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When most people think about art, they usually consider sight to be a prerequisite for creating great art, but nothing could be further from the truth.  The Blind Artist’s Society seeks to shatter this myth by providing resources for artists who are visually handicapped to get their art recognized.  Another purpose of the foundation is to help promote research in the field of retina study to hopefully one day provide a cure for blindness.  Many of the artists sponsored by the Blind Artist’s Society have had their works on display in various public forums.

The Blind Artist’s Society also works with artists that have lost their vision due to a variety of degenerative illnesses.  They provide support groups, since coping with the loss of vision when you work in an industry where it plays such a large role can be quite hard at first.  Many of the artists are still able to continue their work, but usually not at the level they previously produced at.  Some of the artists still continue to teach art classes despite severe vision loss.  One example of this is Joan Slocum.

Slocum’s vision became severely impaired after eye surgery to the point that she was only able to see hazy outlines of objects and people.  The emotional support provided to her by the Blind Artist’s Society after her vision loss was essential in helping her continue to work in the field she loves so much.

The Blind Artist’s Society provides much in the way of advocacy and providing informational and emotional support to artist who have suffered vision loss.  If you find yourself in those circumstances, or know someone who could use the support, why not reach out to the Blind Artist’s Society?

A question commonly asked of those who have been blind all their lives is, “If you could see, what would you most like to see?”  The various responses that this question elicits became the subject of an art exhibit in Wyoming.  Formerly blind individuals who had received transplants from eye donors were asked to contribute art to the exhibit entitled “Circle of Light.”  The task was simple; the individuals were given cameras and told to take pictures of the things that they were most grateful their restored vision now allowed them to see.

The images in the exhibit varied greatly from pictures of family and friends to animals and cityscapes.  The importance of what restored vision brings back to a person’s life was clearly highlighted throughout the exhibit.  Eye replacement centers around the world help thousands every year to restore their sight, and see the world through new eyes.  Art exhibits like the one in Wyoming help to bring the cause of these centers to the forefront in the minds of many who simply assume that blindness is a disease that cannot be fixed.  During the exhibition, representatives from the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank were on hand to discuss eye transplants and how they have changed people’s lives.

If you would like to assist in the work that eye banks accomplish, there are a number of ways to do so.  One important way is by becoming an organ donor.  Most of the eye transplants that take place are due to the donation of an organ donor.  You can also support research to advance eye transplant methods.

Researchers are always making advancements in methods toward using genes to treat and cure a variety of illnesses.  Most of the focus is on gene therapy to treat diseases like cancer and heart problems, but researchers are looking for genes that could help those who suffer from blindness have found some promising results.  Many who suffer from blindness have a genetic predisposition towards blindness.  Researchers at the University of Miami isolated a number of genes thought to be responsible for blindness.  It was found that some families that are obviously predisposed towards blindness did not have any of those genes though.

Using a new technology called whole exome sequencing, researchers were able to find that one of the isolated genes actually is present in the majority of families with a predisposition towards blindness.  The new technology allows researchers to better decode the part of the genome that produces proteins in the body.  Once researchers have been able to solidly confirm the genes that cause blindness, research can move on to the area of adjusting that gene in order to reverse blindness.  It is hoped that this new discovery will allow scientists to make real progress in developing a gene therapy for blindness.

With millions of people suffering from genetically linked blindness this is an important advancement in the field of genetic therapies to treat blindness.  Every year companies and governments spend billions on gene research.  It is good to see that it is being directed to good purposes that may eventually result in the reversal of blindness for many who suffer from the disease as a result of genetic defect.  Gene therapy also holds an amazing amount of promise in treating many other genetic disorders as well.

A few years ago my fiancé and I decided on where to hold our wedding ceremony. We wanted something small, immediate family only but somewhere a little different. My mother-in-law suggested that we could get married when we went to the beach for the family vacation. Each year my father-in-law would rent a condo and the whole family, myself included, would go for the week, his treat. I even had a room to myself. We decided that was an option but then where would we hold the ceremony.

