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As autumn gives way to winter, it’s a great time to reflect on what a busy fall we had here at the Council. In addition to our ongoing education, advocacy and vision services activities, fall was marked by a number of special events. Two highlights were our October 14 Age-Related Macular Degeneration Symposium and our November 12 Gallery Night virtual event.
Over 130 participants joined us and our partners from the University of Wisconsin Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences for this year’s online, virtual Age-Related Macular Degeneration Symposium. Macular degeneration is one of the nation’s leading causes of vision loss in people over 50. The Symposium offered participants the opportunity to learn more about the condition and current research on prevention and treatment. They also heard from Council staff about tools and strategies for adjusting to their changing vision.
The Symposium was recorded, so if you were unable to attend, you can still view the event on our YouTube channel.
For the second year in a row, Gallery Night was also an online virtual happening. While we miss hosting Gallery Night in person, a virtual program has some advantages. In particular, it enables people who live far from Madison to attend without having to travel a significant distance, and we were pleased to have folks from all over the state tune in.
The Council has been hosting Gallery Night events to showcase the work of Wisconsin artists who are visually impaired since 2011. This year’s edition featured pieces by eight artists from around the state working in a variety of mediums, including photography, painting, crochet, digital drawing, woodwork, and metal sculpture.
The Virtual Exhibit and recorded program remain live online, and we invite you to check out the fantastic artwork that was featured on Gallery Night. Several of the pieces are available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Council. Perhaps you will fall in love with one of them and make it your own while helping the Council in the process! Please visit the Gallery Night page.
