ART BEYOND SIGHT AWARENESS MONTH: OCTOBER 2008
Calendar of Events
August 21 – October 31
Tohono Chul Park, Tucson, AZ, hosts its third series of touch exhibits, titled “Please touch Again.” The multisensory exhibit is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit is being held in the park’s Exhibit House. For details, call (520) 742-6455 or visit its Web site: www.tohonochulpark.org. The botanical gardens and Exhibit House are located at 7366 N. Paseo del Norte
Sept 30, Oct 2-7, 9 (day only), 10, 13-14, 16-21
Chicago Children’s Museum has “Touch Collage” workshops at which children will design a work of art using fabric, glue, buttons, and other textured materials. Workshops start on the hour at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. and are free with museum admission. The museum is located on the Navy Pier, 700 East Grand Avenue. For details, call (312) 527-1000, or visit the museum’s Web site at www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org.
October 1-31
Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario, offers introductory Touch Tours throughout the month. Access AGH is a new initiative that will be more fully explored in 2009. Touch Tours are available for student and adults groups of up to 15 people. Contact Laurie at (905) 527-6610, ext. 272, or by email at laurie@artgalleryofhamilton.com to make arrangements. The museum is located on 123 King Street West.
Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, has Touch Tours available not just throughout Awareness Month, but all year. The gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For exhibition details, call its Infoline: +61 8 949 266 22, or visit its Web site: www.artgallery.wa.gov.au.
Belgian Braille League at the Koninklijk Museum Voor Schone Kunsten (Royal Museum of Fine Arts), Antwerp, is confronting visitors with the daily difficulties of people with visual impairments, particularly in museums, via the exhibition of a painting that is totally black except for a description of the representation on it. The museum is located at Plaatsnijdersstraat 2. For museum hours, visit its Web site: www.kmska.be.Center for the Visually Impaired, Atlanta, GA, has added the innovative “Blind/Sight: Conversations With the Visually Inspired,” by photographer Billy Howard and graphic designer Laurie Shock, to its permanent exhibition. “Blind/Sight” combines large-format photography, image manipulation and audio to convey the experience of blindness from the perspectives of 12 portrait subjects. It can be visited during the Center’s regular hours: Mondays through Fridays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The center is located at 739 West Peachtree Street, NW.
Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp, has verbal description available for groups throughout Awareness Month. Subjects include Story-telling Works of Art, Peter Paul Rubens, Tasteful and Delicious Art!, Leading Ladies, Abstract!, and Art and Blindness. Advance reservations are required; to book, call the museum at: 242 04 16. The museum is located at Plaatsnijdersstraat 2. For details on the museum, visit it’s Web site: www.kmska.be.
The Miami Art Museum has free Touch Tours of public art surrounding the museum (weather permitting) or audio-description tours in the galleries throughout the month of October. Tours may be scheduled Tuesdays through Fridays by calling the education department at (305) 375-4073. The Museum is located at 101 West Flagler Street; for directions and exhibition information, please visit www.miamiartmuseum.org.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York City, has Touch Tours for blind and partially sighted visitors, allowing them to experience a selection of sculptures and design objects from the collection. These tours take place in the Museum’s galleries and Sculpture Garden, and are available to individuals or groups by appointment. To schedule a touch tour, contact Group Services at (212) 708-9685 (voice), (212) 247-1230 (TTY), or email groupservices@moma.org. The museum is located in Manhattan at 11 West 53rd Street.
National Archeological Museum, Athens, Greece, offers special guiding tours this month, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. The tours are available on demand to groups of children and adults, blind or visually impaired, on selected exhibits of the new Egyptian Collection, as well as hands-on sessions with replicas of ancient Egyptian exhibits. The museum is located at Patission str. 44.
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, has touch and draw workshops and touch tours for kindergarten to 12th grade students in the Australian Capital Territory throughout the month. The programs provide opportunities for sighted and non-sighted visitors to draw together in response to works of art. For details, call the museum at 02-6240-6632.
Tate Modern, London, has touch tours available daily, although they ask that people phone or email to book a tour. Send your email to Marcus.DickeyHJorley@tate.org.uk or call +44 20 74015000
October 3
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, has a 2 p.m. Touch Tour of its permanent collection. In the hour-long tours visitors will explore works of art with a tour guide through touch and visual description. Touch tours are open to the public; however, space is limited to 12 participants. Tours are free with admission. The Walker is located at 1750 Hennepin Avenue. For details, visit the Walker’s Web site at www.walkerart.org.
October 4
Biggs Museum of American Art, Dover, DE, hosts Percussion Puppets – a workshop for children ages 5-10 -- from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The program will allow children to create group songs, instruments and puppets to be used for a performance at the end of the session. This program is free to the public but requires advance registration by calling 302-674-2111 ext. 101.