After many hours of research I found a place that I fell in love with. There was this beautiful bed and breakfast tucked away in Conway, South Carolina. This place was gorgeous. The home was a work of art. Each room was so elegant, with it’s own personality. Each little detail of décor to the art that hung on the wall to the scented shaped soap that was placed aside the sink.

The grand room was just that grand. The walls were adorned with period art work that looked as though the house was made for the art. We had to get marred there and we did. The B and B took care of all the details, the photographer to the florist to the wedding dinner reservations. This place was perfect.

The owners could not have been more accommodating and such a pleasure. The food was amazing and the attention they gave was superior. Walking into the Bed and Breakfast took my breath away, the photos paled in comparison to what you saw in person. The bed and breakfast was on a riverfront with docks out back, wrap around porch lined with white rocking chairs. The Cypress Inn was a piece of art.

Even in a tough economy some individuals are still willing to pay inordinate sums of money doe works of art. The number of recent art auctions lend credence to this point. Just recently one of the four versions of the painting ?The Scream? was sold at auction $120 million. When some individuals think of sums of money this large being spent for works of art when so many are suffering so greatly from the economic crisis they cannot help but wonder if people are misplacing their priorities. Why do works of art manage to fetch such large sums of money?

With so many wealthy buyers out there the process of bidding has become much more competitive. Works of art have long been seen as evidence of moving up in the world, so many of the newly rich feel that they need to purchase at least one expensive work of art as a symbol of their changed financial status. Researchers have proved that the increase in the price of works of art is also indication of an increase in income inequality within the United States.

It is interesting to think the price of our courses actually indicator of more serious problems within the global economy. Even if you are not among the wealthy who can afford to pay these outrageous sums for works of art, you should still be concerned about the ever-increasing prices for these works of art. With each new record broken with regards to the price of works of art in me the new increase in the amount of income inequality in the country. Maybe it’s time that people started rethinking their priorities.

If you love art and happen to be in New York City, you must plan on stopping at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It will be the favorite part of your New York vacation. It can be argued that the when it comes to its collections of art work, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the most impressive and important art museums in the United States. The collections of art the museum has are considered some of the best quality in the world.

Not only does the museum have exhibits dedicated to the greatest American artists, it also has the art of several notable international artists as well. It’s estimated that at least of the 2,500 pieces currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art are from international artists. You will be able to admire the work of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Monet as well as several other world class artists.

When you visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art you won’t just be getting a glimpse of the best art in the world, you’ll also be taking in a part of history as well. The museum’s curator feels that the artwork they have showcases more than 5,000 years. As you wander the famous collections you’ll be able to see how subject matters and styles have evolved over the years.

Even if you have been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art before, you should plan a return visit. Each year the Metropolitan Museum of Art is good about making sure that they rotate at least 30 of their exhibits so that there is always something new and interesting for you to take in. Some people plan their entire vacation around upcoming exhibits.

By the time you leave the Metropolitan Museum of Art you will be ready to sign up for an art appreciation class.

After losing a loved one, the grief process is not always a textbook experience. Two weeks before my 17th birthday, I arrived at school one morning to find my best friend’s car missing from her usual parking spot. It wasn’t like her to be late and she hadn’t called to tell me she was sick. I thought it was odd, but walked towards homeroom thinking she would show up for class any minute. At our small Christian school, everyone noticed her absence. She was never out for anything. Everyone kept asking me where she was, but I had no idea what to tell them.

An hour past and still she hadn’t come to class. I was starting to consider asking my teacher if I could go down to the office and call her when the pastor of the church walked through the door with red eyes. He looked at our small class of less than a dozen and his eyes welled with tears. “Kids, I’ve got some bad news.”

