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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Cathy Moss 267-733-9699-direct dial 917-301-6773-cell WILLS EYE HOSPITAL AND PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART CELEBRATE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF INSPIRING ART SHOW BY ARTISTS WHO ARE LEGALLY BLIND June 13, 2013-Philadelphia, PA-This year marks a special 25th anniversary of a unique collaboration between Wills Eye Hospital and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The two Philadelphia institutions will once again come together honoring legally blind students from the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s longstanding Form in Art Education Program and the works they create which will be on exhibit at Wills Eye. The art show kicks off with a private reception Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at 5 PM. The art exhibit opens to the public Thursday June 20th –July 19th, 2013. There is no admission fee. “The recognition of our creativity and capabilities in spite of our challenges is so inspiring and the camaraderie that comes from working with others who are visually challenged is very healing. This outlet for expression is invaluable. It’s my self-care. Whether you’re sighted or not sighted, this shows that when you face a challenge, sometimes you have to take a detour to achieve the same results” said Jamie Wasson, a 37 year old Form in Art student. She was diagnosed with the blinding eye disease retinitis pigmentosa when she was 9. Although Form in Art students are all legally blind, many have some residual vision. Jamie has been in the class for 3 years. “This exhibit, which is a reflection of the creative talents and unwavering courage of these visually impaired artists, is also a testimony to the beautiful common commitment of Wills Eye, which presents their work every year, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which organizes and originates these exhibitions,” said Alice Lea Tasman, who has been the Chair of the Form-in-Art event at Wills Eye for 25 years. Mrs. Tasman along with former Philadelphia Museum of Art President and CEO, the late Robert Montgomery Scott, put together the original plan of exhibiting the artists’ work at Wills Eye. This year’s honorees include artists from past years. The exhibit at Wills Eye Hospital is free and open to the public Monday –Friday from 9AM-5PM. Artwork is available for sale and all proceeds go directly to the artists. Artists will also be available for interviews at the kick off reception. “As physicians, we care for the whole patient as well as their eyes, and so often see a therapeutic benefit from their creative outlets. So while we work hard every day to push forward new frontiers in vision research, we applaud the bravery and resilience of these artists who have confronted the challenge of visual disability so remarkably. They truly inspire us,” said Dr. Julia Haller, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief, Wills Eye Hospital. Wills Eye Hospital is a global leader in ophthalmology, established in 1832 as the nation’s first hospital specializing in eye care. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Wills Eye as one of the top three ophthalmology centers in the nation. Wills Eye is a premier training site for all levels of medical education. Its resident and post-graduate training programs are among the most competitive in the country. One of the core strengths of Wills is the close connection between innovative research and advanced patient care. Wills provides the full range of primary and subspecialty eye care for improving and preserving sight, including cataract, cornea, retina, emergency care, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, ocular oncology, oculoplastics, pathology, pediatric ophthalmology and ocular genetics, and refractive surgery. Ocular Services include the Wills Laser Correction Center, Low Vision Service, and Diagnostic Center. Its 24/7 Emergency Service is the only one of its kind in the region. Wills Eye also has a network of nine multispecialty, ambulatory surgery centers throughout the tri-state area. To learn more, please visit www.willseye.org The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the largest museums in the United States, with a collection of more than 227,000 works. The Museum’s Prints, Drawings and Photographs collection is extensive, numbering more than 150,000 works of art on paper. Especially distinguished are the European old master prints, important drawings by Edgar Degas and Pablo Picasso, and American prints from the 1930s and 1940s. The Museum’s celebrated photography holdings include an important group of images by Alfred Stieglitz, the Julien Levy Collection, and the Paul Strand Collections. The Museum’s Form in Art program was the first to combine the study of art history and art-making studio classes for adults who are blind at an American museum when it was founded by the Museum’s Women’s Committee in 1971.