May 9, 2007

 

SCSDB News                                                For Immediate Release       

South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind

  A Palmetto Gold School                                         

Media contacts:

 

Katie Rice, Public Information Office:  (864) 577-7506

krice@scsdb.org

 

Sharon Goolsby, Public Information Office: (864) 577-7505

 sgoolsby@scsdb.org

 

 

SCSDB to mount Second Annual Art on the Lawn Show and Sale

 

SPARTANBURG, SC — The South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind (SCSDB) is inviting the public to attend its Second Annual Art on the Lawn show and sale, Wednesday, May 16, 2007, from 10 am until 4 pm. The show will be held in a tent on the lawn across from the president’s home on the main campus drive.

Featuring the original drawings and paintings from students in the School for the Deaf, School for the Blind and School for the Multihandicapped, the sale will also include prints from the prize-winning work of some of the students. Prices range from $10 - $200 depending on quality, size and framing.

Proceeds from the juried show and sale benefit the Fine Arts Department at SCSDB and SCSDB’s student artists.

“It’s a 50/50 sale and a learning experience for our children,” said Chip Walters, director of fine arts at SCSDB. “We took students to an art store to show them how much their paints, canvases and other supplies cost. It was eye opening. Then we helped them do the math to calculate how much a piece should sell for considering materials costs, time spent creating the piece, and quality.”

Half of the proceeds are used by the Fine Arts Department to replace materials and help send students selected to attend the Summer Creative Arts Institute in Chicago. The other half goes directly to the artists. The only exception, according to Walters, is for student artists graduating from SCSDB.

“Our senior students get 100 percent of their profits from the sale,” said Walters. “Since they’re graduating and college-bound, the money they make from the sale of their art will help them meet their expenses for next year. That’s a big motivator to create quality art.”

On May 15 from 3-4:30 pm, these senior students will mount a “Senior Show” in the Walker Hall reception area. The public is also welcome to attend the event. Some of the works by these seniors will be for sale.

“So many visitors come to our campus and before they leave ask to buy student artwork that we decided to try a one-time sale last year,” said Walters. “It was so successful with individuals and businesses coming to purchase work for their homes and offices, that we decided to make it an annual event. Again this year we’ll have something for everyone — from a child selecting art for a bedroom to a corporate executive decorating an office. This sale benefits the community and makes our students feel really good about themselves and their work.”

SCSDB is a specialized instructional and resource center. It provides services statewide for individuals who are deaf, blind or sensory disabled, their families and the professionals who work with them. SCSDB offers programs for preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, sensory multidisabled, vocational and postsecondary educational students, as well as a variety of outreach and support services. The main campus is located in Spartanburg, and regional centers are located throughout the state. SCSDB’s Web site address is www.scsdb.org.