The Alabama Center for the Arts announced that the 2024 Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama is now open in Athens State University’s Walking Gallery, 133 2nd Ave NE, Decatur.

The exhibit is a traveling juried art show that displays artwork created by students throughout Alabama who have visual impairments, blindness, and/or deaf-blindness. The show will be displayed through Wednesday, Sept. 4, and is free and open to the public.

The Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama has been hosted by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Vision Science Research Center and Education Outreach Module for more than 20 years. The show travels throughout Alabama to eight museums over the course of the year. The ACA has hosted the Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama since 2019.

Children who participate in the show use various media to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces. The arts are included in the students’ academic curriculum in areas such as the development of communication skills utilizing visual and tactical abilities, math, science, reading and leisure-time activities. This year’s exhibit will feature 40 unique pieces of art that can be purchased for a donation starting at $100. The funds collected help with the costs of framing, the opening reception, scholarships, and summer workshops.

The Alabama Center for the Arts is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and on Friday from 8 a.m.-noon.

The Alabama Center for the Arts project continues a long-standing collaborative academic effort between Athens State University and Calhoun Community College and serves as a model of academic institutional cooperation for the state. The Alabama Center for the Arts is a venue for cultural events and activities and will enhance an appreciation of art while promoting opportunities for creative expression for residents throughout the region.

Athens State University founded in 1822 is Alabama’s oldest educational institution of higher learning.