You are invited to
An exhibit of works by Karann Schaller and Dana Rau
Two major players are needed to experience a work of art—an artist to create the piece and a visitor to behold it.
Our creations necessitate a third party to be fully experienced. Karann’s art requires light. Illumination alters the way her art is perceived. Dana’s art needs touch. While her art can be enjoyed visually, it also engages touch (and sometimes smell and hearing) to complete its purpose.
The show will be on display at The Gallery at Whiting Mills (next to studio 416), 100 Whiting Street, Winsted, CT from September 5 to October 31.
Join us for the Opening Reception Friday, Sept 5, 5pm to 7pm
A special invitation to those with low vision or blindness.
A note about parking for the opening reception:
Handicapped parking is available behind the building at the 100 Whiting Street entrance. All other parking is in the two lots across the street on Holabird Avenue. From all the entrances, look for LIGHT TOUCH signs to lead you to the gallery.
A bit about the art I’m pulling together for this exhibit…When my older brother Derek passed away in the fall of 2023, I returned to my studio and considered his access to art. Derek had been born with cerebral palsy as well as a condition that led to blindness as a child. His life was full, and with limited sight, he used his other senses to navigate his surroundings. While some art forms are certainly accessible to the blind, visual art, both two and three dimensional, is often labeled “Do not touch,” and its enjoyment is extended only to those with sight. Even when texture plays a prominent role, this element is to be viewed, not experienced tactilely. And yet, we describe art’s personal effect with non-visual words: We “are touched” or “feel deeply” when we react to a piece emotionally. I have been experimenting with inclusive art that engages not just sight, but all the senses. My hope is that visitors feel the art—emotionally and physically—so that everyone can feel seen.
I am a long admirer of stained-glass artist Karann Schaller of Sunlight Artistry. I am so grateful that the opportunity arose for us to have a show together. According to Karann, she is drawn to glass for its ever-changing qualities. Not only is there a wide array of glass types, with varying opacities, but glass needs light to make it come alive, and its qualities are different depending on the time of day, the season, and the skies.
For both of us, art is not just something to look at. It engages with the world around us and the visitors who experience it.
We’d love for you to join us for the opening reception, or drop in to the gallery during September and October.