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(relaxing theme music)
Stay tuned to PBS 39 for an all-new episode
of Focus: Start with Art.
We explore a new program called Arts & Access
and meet a local photographer who brings visual art
to the visually impaired.
Plus, a Lehigh Valley oncologist
inspires his cancer patient survivors
and their families through music
in a new PBS39 original production
called, "Close to Home."
These stories and the Student Artist of the Month
coming up on Focus: Start with Art.
Focus is for our community.
(Grover) Focus showcases the people.
The places.
And the issues that matter to you.
(Grover) Focus on what matters.
(Brittany) You never know what you're going to see
when you tune in to Focus.
(announcer) Support for Focus is provided by...
And by...
Thank you for joining us
for this special Focus on the Arts.
I'm Laura McHugh.
A new program from the Lehigh Valley Arts Council
aims to increase accessibility among people with disabilities.
Since July, the Arts Council has partnered with more
than 30 organizations to create and schedule
50 performances, events, and exhibits.
Here to tell us more about one
of the participating artists is Focus reporter
Brittany Garzillo.
Laura, Stephen Cunic is a teacher-turned-photographer.
For the past decade, he's explored the United States
and travelled abroad to capture moments
in the natural world.
More recently, his work has opened up a world
of opportunity for those with visual impairments.
As he walks a path through a late winter landscape,
Stephen Cunic is on the lookout.
(Stephen) So, we need to kinda look for something that's open,
but nothing that stands out
too much or is too unique.
(Brittany) Not for someone,
but for something to capture
in his next photograph.
Many landscape photographers search for beautiful settings,
but you look for...?
(Stephen) What I'm really looking for is the mundane
and a way to make those mundane places
that we normally overlook monumentous.
(Brittany) By making the most
out of what many would only notice
for a moment.
See, these are kinda the things that you're looking for...
a nice path to go through,
trees, like these, will be in the foreground,
they'll stick out a little bit more,
and just as you touch the trees here with the bark,
you can actually feel that within
the photograph itself, too.
(Brittany) He's not just speaking figuratively.
You can literally feel his photos.
My real intention was to give people an experience
that they've never seen before,
and the fact that you can give sight,
in a way, to the visually impaired,
that is a byproduct of the entire work.
(Brittany) His photos allow those
with visual impairments to experience the visual arts.
(female #1) That's amazing.
(Brittany) That's what Tina Tillou experienced
during Cunic's exhibit entitled,
"Life Accessible," at the Banana Factory
in South Bethlehem.
(Tina) It's a whole new world
that I never thought that I'd be able
to experience this way.
I take pictures at home, I have enough vision
through a camera lens that I can take pictures,
but I have to make them so large
in order to try to figure out what they are,
and here, I'm closing my eyes and feeling,
feeling moss in a photograph that...
it's soft like moss is outside.
(Brittany) Cunic captured these eight photographs
at Yellowstone National Park
and uses what he believes
is a proprietary printing process
to make them three-dimensional.
Unlike most art exhibits, Stephen encourages his audiences
to get up close and personal with his work
to not only see, but to touch
and feel each piece.
(Stephen) The people are what make the photographs powerful,
not the photographs themselves.
(female #2) Can you feel the clouds?
(male #1) These are clouds and this--
(female #1) Yes, yeah, you can
feel the clouds, yeah.
(male #1) The one large picture,
I was able to feel the clouds,
which is, you know, amazing.
I love it, it's an interesting concept,
it's very detailed, I'm glad that it's here.
(Brittany) Jeffrey Gerhard is part of a group
from the Center for Vision Loss in Allentown,
here to experience Cunic's work firsthand.
This three-foot-wide photo, entitled, "Barren Ground,"
took Cunic about 14 hours to print.
(Stephen) Using ink density of black ink,
I print layers of black on top
of an aluminum composite substrate
and build up the layers to get the texture
and the thickness of the different attributes
within the image.
(Brittany) Cunic, a full-time printer
at his family's sign company,
spends anywhere from eight to sixteen hours
printing each one of his photographs.
Each one has about 20 to 30 layers of paper-thin ink
that cause various textures.
Cunic says, unlike a 3-D printer...
(Stephen) I'm building up the layers individually
and I'm telling the computer and printer what to do
based on a photograph in and of itself.
(Brittany) Rita Lang manages the center's innovative programming.
Due to a congenital eye condition,
she has no depth perception or peripheral vision.
Her sight is reduced to about the size of a pin.
(Rita) It just gives the blind
and visually impaired community
the opportunity to be a part
of the visual arts community.
(Brittany) A reminder that just because something
is out of sight doesn't mean it's out of mind.
This is my community and this art is for the people.
It's not for me.
You won't see any emotion of me within the photographs,
it's all about the individual experience.
(Brittany) Stephen's work is so new
that he wouldn't let us capture the process.
