Chuck Finch's Influence On The Deaf Community

In the Deaf community there have been countless famous and influential people. These people have helped strengthen the Deaf community and bring the culture, struggles and importance of it to the rest of the world. Among these people is Chuck Baird. He was and is one of the most influential Deaf people who has lived. Through his work in the arts, he helped create a movement that brought the Deaf experience in a hearing world to the mainstream. He was a very successful painter and channeled his Deaf experience into all of his works, uniting and encouraging fellow Deaf people. Charles ‘Chuck’ Baird was born on February 22, 1947. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Chuck was born to two hearing parents. However, Chuck was not alone in being Deaf. He had three sisters who were also Deaf. Having two hearing parents, it is thought that Chuck and his sisters gained their Deafness from Pendred Syndrome, which affects newborns and often leaves them Deaf at birth or by about three years old. Chuck’s Deafness would become the most important aspect of himself throughout his life.

From there, Chuck attended Gallaudet University for two years. Chuck then transferred to the Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Institute for the Deaf. During his time at NTID he also explored acting, participating in the drama club and even winning the NTID Best Actor award in 1974. He graduated from there in 1974 with a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts). After graduation, Chuck worked different jobs and worked on expanding his art. He spent about five years painting sets for the National Theatre of the Deaf (NTD). Around this time he also had his first major exhibition at the World Federation of the Deaf Conference in Washington, D.C. in