Dyer Pledges $1.5M To NTID

From: NTID - May 10, 2005

Contact: Karen E. M. Black
585-475-6840 (v/tty)
kebnmr@rit.edu

DYER PLEDGES $1.5M TO NTID

ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 6-A $1.5M gift commitment from the benefactors of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf's Joseph F. and Helen C. Dyer Arts Center will secure the center as an exhibition space for perpetuity. The Joseph F. and Helen C. Dyer Endowment Fund was created by Joseph Dyer, a retired mechanical engineer who is deaf.

Dyer and his wife Helen donated $2.5M to NTID at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2000 to create the Arts Center. Helen, an accomplished amateur artist, died a few weeks before the opening in 2001.

"My wife and I were born long ago into an age when choices for deaf people were limited," said Dyer. "The founding of NTID gave deaf people many new chances to advance themselves. That's why Helen and I wanted to support NTID and its many contributions to deaf education, technology and the arts."

Earnings from this future bequest will allow NTID to take the center to a new level of exhibition excellence. It will also provide resources for special exhibitions and expansion of the permanent collection, as well as additional curatorial and support staff, regular maintenance and improvements.

The center's unique design accommodates the visual and communication needs of deaf people. For example, columns supporting the roof were built in corners to prevent visual obstructions in the main gallery.

"Both hearing and deaf artists have commented that they enjoy exhibiting in and frequenting the Dyer Arts Center because the sight lines are excellent and allow visitors to view the works of art from many vantage points," said T. Alan Hurwitz, RIT vice president and CEO/Dean of NTID.

The 7,000-sq. ft. exhibition space, located in NTID's Lyndon Baines Johnson Building, is one of the few art galleries in the world devoted to significant works by deaf artists. It is used for many university events and receptions for international visitors to campus. It includes seven exhibition areas for NTID's permanent collection, student work, sculptures, paintings, photography and visiting exhibits.

NTID is the first and largest technological college in the world for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. One of eight colleges of RIT, NTID offers educational programs and access and support services to 1,100 deaf and hard-of-hearing students from around the world who study, live and socialize with 14,400 hearing students on RIT's Rochester, N.Y., campus. Web address http://www.rit.edu/NTID.

Visit www.rit.edu/NTID/newsroom for more NTID news.

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