Press
Bronx Times, 04/25/19
Tony Cruz teams up with BRAC for vision awareness workshop
By Alex Mitchell | web link
The Bronx’s beloved graffiti artist that’s losing more of his eyesight every day continues to spread the word and warn the Bronx, city and world about the dangers of computers and cell phone light.
Tony Cruz, the man whose now year-long vision awareness campaign has led him to speak at the United Nations recently partnered with the Bronx River Arts Center, teaching children and parents about eye and vision health through art.
Tony and the workshop show off their handmade artwork. Photo: Schneps Media/Alex Mitchell
Cruz shared his adventures of growing up in Castle Hill, learning graffiti and his eventual battle with type two macular telangiectasia amongst a filled fourth floor workspace at the art center on Monday, April 22.
He asked some of the kids how much time they spend on their cell phones daily, warning them of the dangerous effects too much exposure to LED lighting up close can cause.
Of course that was in between his workshop’s graffiti lessons. It was after he demonstrated how to illustrate each letter in graffiti bubble-letter alphabet that many of the children and parents each made their own vision awareness artwork which impressed even the master Cruz himself.
“When I was diagnosed my condition wasn’t all that common,” Cruz explained. “Now more and more people are losing their sight from macular telangiectasia and other conditions that are related to cell phone and computer screen light, we need to spread the word on this now more than ever,” he continued.
Follow Cruz’s Instagram, tonycruzramtwo to keep up and follow along with his vision awareness campaign.