In 1989 a group of Deaf artists and a Deaf art historian convened to discuss contemporary art by Deaf artists. Recognizing a growing body of work that explicitly explored Deaf culture and Deaf experience, the group issued a manifesto that proclaimed a new genre of art, articulated its defining features, and named it: De’VIA: Deaf View/Image Art.
During the movement’s 30th anniversary year, the Memorial Art Gallery is pleased to host De’VIA: The Manifesto Comes of Age with work by the genre’s precursors, founders, and artists whose work reflects the movement’s enduring influence. The exhibition draws principally from the permanent collection of RIT’s Dyer Arts Center, which is located on the campus of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. The exhibition is curated by Tabitha Jacques, director of the Dyer Arts Center and Patricia Durr, artist and NTID faculty.
With one of the largest Deaf communities in the country, Rochester is often referred to as the country’s most Deaf-friendly community, a reputation earned in part thanks to its strong educational commitments to Deaf Education, starting in 1876 with the founding of the Rochester School for the Deaf, and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, which was founded in 1965.
Media
An app, MAG De’VIA, was designed for this exhibition by National Technological Institute for the Deaf, with the intention of being the most accessible museum app available anywhere. It houses 12 videos featuring artists in the show signing information about their work on view. You can search for the app by name on the Apple or Google Play stores, or view the videos here.