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.
Josh was born and raised in Santa Barbara, where his passion and curiosity for the environment began and has continued to grow. During his undergraduate studies, Josh pursued this interest at the University of California at Santa Cruz, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies.
Melissa Dodos developed her passion for creative reuse as a mother of four and elementary educator over the past 25 years. She loves to inspire creativity by connecting people with resources and ideas.
Veronica grew up in San Diego and spent four years in San Luis Obispo studying Animal Science at Cal Poly. As an undergrad she learned lots about livestock, agriculture, and wildlife.
Stephanie began her journey as an educator over twenty years ago working as a preschool teacher in Washington state for a cooperative preschool program affiliated with Whatcom Community College. She loved observing the wonder and curiosity of the children and bringing them out into nature to explore the natural world. She continued her love for learning and got her teaching license and then her Montessori certification and worked as an elementary teacher in Tribal, Public, and Montessori schools. She collaborated to create a school garden and her students loved it so much that it became a special place where they could garden, read, explore, play, and it provided a safe sanctuary for students to calm down and reset when they were having difficult moments.
Morgan’s mermaid soul is always seeking adventure—swimming a relay across the Santa Barbara Channel and taking the first photo of a newborn orca off Anacapa Island being standout experiences close to home.
Lindsay Johnson