--- Founder of Sculpture Tactile Program, implemented by California Arts Council grant and sponsored by Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal. Program bringing blind, retarded and otherwise handicapped individuals to museum and introduced to the arts through touch; "seeing through their fingertips." Art classes initiated by Rodriguez in which the blind teach the sighted, teaching sculpting by asking students to "feel their way toward an idea" for their sculpture. Objective: integration/mainstreaming of handicapped, provide specialized sculpting techniques for maximum accessibility to their creativity and dissolution of myths concerning handicapped, and nurturing concept of handicapable individuals.
Oakland, Ca. 1979 - '81
---Governor Jerry Brown sponsors Ishmael Rodriguez , California 1980
To provide workshops at educational institutions on Artist Resident Programs.
---John F. Kennedy University, Orinda, California 1980
Designed and presented staff workshop.