Blind Artist and Paralympic Athlete George Mendoza to Showcase Masterpieces at Envision Arts Gallery
By Holly Herring • Jul 18, 2024
Blog Content
Wichita, Kan. [July 18, 2024] – The Envision Arts Gallery and Community Engagement Center invites the community to meet acclaimed blind artist George Mendoza during a First Friday reception on August 2 from 5-8 p.m. to celebrate his latest exhibition, "Colors of the Wind.” The exhibition opened on July 5 and is showcased in the Main Gallery through September 27.
George Mendoza, a globally acclaimed artist who has been blind since age 15, is a leader in the world of art and advocacy. As an author, Smithsonian Fellow, Paralympic athlete, activist, and motivational speaker, Mendoza's journey is nothing short of inspiring. His life story, marked by breaking the world record for blind athletes running the mile in 4 minutes and 28 seconds in 1980, producing two nationally televised PBS documentaries, and founding the Wise Tree Foundation to promote arts for the disabled community, exemplifies resilience and creativity.
Mendoza's exhibition, "Colors of the Wind," previously on display at the National Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., features his entire collection of 40 paintings. Mendoza’s art, characterized by its colorfully vivid dreamscapes, captures the surreal essence of his experiences. Despite his visual impairment, he can see light and color fractions, which he translates onto canvas, making his work accessible and tactile for everyone, including people with disabilities.
“Art has been my way of navigating the world and sharing my vision with others,” Mendoza said. “I am honored to exhibit my work at Envision Arts Gallery, where their mission aligns with my passion for making art inclusive and inspiring for all.”
Sarah Kephart, Senior Manager, Envision Arts, shared her excitement about the collaboration, stating, “For artists of this caliber who have reached the level of success like Mendoza, and for Envision Arts Gallery to host this prestigious collection on loan from the Ellen Noël Art Museum in Odessa, Texas, speaks volumes about the importance of our mission in our community and exemplifies our commitment to championing accessibility in the arts for all people. We are so grateful to have George Mendoza’s incredible work displayed not once, but twice in our gallery.”
During Mendoza’s exhibition, the gallery will also have three different groups with featured exhibitions in the adjoining Patricia A. Peer Window Gallery. First will feature a tapestry group exhibition with 100 participants from American Tapestry Alliance (ATA) on display July 5 – 26. Then a group exhibition with Starkey on display August 2 – 30 followed by artists from the Looking Glass from September 6 – 27.
"Colors of the Wind," will be on display at the Envision Arts Gallery July 5 – September 27. This exclusive exhibition is made possible by Mary Lynn Oliver and the Ellen Noël Art Museum.
All proceeds from artwork and merchandise purchased from the gallery directly support the artists and help the Envision Arts program. Learn more about the Envision Arts Gallery and Community Engagement Center by visiting envisionartsgallery.com or calling (316) 440-1699.
About the Envision Arts Gallery and Community Engagement Center: The year-round Envision Arts program has been using expressive arts to help foster mind, body and spirit healing through multidimensional and sensory art for many years within Envision headquarters on Main St. in Wichita, Kanas. Envision, the nation’s premier service provider to and employer of individuals who are blind or visually impaired, opened the permanent art gallery in January 2022. The Gallery has continued the momentum of the program and aims to empower artists and audiences who are blind, visually impaired, and disabled by providing a safe and supportive platform to exhibit and engage to promote a culture of inclusion and accessibility to the arts for all. The Gallery is located in the old Patrick Hotel building in downtown Wichita's Historic Union Station area at 801 East Douglas, Suite 106, managed and owned by Occidental Management. For more information, visit www.envisionartsgallery.com.
About Envision: Envision promotes advocacy and independence for those who are blind or have low vision. Founded in 1933, Envision is one of the largest employers of individuals with vision loss in the nation. Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, Envision’s mission is to improve the quality of life and provide inspiration and opportunity for people who are blind or visually impaired through employment, outreach, rehabilitation, education, and research. For more information, visit www.envisionus.com.
Media Contact: Holly Herring, Marketing Manager
Office: 316-440-1531 | Email: media@envisionus.com