Legally Blind Artist George Mendoza Provides a Glimpse into the Creative Process of His Upcoming Art Exhibit “Colors of the Wind” at the Irving Arts Center in Irving, TX

Join George Mendoza as he shares inspirational stories and answers questions on his use of desktop video magnification by Enhanced Vision.

Huntington Beach, CA, September 20, 2013. Artist, athlete, and motivational speaker, George Mendoza is famous for creating colorfully vivid dreamscapes that capture the surreal essence of his experience. In terms of success, Mendoza’s art has been featured in several prestigious venues and exhibits, including the Smithsonian Affiliate Exhibition Exchange. You may already be familiar with George, as he has been the subject of several documentaries, authored three books, and celebrated by friends Robert Duvall and Jane Seymour. If you happened to catch him on television, then you would also know that George is visually impaired. After losing most of his vision as a teen, it wasn’t in Mendoza’s style to quit. He kept pursuing his dreams with a fierce determination… not just his dreams of athletic dominance by representing the United States at the Olympics in the 1980s, but also his subconscious dreams, which happen to be enhanced by his blindness. With the absence of clear eye sight, George’s imagination fills in where there are gaps. These impressive ideas are the renowned dreamscapes of his paintings, and the inspiration that drives his unique vision.

When most people hear about a legally blind painter, the first thing they wonder is, “how?” George Mendoza uses what is commonly referred to as a CCTV (closed caption television), or desktop video magnifier by Enhanced Vision. It’s a state of the art, high definition device that essentially consists of a camera capable of up to 80x magnification and a screen. Legally blind artists are able to increase the magnification at will, scan along the canvas and focus on one section at a time. These special features combined with Mendoza’s amplified imagination, allow him to re-create his dreams through manifestations of burning colors and psychedelic designs for the world to experience and enjoy.

Currently, Mendoza will be featured in an exhibition at the Irving Arts Center in Irving (a Smithsonian Affiliate), entitled “Colors of the Wind”, which focuses on his story and creative vision. On Saturday, September 28^th, in celebration of Smithsonian Magazine’s annual Museum Day Live! Mendoza will be at the Irving Arts Center to present an artist talk at 1 p.m.  Visitors and attendees will have an exclusive opportunity to hear the artist speak about his work and get an up-close look at his creative process, which involves the use of desktop video magnification in tandem with his talent. Following his lecture, visitors may also enjoy a Free Family Funday hands on art activity by creating an art project inspired by George Mendoza’s paintings. It’s an exciting chance to meet the artist behind the paintings, to witness the improbable become likely, and to watch dreams become real before your very eyes.

About George Mendoza

George Mendoza is a legally blind award-winning artist, author, former Paralympic athlete, and motivational speaker who’s touched the lives of Americans across the nation. He was born and raised New York City and at the tender age of fifteen, Mendoza was a promising high-school athlete when macular degeneration, a retinal disorder that leaves blind spots and distortions in the central vision, left him legally blind. Effects of the disease caused him to lose all of his central vision and keep only a gray foggy fringe of peripheral vision.  In the center of his view, he sees what he calls “kaleidoscope eyes” – intense and changing visual images of fiery suns, brightly burning eyes and colorful pinwheels.

A man of courage and vision, Mendoza paints what he dreams.  His artwork – mainly abstract and known for their dazzling colors – have been listed at the Smithsonian Affiliate Exhibition Exchange and have been featured in countless museums, traveling art exhibits, and art galleries.  Mendoza’s artwork has been used to create prints for quilts, ties, and “everything bags” that are sold across the country.

George Mendoza: Colors of the Wind will be on exhibit at the Irving Arts Center, Sept. 21 – Nov. 10. Gallery hours are Mon., Tues., Wed., and Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thurs. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sun. 1 – 5 p.m. The exhibition, artist talk and Family Funday activity are all free and open to the public.

About the Irving Arts Center

The Irving Arts Center, a department of the City of Irving, is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institutition and home to 11 resident arts organizations who present full seasons of symphony concerts, chorale presentations, theatrical performances, cultural events and youth programming. Located in the middle of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the Irving Arts Center complex sits on an eight-acre site and consists of two theatres, four professionally-curated galleries, meeting rooms, reception and classroom spaces, rehearsal facilities and an outdoor sculpture garden. In 2012, the Arts Center hosted 1,601 events, including 24 exhibitions and 227 performances.  The Center served as host to 108,388 visitors.

For more information about the Irving Arts Center, please visit our website at www.irvingartscenter.com or call 972.252.7558.

About Enhanced Vision

Enhanced Vision is the leading developer of innovative low vision magnifiers designed specifically for people who struggle with low vision due to macular degeneration, and/or other visual impairments. The company offers a comprehensive line of electronic magnifying solutions, giving thousands the chance to regain their visual independence by providing the ability to read, write, watch TV, and other activities they used to cherish. Products like the portable Pebble handheld give users the ability to travel anywhere with an all-in-one adjustable magnifier. Enhanced Vision’s new High Definition CCTVs feature text-to-speech technology, giving users the option of having documents, books, and magazines read aloud. All of these products are designed and built at the corporate office in Huntington Beach, California. Enhanced Vision products are available in more than 70 countries worldwide.

Contact Information:

Rose Mayer

Enhanced Vision

(888) 811-3161

(714) 465-3400

www.EnhancedVision.com