie Township] to have the ink build up and create different reliefs."
The result is striking prints featuring various layers and textures that visitors can touch.
His largest piece, a 35-by-48-inch landscape of Lone Pine, Calif., took 10 hours to complete, with each of the roughly 30 layers taking about 20 minutes. There are different depths for the mountains and rock formations, as well as rough surfaces for the sand. The sky remains flat.
"If someone can't see what I'm trying to portray with their hands, that's OK because that's art," Cunic says. "The only thing I care about is giving someone an opportunity to take a step forward — a chance to visualize something they never thought they could. It's all about letting people experience these places — even if it's just a taste."
Article above written by Ryan Kneller at the Morning Call
'The Arts for Everyone'
July 17th 2015