M.Wayne Dyer (comment on IDEA Project)
As a practicing multi media artist, Wayne Dyer's works consists of digital and conventional painting, performance, photography, mixed and hyper media, and film/video. He received a graduate degree (MFA) from Radford University and joined the faculty of the Department of Art and Design at East Tennessee State University in 1983. He has served the Department and University by serving as Founder and Director of the Graphic Design Workshop, Director of Slocumb Galleries, Graduate Coordinator, and Summer Arts Director.
Dyer has served the State as chair of the Tennessee Arts Commission, Media Panel, and recently the Tennessee Department of Education, Special Education Division, as a Task Force member to review the eligibility criteria set out in the new Tennessee IDEA Regulations for the Other Health Impairment disability category.
During the course of his children's educational experience, Dyer, and Barbara (wife) have served schools as leaders in various ways. Dyer served on the Johnson City PTA Council as chair of The National PTA Reflections Cultural Arts Program, Arts in Education Cultural Arts Committee, and "Goals for the Future", among others. He has served the community through involvement with "The PeopleÕs Education Plan," that provided much needed funds for important Johnson City and Washington County educational building projects. As president, board member and committee chair of numerous committees for the Arc of Washington County, he helped to publicize, fund, and advocate for individuals with disabilities throughout ten (10) East Tennessee counties. Dyer was a founding member of, Network of Advocates for Promising Practices in Education (NAPPE), and of the Community Alliance for Disability and Aging (CADA) of the Washington County Health Council. He also works with students and faculty in the university department as a disability resource and advocate. In addition, he serves children with disabilities in various public school systems by advocating with their families to obtain individualized educational support.
For fifteen (17) years Dyer has been involved with disability and educational advocacy projects for local, state, and national communities (documented in attached resume). One of his most important contributions was the involvement he had during the re-authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997. Wayne and Barbara (wife) participated and testified during nine (9) weeks of hearings in Washington, D.C. held by the 105th Congress - Congressional Working Group on IDEA. The working group was charged with drafting language for the re-authorization of IDEA. Dyer has been involved and serveed on national committees for TASH, (the leading international disability advocasy organization with membership of over 10,000 parents and professionals), Baltimore, MD and the National Down Syndrome Congress, Washington, D.C.
In 1997, The Dyers were honored by TASH with their "National Collaboration Award" at their Boston international conference. The following year the Dyers received the prestigious "President's award" from the National Down Syndrome Congress at their national conference in Dallas, Texas for their advocacy in the re-authorization of IDEA. In 1999, Mr. Dyer was honored with both the College of Arts & Sciences and The East Tennessee State University, Distinguished Faculty Award in Service. Wayne was also nominated by State Legislators, members of the disability and education community to be considered as a parent candidate for a gubernatorial appointment to The Advisory Council for the Education of Students with Disabilities. (Nomination pending)
Dyer has exhibited widely in national and international venues.
EXHIBITIONS Recent/Current Exhibitions 2000 - 2002 American Festival Project- Installation/performance -
I was selected to create an Installation/performance piece for exhibition at various regional and national venues sponsored in by the American Festival Project, and in part by University of Tennessee, College of Law and Knoxville community partnership agency Exhibits & Performances:
o LRE /Step conference, Knoxville TN, 11/01
o Carpet Bag Theater, Knoxville College, Knoxville TN, 11/01
o Regional, Parent Training Network Nashville, TN, 6/03
o Partners in PolicyMaking Nashville, TN, 9/03 (tentative)
o Partners in Policy Making National Conference, Chicago IL, 12/03 (tentative)
o Parent Training Assoc. (PTI) National Conference, Washington, DC (date tentative)"IDEA Inclusion" video of the installation and performance - Video Screenings:
o TASH International Conference, Boston, MA 12/02
o University of Tennessee, College of Law, Knoxville TN, 2/02
o Partners in PolicyMaking Nashville, TN, 4/02 o Sacred Heart Catheadral, Knoxville TN, 2/02
o Parent Training Assoc. (PTI) National Conference, Washington, DC (date tentative)"The Artist Choose" Slocumb Galleries 7/15-8/2/02
Digital Dimensions, Ned McWherter West TN Cultural Arts Center, Jackson, TN, 1/28 - 2/28, 2002
L'Etang d' Art, "Mini Print Internacional 21- Cadaques" Bages, France, 11/01-1/02
Taller Galeria Port, "Mini Print Internacional 21- Cadaques" Barcelona, Spain, 7-9/01
Wingfield Arts, "Wingfield Arts & Music Festival," "Mini Print Internacional 21- Cadaques," Wingfield, England
"Bill of Rights Celebration" ACLU of Tennessee Nashville TN 11/01
"Works on Paper 2001" National Juried Exhibit San Jacinto College South, Houston TX 4-5/01
Hunterdon Museum, "45 Annual National Juried Print Exhibition" Clinton, NJ 5-7/01
23rd Annual First Tennessee Juried Exhibition, Carroll Reece Museum, Johnson City, TN, 5-6/01 5-8/01
"American Heart Gala Art Auction", Adelphia Center at Millennium Park, Johnson City, TN, 2/01
ETSU Faculty Exhibition, Carroll Reece Museum, Johnson City, TN, 11/00
ETSU Faculty Exhibition, Slocumb Gallery, Johnson City, TN, 8-9/00
The following are an abridged list of recent exhibitions: "Akim Masks USA", SOTHEBY'S, New York, NY; "House of the Future", Chicago, IL; "1st Argentine International Art Project", Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America; California State University/Summer Arts Digital Exhibit, Arcada CA; Breneau National Invitational, Breneau College, Gainesville, GA; Watkins Institute of Art, Nashville, TN; Harding Mott Gallery, University of Michigan, Flint, MI; "Dupont Galleries", Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg, VA; among others.
