MILWAUKEE — Compelling, gripping, emotional. Just some of the descriptions of an exhibition that tells stories of the blind through audio and photography. It gives us insight into the world of the visually-impaired.
The gallery gives us a deeper understanding of blindness.
"The brain rewires itself to favor non-visual orientation and thinking. It's really remarkable how humans adapt to their situations," exclaims artist and photographer Michael Nye.
Nye's work is now on display at Milwaukee's Central Library. It's entitled "My Heart is Not Blind."
Nye interviewed visually impaired people about their personal journey.
"What a priviledge for me to sit down with people I dont know and spend 2 to 4 days with them about really substantive issues..of life t fragility, change and wisdom."
Those photographed talk about their daily challenges.
"Equally its about the grave misunderstanding of the public about the experience of blindness."
"Almost everyone I met said the hardest thing about blindness is not blindness..but public perception about blindness. That's pretty profound!"
"Vision Forward helped sponsor the traveling exhibit. David Lobo of the "Vision Forward Board" explains,
"We at Vision Forward believe if your vision impaired or bind does not mean your helpless, that you cant do anything,. You just do things differently," explains David Lobo whose on the board of "Vision Forward."
Nye says he learned how the visually impaired depend on sound and other senses in their daily life. "What the public doesn't understand is they think someone blind is in all darkness, its depressing, your life is over, and you cant do things you used to. But what they fail to understand is the power of adaptation."
"My Heart Is Not Blind," teaches us there are many more ways to connect with the world than sight. It's on display at the Milwaukee Public Library Central location through the end of the month.
