Welcome to Punch Light, a virtual performance project that highlights the work of artists with disabilities.
Over the next four weeks, we'll share minute-long original works created by local artists with disabilities and their creative collaborators. Performers include Dawn States; Erin McNulty and Lee Ann Etzold; Michael Mclendon and Bethlehem the Vocussionist; and Shawn Aleong and Tenara Calem. All respond to the theme of resilience—an idea that feels particularly important in 2020.
A punch light is used to flood an area with high intensity light. That's how we feel about the performers in this series. Their work cracks open preconceived ideas about how art is made, who gets to make it and who has access to it. Punch Light content is designed to be accessible, featuring audio description, captioning and ASL interpretation. We have intentionally brought these accommodations to the foreground as a reminder that access is the foundation of a just and equitable society.
Our artists have donated their time, recording their work in living rooms, backyards and local parks. All pieces were recorded on smartphones or Zoom by the artists or someone in their household.
Punchlight Works and Artists
- Sparks, by Dawn States
- Elevators, by Tenara Calem and Tony Brooks
- Montage: Peace-ing Together, by Erin McNulty and Lee Etzold
- When the World Stood Still by Michael McLendon and Bethlehem the Vocussionist