(Stephen) As far as I know, no one else in the world
has been doing this technique.
(Brittany) But, it's safe to say
he's captured something special
for the people who his work has touched.
For Focus, I'm Brittany Garzillo reporting.
(Laura) Thank you, Brittany.
Stephen Cunic's exhibit was among about 50 events
scheduled through the Lehigh Valley Arts Council's
Arts & Access program.
To learn more, I'm now joined by the Arts Council's
executive director, Randall Forte.
Thank you for joining us.
(Randall) Thank you for having me.
(Laura) And you shared with me just recently
something even more special about Cunic's exhibit.
(Randall) Well, I thought they sang to you
because when you touch them,
they create sound, which is another level
of sensory experience that you have with the artwork,
which is really neat, I thought.
(Laura) And this was just one
of many, many events that were scheduled
throughout the 2015-2016 season.
Why was this program created?
(Randall) Well, there are 81,000 people
living in the Lehigh Valley with some form of disability.
They live independently, they have families and friends,
but most unfortunately, for a long time,
they never had access to cultural events
and now they do and it's a very exciting program
and initiative.
We've done things like sensory-friendly environments
for kids with autism and their family,
we've had audio description of live theatrical performances
for the visually impaired,
there has been a movement workshop
for Parkinson's patients and their--
and their caretakers and for dance instruction--
instructors in the Lehigh Valley.
So, exhibitions, film, theater, dance,
performing arts, literary arts,
we try to do a little of everything
for all the people here in the Lehigh Valley.
(Laura) It must have required a lot
of creative thinking on the parts of the venues
and the sponsors of the programs and the artists themselves
to be able to create something that truly every single person
could experience.
(Randall) Well, the creativity is sort of
a byproduct of being engaged in the arts.
That was probably one of the easiest things for them to do.
I think the coordination was the most important
and that's what we're currently involved with.
This was a year-long event, or initiative,
spurred by the 25th anniversary
of the Americans with Disabilities Act,
celebrating that for a year.
That comes to a close this June 2016
and the Arts Council has decided to continue this program
into the future so we can coordinate more
of these activities, make people aware
that the doors are opening for them to attend.
So, yes, it's been a regional-wide initiative.
(Laura) Did you expect, when you created it,
that it would be a full 50 programs and events,
or did it grow organically?
(Randall) We actually targeted--
25 was our goal because 25 years
is the anniversary, 25 events,
but the response has been very positive
and that's been really heartening to me.
(Laura) Would you share some of the success stories with us?
(Randall) Sure, um...
there was a piece that was done,
created by Satori.
Nora Suggs is the executive director,
it's a small chamber music group
and they worked with close to 50 deaf students
at the IU from K through 12.
She did a program that was entitled,
"See the Art, Hear the Music."
So, it was a very multidimensional approach.
They were teaching the kids about classical music.
They played various-- various segments,
different pieces of music for their students.
It was American Sign Language
interpreted by the ASL interpreter.
There was a visual artist who was sketching
his emotional response to the music
and then the students came up
and were able to feel the vibrations
of the instruments that the chamber orchestra
was playing.
So, it was a tremendous
and exciting opportunity and, actually,
Satori, the musical group, I think walked away
feeling more engaged and more inspired
than even the students who really enjoyed it as well.
(Laura) You mentioned to me that Muhlenberg College
also had a series of successful events as well.
(Randall) Muhlenberg has been sort of
a vanguard in this field,
primarily because of the general manager,
Jessica Bien, and the support she receives from
the college theater department and dance department
and from the university as a whole.
They have been doing audio description
of live plays.
Audio description, for those in the audience
who might not know, is a live description
of what is happening on stage for the visually impaired.
They have earphones and a describer
describes the action in between the dialogue
so as not to interfere with them listening
and picking up what's being said.
But, for movement and activity
and action on stage that are important
to the actual play,
they're able to experience that
through this live audio experience
and one of the fascinating things about that experience
is that they come in about an hour early into the theater.
They visit the stage, they touch the props,
they sit on the set, the actors come out
and speak to them beforehand,
and then, they're sat in place
before the regular audience comes in.
So, they have a full sensual experience,
if you will, with the play,
and for many of the folks that have been attending,
this is their first time actually witnessing
or experiencing a live theatrical event
and it's been very exciting for them.
(Laura) And, as we wrap up, how can our viewers
learn more about the program
and the events that are coming up?
(Randall) Sure, we have a portal,
a web portal, artsandaccess.org,
which has a disability-friendly calendar of events
listing well into the future things that are programmed
or scheduled for them to see.
So, that's where I would direct people to go,
artsandaccess.org,
and I hope to see you and other people here
in the community throughout the valley
enjoying some of these performances and events.
(Laura) Thank you so much for joining us.
(Randall) Thank you.
