[accessibleimage] Foundation in Puerto Rico Teaches Students to Draw Using Braille and Holes

Greetings all,

In this e-mail and the following ones, I am sending some older articles from
the New York Times that some will find interesting. I did. I got them from
the Public Library. I don't think they are on the web. I hope they inspire
people with some good ideas about teaching art today.

Best,

Sylvie

Blind Art Group Expands Classes

Foundation in Puerto Rico Teaches Students to Draw Using Braille and Holes

THE NEW YORK TIMES, July 27, 1955, page 25

SAN JUAN, P. R, July 26--Operating under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico is a World Research Center for the Blind.

The nonprofit organization is headed by a 42-year-old Brooklyn-born artist
who believes that some day a blind person might create a new or better art
form for the world.

The artist, George B. Wally, began experiments in teaching the blind in
Hollywood in 1937. In March, 1954, it was disclosed that two of his blind
girl pupils here had learned to produce drawings in perspective.

The method uses holes and Braille markings on margins of drawing paper.
These enable the blind students to orient themselves first to draw vertical
and horizontal lines, and then to progress to diagonals, squares, circles
and varied shapes. For the first pictures, Mr. Wally dictates the necessary
lines. As time goes on, the blind students learn to visualize for themselves
and to sketch their own conceptions.

With the eye of the mind, Mr. Wally has found even a student blind from
birth enabled to widen mental horizons. His star pupils have produced such
images for themselves as the windblown trees, the shining moon and stars.

Since the method was first announced sixteen months ago the Musée
Pedagogique in Paris has given a month's showing to 280 pieces, exhibiting
steps in learning and the finished work.

The foundation has been created, with leading Puerto Ricans on its advisory
board. Doña Ines Mendoza de Muñoz Merin, wife of the Commonwealth's
Governor, has backed a legislative proposal for a $15,000 appropriation to
aid the program.

The Concept Broadens

More than thirty blind students are studying at Mr. Wally's research center
at Pasaje Rillot 300, Santurce. The single class in drawing has widened into
a list of nineteen activities for what Mr. Wally calls "the mental, physical
and spiritual well-being of the totally blind."

Among these are free-hand drawing and perspective, painting, sculpture,
body-building (weight-lifting, judo and wrestling) swimming, water skiing,
chess, dramatic art, piano, accordion, violin, music theory and composition,
architectural design, ballet, Spanish dancing, ceramics and social graces.

Instructors include Hector Campos Parsi, winner of the Ravel prize in music
in Paris last year; Jose Luis Torregrosa, one of the best Puerto Rican
television and stage actors; Robert Alderdice, architect; George Warrick,
professor of sculpture at the University of Puerto Rico, and Judge Pablo
Santiago Lavandero, president of the Federation of Chess Clubs of Puerto
Rico.

This month, the blind pupils' drawings are being exhibited at the San Juan
naval base, the Ramey Air Force Base near Aguadilla and other military and
naval installations in Puerto Rico. Next month, Mr. Wally is to cover the
island's principal cities, with demonstrations by his pupils.

Photo caption: Lucy Torres, left, and Eva Vasquez sketch the head of Irish
setter owned by George Wally, who heads the World Research Center for the
Blind at Santurce, P.R. They learned to draw in perspective, following Mr.
Wally's method. Miss Vasquez' work has been exhibited in Paris.

Photo caption: Miss Torres shows proper position of hands for drawing
according to the Wally system. She works on specially prepared paper with
perforations along edges and Braille marking. Teacher indicates lines to be
drawn by describing object and then calling "one, vertical; two,
horizontal...."

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