My whole world stopped spinning when they told me that my best friend had been in a fatal car accident that morning. I had never even buried a pet before so how was I supposed to be the best friend of someone who was dead? In the weeks that followed, I became numb to life. I was a hollow shell of a teenage girl, going to class and showing up for work, but feeling nothing.

Then one day a few months later, the art teacher asked me to visit her after class. I walked hesitantly into her classroom, fearing I had failed another assignment. She simply smiled and pointed to a blank canvas set up by the window in the corner. “Paint what you feel inside,” she whispered. Then she turned around and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

In the weeks that followed, the deserted art classroom became my private solace. While I had no words for the emptiness, for the anger, for the denial, for the fresh surprise, I did have colors. I had images. I had an endless supply of frustrations and sadness to brush onto the canvases that were given to me to fill.

Art became the way I coped with loss. For many children and adults who are facing the death of a loved one, art can be the best way to express what is inside. When words fail, art can be the way to unlock an inner world and finally offer a grieving person some relief.

You can find art in practically anything.  In fact, some of the most beautiful pieces of art that I have ever seen were not in a gallery, but in an everyday situation.  You might be taking your dog for a walk and see a beautiful flower that catches your eye.  Maybe you are checking the mail and you see the leaves on an old oak tree start to sway in the breeze. Whatever it may be, find a way to capture that art in a permanent way.  Turn it into a sketch, a painting, or a sculpture.  I sometimes capture these moments with my camera and then I put them into an album that I use to collect inspiration for later projects.

One time I found inspiration in a really unexpected place while I was surfing the internet.  I saw an ad that was telling people to play bingo online and the bright colors caught my eye.  Something about the way the oranges mingled with the reds on that silly internet banner got me to thinking about how those colors would look merged together on canvas.  I decided to start checking out some of the internet bingo sites to see if I could get any more ideas.

I spent the next five hours surfing the various bingo sites and I found a lot of inspiration. In fact, one of my best paintings was finished that following week using the bright color combinations that I found on CityBingo after I clicked on that advertisement.  Surprisingly, I didn’t just walk away with a new painting idea, but I found a hobby that helped me relax before I painted.

When I first visited the sites, I wasn’t planning to play any of the games, but I found out that you could play bingo online for free and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to at least try.  Everyone knows that artists need all the extra income they can get so I decided to play for awhile.  I haven’t won a jackpot, but I did discover a hobby that helps me calm my mind and prepare to paint.  Now playing bingo is just a regular thing that I do each week and I really enjoy it.

Web design in the Midwest is the best of all worlds.  You have designers who don’t expect Silicon Valley prices and who give better work than third world countries.  This is the very definition of value in website design!

If are shopping for a Appleton website design team to build your site, you will be dealing with people who have Appleton, WI costs of living and not insane California prices.  You also will be dealing with people with American values and a strong work ethic and so you can expect American standards as opposed to what you would expect coming from the third world.

In addition, for those of us living around this area, it’s much easier to meet with, say, a web design Milwaukee WI team and discuss the finer details of a project than it would be to talk with someone from California or Mexico.

You will get someone more likely to understand your business model too.  If, for example, you have a micro brewery and you go with an Eau Claire website design team, you will get someone who likely has a good feel for beer and the culture surrounding it.  If your business is around Madison and you hire a professional from this area, you will get someone who knows what your clientele are familiar with and can build your site with that in mind.  The same is true for Chicago website designers as well.

This is not to say that you can’t go to more expensive areas of the country or even overseas for your website needs.  You can go to Tijuana for your website design just as easily as you can go there to have your teeth worked on. In fact, it’s even easier – you have to appear in person for dentistry.  The only problem is that, while teeth and tooth care are pretty universal, the vagaries of what works in a particular region to garner sales are not.

It is just that here you don’t have to settle for a trade off of quality for price.  You don’t have to deal with people who barely understand what you are saying and can not relate to what your business is doing or how your customers will react to various ideas.  You can get real value!  So why would you settle for less?