DyslexiaLand Pop-Up Art Show at Art From Scrap

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. Art From Scrap is hosting a pop-up art show Welcome to DyslexiaLand: Population 1 in 5.  A collection of dyslexia-themed assemblage pieces created by local dyslexia advocate and artist Cheri Rae, DyslexiaLand depicts some of the realities of dyslexia and celebrates accomplished individuals who have/had it.

Using salvaged and cast-off items—many from Art From Scrap, Rae has created several colorful and thought-provoking pieces. One of the pieces, “Seeing Red,” contains an actual classroom assignment by Rae’s son (who has dyslexia); it’s marked up in red by the teacher and given with a grade of 0/20. Several sharpened red pencils are arranged aimed right at the assignment. “The red pencil is a real difficulty for students with dyslexia,” Cheri explained. “And it’s pretty obvious that getting a zero out of 20 points on a little writing assignment can be very discouraging for a student working hard in the classroom. So then you have a child struggling not only to read and write, but also dealing with low self esteem as a result.”

Several other pieces depict successful and accomplished individuals with dyslexia—which might surprise some viewers—from inventor Alexander Graham Bell to Albert Einstein, to artists Pablo Picasso, John Lennon and Ansel Adams.

Cheri Rae wants to create a more dyslexia-friendly community.  Her mini-exhibition, Welcome to DyslexiaLand: Population 1 in 5, raises awareness about this common “learning difference” that affects 20% of the population.

Welcome to DyslexiaLand: Population 1 in 5 will be at the AFS Gallery until November 14th. Gallery Hours are Tuesday – Friday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm and Saturdays 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.