Super Secret Surprise: Glasses for young colorblind artist

Hi,

Thank you for being here.

Have you ever seen those videos of color-blind people putting on Color Correcting glasses for the first time? Surrounded by family and friends, people who have gone their whole life without, suddenly experience color. It's a beautiful sight.

My name is Preston and I'm a community arts worker in Christchurch NZ. I run a not-for-profit called Exchange Christchurch which was started to care for the communities need to be creative, test ideas, and develop their personal and professional creative practices in a safe, supportive environment.

I've now been working here for 2.5 years and have supported hundreds of events, exhibitions and artists, but it wasn't until recently we did our first street art exhibition to raise money for local services helping our street whanau (homeless).

One of the newer artists in the studios asked if he could contribute by doing a mural. After admiring his incredible work that I was told Callum (27), was color-blind. His partner uploaded photos of his mural to a website which showed us what he saw...

I couldn't believe it.

Callum has dichromatic view of Red-Blind/Protanopia.

He said "yea, a lot of time I grab paint and just stare at it.. I don't know if it's the right one, maybe I put it down in the wrong spot and grabbed the wrong paint, so I use it, step back, and then realize, yup that wasn't right and cover it up and start again".

My job is to help artists find the support/resources they need to grow. The answer was obvious. I contacted the only supplier of EnChroma glasses in NZ and the incredible Molly Whittington heard our story and was keen to help, but would require Callum to come to Auckland for an assessment.. this, along with many other costs was to expensive for us...

Molly didn't give up. Now 2 months later, it's finally happening!

Callums flying up to Auckland to do a mural, what he doesn't know is Molly will be waiting to meet him. He's getting the assessment, a pair of tester lenses, and some paint for him to do his first every mural that HE CAN SEE!

We'll be videoing the journey and will have the XCHC venue back in Christchurch ready for him to create his first exhibition.

The video will be used to share the story and encourage other CVD people to get the assessment.

Molly offered to support out of their own pocket and discount the process! Here is what she said:

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"I can work out which lenses are most effective - it’s part science (the type and severity of colour vision deficiency) and part personality (some people prefer subtle enhancement, others brighter). Lenses don't cure colour vision deficiency but they allow perception of more colour and especially help distinguish different colours from one another - pohutakawa flowers from the green background, for example.

To help you out I will give you a 20% discount. And if you let me share the photo essay and Calum's thoughts on the experience I’ll pay $200. It would be useful to share with the families and friends of other CVD people out there - it is frustrating that the CVD persons themselves will not be able to appreciate the difference in colours of the Before and After art unless they get colour correcting lenses, but that’s the way it is!

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The gallery photos will show you some of the work he's done, but what he sees is far different than what we see..

Have a look, and remember, ITS A SECRET!

(more about XCHC on facebook and instagram @_xchc)