Art As An Integral Part Of The Deaf Culture

Art plays an important role model in peoples life, art can mean a lot of things depending on the mood you are or if you understand it or not for this research paper I want to focus on Deaf culture art and about how Deaf experience can be express through art and not only Deaf people can understand it but all the world, one of the topics I enjoy reading and learn more is De'VIA because of the concept of Deaf experiences that can include different perspectives like a Deaf insight of a spiritual journey, Deaf insight on a everyday life. The main reason that I decided to write about this topic is because of the Resistance Art with the powerful images were they express their experiences through art and Affirmative Art was not only Deaf people shows the struggle of an everyday life, they also project scene of happy experience of being Deaf but my favorite Deaf art would be the humorous situations in the lives as Deaf people. In the article name 'Art for Deaf Children', the article explains the integration of art instruction in the education of deaf children in Georgia. Introducing the learning experience as for how they have a better understanding with only a few words, figures, colors, shapes and even objects, they can express new ideas for deaf children and even have a better imagination. In order to be more meaningful for the deaf children and have fun at the same time, they must be encouraged to participate in many different ways such as painting, drawing and decorating to expand their creativity. At the preschool levels is know that the teachers used non-projected visual art forms for example: The wall charts, flashcards, bright colors, big numbers, big letters, and coloring books according to the topic of the day as a support to teaching, but for a non-project visual art form for the deaf are really limited to support teaching Sign Language to beginners. Using visual elements in teaching and learning have positive results on students, after watching different art lessons, the group of children played the games and drew pictures of 

themselves just as the art lesson using markers, crayons or anything they want everything their imagination takes them. They made different stories from the normal fairy tales to even dragons or aliens during the lessons and after they created a scrapbook of the days and trips they enjoyed. After a few days, it shows that most deaf children express their ideas through creative art and colors. It really surprises me how art can influence the kids how they just not only see as another boring class they can actually enjoy the class and even use the class a small session of therapy. Most forms of therapy are centered on verbal communication. Art therapy is a different way to break that mold, fear, questions, fears and introduces a more creative way, that means that both communicating ideas and learning are able to grow. According to 'The American Art Therapy Association', art therapy is a mental health profession in which clients use art media, poems, films, and even dance to use the creative process, and the resulting of artwork to explore and identify their feelings, emotional conflicts, self-awareness, control behavior and even addictions, social skills are going to improve, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem. 

After reading and understanding the way they use art as different ways of express and making the world realize everything they need to know about the Deaf Culture it make a big impact on me with all the information once I become an interpreter it would be easier for me to understand more about Deaf Culture and maybe if everything goes right after, a small class of art would be open to everyone, in some parts I understand Deaf Art as a form of therapy because in my experience on Horsemanship Teraphy sometimes children feel comfortable and start telling how they feel to the horse and I think that would be a great idea to add some art time. In my opinion, art opens more doors to Deaf children to express themselves, for example, to talk about the big taboo domestic and sexual violence in the deaf community. It's not different from the hearing community. Deaf people due to language and system barriers have less access to the right information especially about health care and social relations. 'Art for Deaf Children' help me to have more hope on the education system because for me is really odd that they even care for Deaf kids or even kids with disabilities is the reason I decided to continue my education to make a change, improve, and even help parents if I can to answer some question if need. In conclusion art is an important expression of Deaf culture, both visual and performance that is portrayed for the public, it has a dual purpose for the Deaf they have a common history that they can relate, moments from the daily lifestyle, dreams about the future but at the same time it helps and allows to be a better understood by the outsiders.