Collage By Artists With Aphasia To Debut At CU-Boulder On Oct. 19

Oct. 9, 2007

A collage created by a group of artists with communication disabilities stemming from stroke or brain injuries will be on display this month at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Center.

The center will unveil an artwork display by the Aphasia Community Art Studio during a public viewing and reception that will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19. The exhibit is a collaborative effort between CU-Boulder and Naropa University's art therapy department.

In addition to the display of the collage and other artwork, there will be a brief presentation by Michael Franklin, director of Naropa's art therapy program, and Bette Hadler, a CU-Boulder speech, language and hearing instructor. The presentation will take place at the center in room 230, 2501 Kittredge Loop Road on the CU-Boulder campus next to Fiske Planetarium.

Hadler said the mission of Naropa's art studio and CU-Boulder's Speech, Language and Hearing Center is to provide art-making opportunities to people who have "been marginalized" by society. Aphasia is a language disorder caused by brain damage following a stroke or head injury. Patients have difficulty understanding others and expressing themselves through speech, writing and reading.