The Art of Book Making exhibit ran from October 24, 2024 – February 14, 2025 in the Dyer Arts Center and featured works from all of our four books – including sketch books, and revised images as well as final pieces. Post-it notes were offered for people to write in suggestions for future books and some of the ideas shared were to have books on: Blanche Wilkins, John L. Clarke, May Martin, Morris Broderson, and Andrew Foster (who we hope to have a “Who That?” book about next year. Other ideas were to have another ABC Portraits book and a book about Black ASL.
Several different groups attended presentations about the books and art as well as toured the exhibit. We wish to thank the RIT/NTID Written Communication and Deaf Culture in America classes, U of R Deaf Arts and The Visual Arts, Values and Healthcare classes, and Rochester School for the Deaf 4th and 5th grade classes for coming on different days for tours in the Dyer Arts Center.
Photo by RIT/NTID photographer Matthew J Sluka
Nancy Rourke, as artist and art director on all of our books, joined one of the tours via zoom.
Photos by Susan Daiss
Marissa Woodruff, an alumnus of RSD and RIT, presenting to RSD students.
Check out these energetic 4th and 5th graders from Rochester School for the Deaf enjoying the exhibit and activities in Dyer Arts Center.https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yc5OuruZudk
Deep gratitude to the interim director of the Dyer Arts Center, Marissa Woodruff, and her assistant, Amara Engel, for all their hard work with the gala and exhibit.
Promotional materials for the Exhibit. Note – exhibit was extended until Feb 14, 2025.
The ART of Book Making: Surdists United Illustrated Children’s Publications
Exhibition Dates: October 25 2024-February 7, 2025
Ohringer Gallery at Dyer Arts Center (Monday-Friday 10am to 4 pm)
52 Lomb Memorial Dr., Rochester NY 14623
RIT/National Technical Insitute for the Deaf
The ART of Book Making: Surdists United Illustrated Children’s Publications exhibit provides a behind-the-scenes look into the creative process in the making of our books.
In our books, you will discover the amazing accomplishments and lives of Deaf Americans providing lessons to all about the power of resilience. Our books feature::
-the first woman pilot from South Dakota
-the “Mother” and “Father” of the De’VIA (Deaf View/Image Art) movement
-a Black DeafBlind lawyer who graduated from Yale University
-a Native American (Blackfeet) wood carver
-an activist who defended our right to sign language
-a Black American who established over 30 schools in Africa
-a poet and journalist who interviewed Presidents Lincoln and Grant
-a Mississippian artist whose backyard became her art gallery
-a Black professional baseball pitcher and educator
When Sudists United was established, two of our goals were to support Deaf creatives and to make a place for artistic and literary expressions of Deaf people in our galleries, communities, classrooms, and libraries.
Involved in the creation of Surdists United’s books are Deaf artists, writers, printers, and performers. We began with a Kickstarter fundraising effort where nearly 100 individuals contributed funds which led to our first publication and affirmed the value of getting these books into the hands of Deaf children (as well as others).
The artists who have colorfully brought these Deaf Ancestor stories to life include Vicki Campos-Hamiliton, Laurie Monahan, Bob Rourke, Nancy Rourke, and Yusuf Yahya. These illustrators studied the works of each Deaf artist ancestor so they could incorporate parts of their unique art, style, and themes. In addition to being Deaf, the illustrators and ancestor artists share similar cultural backgrounds. In this exhibit, you will see drafts and sketches plus the final original artworks that were used in each book. A variety of mediums are on display featuring watercolors, pencil sketches, digital images, mosaics, wire art, and acrylic paintings. Nancy Rourke additionally was our art director and layout artist.
Our book’s researchers/writers/editors were Patti Durr and Karen Christie. The exhibit offers a glimpse of their editing work. Also included are two videos of ASL poems that appeared in the books: Patrick Graybill’s ASL poem honoring Guy Wonder and Dorothy M. Wilkins’ ASL translation of an English poem memorializing Betty G. Miller.
It is our hope that the exhibit sparks a sense of pride and a feeling of kinship so the names of these Deaf ancestors will be remembered. Our ultimate goal is to inspire emerging Deaf creatives to tell their stories—stories of Deaf lives to be passed on to future generations.