Well, our next guest uses
the power of music to inspire cancer patients,
survivors, and their families.
Gynecologic oncologist, Dr. Rick Boulay,
is featured in the upcoming PBS 39 program
"Close to Home."
This original production
documents survivors' journeys with cancer.
Today, more than 50 percent of patients treated for cancer
in this country live complete and full lives.
They live well.
(female #3) Having cancer has taught me many things.
There's a lot of ups, there's a lot of downs,
but one of the key things that certainly helped me
is to stay positive and to hang around
positive people.
I would never say, "Why me?"
That is so dumb.
(female #4) We're all human beings.
We're born to have something broken
inside of us.
Cancer is not just a disease.
Cancer is stepping forward to grow.
(female #5) It's important to trust
your instincts and to keep asking questions.
'Cause there's never a right word to say
to someone who has cancer, except for, maybe,
"I love you."
But there's a way to still bring
a good gift.
There's a way to still bring a healing
that goes beyond medical capacity.
(female #6) This experience makes
my home very dear to me.
It makes me appreciate things in life more than I did before,
things that I had taken for granted.
It's really wonderful to see patients
who gained strength from their journey
through cancer and then, pay that forward.
To know that, you know, no matter what happens
at the end, we're gonna be okay.
We are all here walking each other home.
(peaceful music)
Dr. Rick Boulay is featured in this program.
He is the chief of the division
of gynecologic oncology
for Lehigh Valley Health Network
and he joins us now.
Dr. Boulay, you've been the driving force
behind this program.
What will viewers see when they watch this program
coming up in 2016?
(Rick) Yeah, "Close to Home" has been a project
we've been working on for about a year now.
It's nice to see it finally come together.
The driving force has been a passion of mine
for many, many years now
and we spend a lot of time in cancer narratives
discussing both the beginning and the end of the journey,
but very, very little time focused
on the middle part of that journey.
That part is incredibly transformative
for patients going through a cancer journey
as well as those around them.
There's so much wisdom that's obtained in that part,
but it doesn't go anywhere, it just kinda sits there.
So, we're looking for ways, and I've been looking for ways,
this will be one of them,
of getting out that wisdom that people accumulate
and getting it to share it with other people
and seeing how it resonates
so people can try on different strategies
as they focus on their cancer--
journey through cancer.
(Laura) And, in this piece,
it really does explore
the many different ways that people cope and heal,
not just physically, but also spiritually
and emotionally, and music is one
of those ways for you.
How did you discover the healing power of music
for you and your patients?
(Rick) Music has always been
something I've enjoyed and it's been a pastime
of mine for many years.
I didn't realize it would come up
to the forefront as it has.
Um, my wife is a leukemia survivor,
she is about eight years now,
and when she was diagnosed, that abyss that many families
fall into when they're diagnosed with a cancer
was one that I struggled to get out of,
and there were two things that helped me.
The first one was music, which I listened to
very, very differently, and in those quiet times
in the middle of the night when you can't sleep,
it's a nice way to-- it's a nice distraction,
but it tells a different story than I had heard before,
and the second were patient narratives,
people's experiences as they've walked this journey.
You can find them in blogs,
you can find them on the internet.
So, I spent a lot of alone time in the middle
of the night with both of those.
(Laura) It put you on the other side of your patients.
You were here a caregiver and a spouse to somebody
when usually you're the medical provider
and the care provider in that way.
What did you learn from going through
that experience, and does it make you
a better doctor today?
(Rick) I hope.
What I've learned was really, really humbling
because I am an intuitive person
and I think I get other people
and I thought I got this journey
and I didn't, I really didn't.
So, I found myself really grasping
and really looking for ways out of the abyss,
and who came to my rescue?
My patients.
So, I just feel so privileged
to walk this journey with them
because they have given me, and they barely know it,
but they have given me
so much more than I've given them
and this--
I think I understood the breadth of the journey,
but the depth and the emotionality,
and, as you talk about, what we call
the psychosocial overlay in medicine,
the spirituality, the social interactions
and how people live their lives,
and we focused on that in the "Close to Home" documentary
and called it that specifically because so much of this healing
happens at home, which is why I didn't see it.
You know, it doesn't happen in the doctor's offices.
We-we do a treatment plan, we treat the disease,
and learning to treat the patient
was incredibly valuable and I hope it makes me
a better doctor.
(Laura) So, you not only found healing
through listening to music,
but now you also perform?
(Rick) So, yeah, so that went to the next step,
and the very first time that happened
was shortly after my wife was diagnosed
I did a disc, a CD, full-length CD,
called "Hope," and I think it was part
of me trying to find it, you know?
I felt like I had some of the answers,
but, looking back now, it was really an exploration.
So, that was fun, and, in turn, I did two others
and started to do live concerts.
