They’ve broken into mainstream pop culture in order to continue breaking down stereotypes for amputees. And now ALLELES Design Studio is bringing its artistry, creativity and inspiration to the Kent State University Museum.
ALLELES designs and produces stylish prosthesis covers. On Friday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m. in the museum’s Murphy Auditorium, both the art and technology directors will share their love of art, obsession for design and motivating desire to transform ordinary prosthesis into chic accessories.
The lecture and reception are free and open to the public.
The event is part of the “(dis)ABLED BEAUTY: The Evolution of Beauty, Disability and Ability” which runs through March 12, 2017, in the museum’s Stager and Blum Galleries. The exhibit is co-curated by Tameka Ellington, Ph.D., assistant professor in Kent State’s Fashion School, and Stacey Lim, Au.D., Ph.D., CCC-A, assistant professor of audiology at Central Michigan University.
“(dis)ABLED BEAUTY” examines the aesthetic results of a historical reversal. In the past, assistive technologies were designed to be inconspicuous, a byproduct of the intense stigma attached to disability. Franklin D. Roosevelt famously shielded his use of a wheelchair and other devices from the public eye. However, in recent decades, fashionable and highly visible assistive technologies have been used to stand out, make a statement and challenge stigma.
“(dis)ABLED BEAUTY” traces the rich intersections between design, technology and adaptation, supporting the case advanced by actor-playwright and advocate Neil Marcus: “Disability is not a brave struggle or ‘courage in the face of adversity.’ Disability is an art. It's an ingenious way to live.”
Read more about the exhibit in the Akron Beacon Journal.
About the Museum
The Kent State University Museum is located at 515 Hilltop Drive, at the corner of E. Main St. and S. Lincoln St. in Kent, Ohio. The museum is open to the public on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. - 8:45 p.m.; and Sunday from noon - 4:45 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children under 18. The museum is free with a Kent State ID and free to the public on Sunday. Parking is free. For more information, call 330-672-3450 or visit www.kent.edu/museum.
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Contact: Alex Parrott, marketing associate, cparrot1@kent.edu, 330-672-2714 (office)