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The annual Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama is back in Shelby County and is available for viewing until Feb. 22. (Reporter photos/Noah Wortham)

By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – The annual Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama is back in Shelby County and is available for viewing until Feb. 22.

Each year, the Shelby County Arts Council hosts the Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama which is a traveling juried art exhibit displayed throughout the state. This year’s installment of the show kicked off with its first stop in Columbiana. The gallery is available for local residents to freely peruse in the SCAC’s Grande Corridor Gallery.

A free opening reception for the Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama at the Shelby County Arts Council was held on Sunday, Jan. 19 from 3-5 p.m. and allowed attendees to view the pieces and hear from guest speaker Sean Dietrich, also known as Sean of the South.

“We are so excited,” said Shirley Wilson, director of the Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama. “It just gets more and more awesome, awesome, awesome each year.”

The pieces on display were created by Alabama students who have visual impairments, blindness and or deaf blindness. The featured artists are from a range of ages and attend public, private, residential and home schools.

The young artists who participate in the show utilize a variety of mediums to create a range of pieces offering a selection of textures, emotions and messages. According to the SCAC, art is included in the children’s academic curriculum to assist in the development of communication skills using both visual and tactical media. Art is also included in students’ math, science, reading and leisure activities.

“The artwork is unique with an emphasis on creativity, color and tactile media,” read a post from the SCAC.

During his speech at the gallery’s reception, Dietrich reflected on his experiences meeting people with disabilities through his blog.

“I was always introduced to someone who had some major obstacle in their life and wanted (someone) to write about them,” Dietrich said. “And so, I began to write about people who started life with a different set of obstacles.”

Dietrich shared about a fateful encounter he had with a person who had a blind dog and how it inspired him to adopt a blind dog of his own that he named Marigold. Shortly after, he began writing about Marigold and he received messages from all over the U.S. from blind individuals.

“I started meet different people, I started to go to different blind schools, I started to meet children and my life changed completely,” Dietrich said.

Dietrich also discussed his experiences with the Helen Keller Art Show and meeting the young artists behind the pieces. He remembered an encounter with a young lady in a wheelchair named Henrietta who made a memorable impression on him.

“She said something that sticks with me,” Dietrich said. “She said, ‘You don’t need eyes to make art. You don’t need eyes to see beauty. The beauty is always in here, and your heart’s always in here. The eyes are just a way to help you get it out.’”

The Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama will remain on display at the Gallery until Feb. 22 and can be viewed at Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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