We call them "concerts," but they're probably
better described as events where we bring patients,
survivors, caregivers, together and we discuss
varying topics in cancer survivorship,
things that you wouldn't think about, you know,
what are the funny things that happened,
what are the really difficult moments
that you stumbled trough,
how did spirituality play out,
how do you find hope,
those sorts of things,
and we divide each section into a song section
and a discussion section.
So, the emotionality can live in the song part
and then, the transformative part,
the sort of cerebral and thinking part,
lives in the discussion part.
So, people get a little bit of both
and I think that's what makes this so unique
because, in most other places, we try to separate those,
and when we put 'em together, they kinda bleed into each other
and make it a little-- a little murky,
but when we do them in this kinda side-by-side approach,
it just is a really nice way to explore these feelings
and thoughts.
(Laura) And I think anybody
who's known someone who's gone through cancer,
which everyone truly has,
can learn a lot from these experiences.
When is the next time you'll be performing?
(Rick) So, we'll be at Symphony Hall,
Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown
on Friday night, April the 29th,
and again on Saturday, April the 30th.
It will be the same format as we've done in the past,
but entirely different songs and entirely different modules
of discussion topics that we'll be using.
(Laura) Well, thank you so much
for your work in "Close to Home,"
the work that you do in the community,
and for sharing that all with our viewers today.
(Rick) And thank you guys at PBS 39
for helping me through all of this,
it's just been just a wonderful experience.
(Laura) Thank you.
Well, from one crooner to another,
it's now time for the PBS 39 Artist of the Month.
Here's Christian, a young man with a passion
for music.
("Sherry" by The Four Seasons plays)
Hi, I'm Christian and I'm the PBS 39 Artist of the Month.
Sherry
I was about two years old when I started singing.
Sherry baby
I first noticed that I had a talent for singing
when I was in first grade and I did a talent show.
I got a lot of compliments on it,
so I felt that I did pretty well.
Sherry
I learned how to sing from my dad
because he gives singing lessons
and he gives me a lot of pointers and tips
that are really helpful.
I sing all the time, every single day,
any chance I get.
I love to sing because it makes me
feel really happy and it makes other people
feel happy.
Girl, you make me lose my mind
To be a great singer, you have to strive
for all of your goals and be the best you
that you can be.
I wanna be a professional singer,
actor, and hopefully, be in musicals on Broadway.
I am honored to be the PBS 39 Artist of the Month.
(energetic music)
(Laura) Thanks, Christian,
and Brittany, it was really interesting
to then hear Randall's perspective
about how there was some sound
and vibration to the pieces as well.
(Brittany) Well, yeah, because there's
the layers to the pieces.
They really are, like, three-dimensional,
so when you feel them, it does make a noise
as you go over top of them.
I thought it was so exciting to go into a gallery
and be able to touch everything.
So, that's a really unique experience as well
and what's also interesting
is this wasn't Stephen's intention
to make art for the visually impaired,
it was just a byproduct of his work,
but, nonetheless, it's really impacted
those with impairments.
(Laura) And while you had this amaging--
amazing engaging experience,
Grover had his own interactive experience.
Grover, you recently covered the Bethlehem Palette Club.
(Grover) Yes, and what a talented group of people.
(Laura) And attended a paint-in
for last month's show, but this month
you were the subject.
(Grover) Well, they're always
looking for subjects, uh,
for their paint-ins, 'cause it's in the morning
and sometimes difficult to get people
to rearrange their schedules,
but what an honor, really, to be able to sit
for some of the best artists in the Lehigh Valley.
Sandra Corpora, I think, really came out on top.
Her--she's a terrific artist and she even has an exhibit
at the State Theatre right now.
Uh, but hands-down, I think everyone agrees
that this--that her photo-- her photo,
it's almost better than a photo.
Uh, yeah, her oil painting of me was--was good,
in spite of the subject.
(Laura) And it really captured so much
of your personality and your character.
We smiled so much when we saw it.
(Grover) Quite an experience to sit there for three hours
with the same expression.
So, yeah, you get into a Zen experience
and if you changed, like, a little bit of your look,
suddenly, you know, a couple of the artists go,
"Oh, oh, oh!" You know?
"Could you go back to the way you were,
you know, like, posing?"
And I go, "Did I change?"
(Laura) I liked the expression that you had.
(Grover) Oh, thank you, thank you.
I couldn't get out of that expression
for the rest of the day, I spent three hours
frozen that way.
(Brittany) It was very Grover-esque.
It's certainly a photo, a portrait,
that we'll cherish forever.
(Grover) Well, I may even put it
on my Facebook page.
(Brittany) Oh, we'll have to look.
(Grover) But thank you, Sandy!
Great job.
Thank you, Grover, and thank you, Brittany,
and thank you for joining us.
We'll see you next week.
Until then, remember to focus on what matters.
(relaxing theme music)