Exploring Deaf Geographies from Pyramid Atlantic

On View January 22–February 27, 2022

Curated by Tabitha Jacques in collaboration with the Dyer Arts Center at Rochester Institute of Technology

Deaf geographies are at once both physical and abstract spaces, ranging from Deaf community hubs such as Washington, DC, and Rochester, NY, to conversations, impressions, and memories shared by Deaf people expressing their identities. Works by five Deaf artists are featured in this exhibition that features prints, papercutting, collage, paintings, and papermaking.

Exploring Deaf Geographies is presented in partnership with the Dyer Arts Center, part of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology. It is curated by Tabitha Jacques who is the Director of the Dyer Arts Center and splits her time between Rochester and DC.

“This is an exciting opportunity for visitors to have a deeper understanding of the complexities of Deaf life through art and to build onto the concept of Hyattsville becoming a Deaf geography of its own,” states Jacques. Jacques goes on to say “Hyattsville is becoming a hub for the Deaf community; the town has a Deaf-owned brewery, boasts a sizable population of Deaf individuals and families, and is seeing an increase in small businesses learning to work with Deaf residents. By partnering with the RIT/NTID Dyer Arts Center, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center is building on Hyattsville’s Deaf community with an exhibition that features works by Deaf artists.”

The artists represented in the show are current residents of either the greater Rochester or DC areas.

Laural Hartman is a Los Angeles-born artist and printer based in Rochester. Laural currently divides her time as a faculty at NTID where she teaches Drawing and Design courses and as a printer for dirtybeardpress, a boutique studio she founded in San Francisco.

Youmee Lee, a Korean American woman artist, explores materials and weaves narrative illustrations into her art. She studied visual arts in New York City, Seoul, and Amsterdam. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Film and Animation.

Melissa Malzkuhn is a Maryland-based academic, artist, and advocate with a love for language play, interactive experiences, and community-based change. She founded and leads creative research and development at Motion Light Lab, at Gallaudet University and can frequently be seen printing in Pyramid’s studios.

Aaron Swindle hails from Camarillo, California and is currently based in Rochester NY. He has a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA from New York Studio School.

Yiqiao Wang is a Chinese-born artist and illustrator who came from Beijing to study at Gallaudet and currently lives in Virginia. She has a BA in Digital Media from Gallaudet and an MFA from Savannah College of Art and Design. Her work includes illustrating storybook apps as well as creating mural designs many of which can be seen in the DC area.

Learn more about the artists and their work in the exhibition—watch the Artist Panel Discussion, which took place on February 23, 2022.