Bespoke Bodies: Design and Craft of Prosthetics Receives Grant From Charles Nelson Robinson Fund
Hartford Art School’s Dr. Ricardo J. Reyes and Prosthetic and Orthotics Professor, Abby Hoffman-Finitsis have received a grant from the Charles Nelson Robinson Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee, to bring the exhibit Bespoke Bodies: The Design and Craft of Prosthetics to UHart’s campus. This exhibition invites us to explore prosthetic design through a multitude of sensory experiences, asking us to consider the varying needs and preferences of persons living with limb loss and limb difference, and the customized physical, aesthetic, and cognitive human enhancements that have been specially crafted to suit each individual. This exhibit was originally organized by the Design Museum in Boston, Massachusetts and will be on display for six weeks in Connecticut in our very own Joseloff Gallery beginning Aug. 21.
Bespoke Bodies investigates the intersection of art and science providing a fruitful opportunity for UHart’s students to connect across disciplines. Graduate students from the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions’ Prosthetics and Orthotics program will work with Visual Communications Design and Fine Arts students in the Hartford Art School to address accessible design. From wearable devices to space considerations to graphic treatments, students will explore these three vantage points to develop a holistic and expansive notion of design. Prosthetics and Orthotics students and faculty will also collaborate with amputees to create a complementary project examining the interpersonal relationship between designer and user—a central theme of the exhibit.
Bespoke Bodies will be free and open to the public. For more information, contact joseloff@hartford.edu.
The University of Hartford’s Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) assists principal investigators with securing and managing grants, subawards, and contracts. For more information, or for assistance with a grant or contract, please contact OSP at ospgrants@hartford.edu.