October 5 – 25
St. Augustine Art Association, FL, is hosting its sixth annual Tactile Art show in its main gallery. The exhibit is sponsored by The Eye Center and features work by area artists that is specifically designed for people who are visually impaired, although will be enjoyed by all. All art can be touched, as can the labels: Braille identification cards created by students from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. To schedule a school field trip, please contact Jean Light Willis at (904) 794-4564. For more information on the exhibit or the Association, visit its Web site, www.staaa.org, or call (904) 824-2310.
October 6
Guggenheim Museum, NYC, offer 6-8 p.m. tours for visitors with vision loss and for deaf visitors (presented in American Sign Language) of “Catherine Opie: American Photographer.” The tours are free, but space is limited so visitors are asked to register in advance by phone, (212) 360-43455, or email, access@guggenheim.org. The museum is located at 1071 Fifth Avenue (at 89th Street) in Manhattan.
The Jewish Museum, NYC, has a docent-led verbal imaging tour of its permanent collection – covering 4,000 years of art and Jewish culture – from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. The program is free, but space is limited, so advance registration is required. Please contact the Scheduling and Access Coordinator at (212) 423-3225, or email access@thejm.org to register. Additional information about access programs can be found at www.thejewishmuseum.org/AccessPrograms. The Museum is located at 1109 Fifth Avenue.
October 8
The Rubin Museum of Art, NYC, has a verbal imaging and touch tour of its permanent and rotating exhibition of Himalayan art beginning at noon. The one-hour tour is free, but advance registration is required; please call Group Visits at (212) 620-5000, ext. 345, or send an email to reservations@rmanyc.org. The museum is located at 150 West 17th Street in Manhattan.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, has a Visual Impairment Workshop for Adults on the exhibition Tracey Emin. There will be descriptive tours and a practical workshop led by artists Juliana Capes and Jennie temple. To book a free place and join the VI mailing list, please contact Mary Kilpatrick, community Education Officer, at 0131 624 6428. The gallery is located at 75 Belford Road. For hours and exhibit details, visit its Web site: www.nationalgalleries.org
October 11
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI, offers a docent-led accessible arts activities from 1 to 3 p.m. Options for participants include a touch tour of the Museum’s sculpture garden, exploration of tactiles (raised-line drawings of artworks), and the opportunity to make art. All visitors are welcome! The museum is located at 700 North 12th Street.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, has a drawing class for adults who are blind or partially sighted from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Titled Seeing Through Drawing, the class meets once a month on Saturday. Participants draw from works of art in the galleries and in the Touch Collection. The program is free; however, places are limited, so reservations are required. Please call (212) 879-5500, ext. 3561, or e-mail access@metmuseum.org. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is located on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street; the Education enter entrance at 81st Street is accessible.
October 12
Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario, celebrates Tour Day and Family Fund Day. At 2 p.m., museum visitors are invited for a sampling of a Touch Tour activity. For details, contact Laurie at (905) 527-6610, ext. 272, or laurie@artgalleryofhamilton.com.
Grounds For Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ, features the opening of Visions of the Mind exhibiting artwork by Michael Naranjo, a blind artist from Sante Fe, NM. In conjunction with the exhibition, Touch Tours for the blind and visually impaired will take place throughout the day featuring sculptures within the park. At 2 pm, Michael Naranjo will give a lecture, titled “Touching Beauty.” Touch Tours and the lecture are free with admission. The exhibition will be on view October 12 through April 26, 2009. Grounds For Sculpture, located at 18 Fairgrounds Road, is open Tuesdays through Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Please see the www.groundsforsculpture for more information.
October 14
American Folk Art Museum, NYC, a 2 to 3 p.m. program at which visitors will explore folk art through the museum’s touch collection, and then take a descriptive tour through the galleries to discover the stories behind the folk art. The museum is located in Manhattan at 45 West 53rd Street. The museum is wheelchair accessible and has two wheelchairs available on site. Private touch/descriptive tours are offered for groups throughout the year; reservations for them may be made through Jennifer Kalter, phone: (212) 265-1040, ext. 148; email, jkalter@folkartmuseum.org.
October 15
Bellevue Arts Museum, WA, offers a 3:30 to 5 p.m. descriptive tour that involves opportunities to experience the exhibition through touch. Space is limited, so visitors are asked to RSVP with Guest Services at (425) 519-0770 or via email at admissions@bellevuearts.org. The tour is free with admission.
October 16-21
Chicago Children’s Museum has “Touch Collage” workshops at which children will design a work of art using fabric, glue, buttons, and other textured materials. Workshops start on the hour at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. and are free with museum admission. The museum is located on the Navy Pier, 700 East Grand Avenue. For details, call (312) 527-1000, or visit the museum’s Web site at www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org.
October 16
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, offers monthly Picture This! Workshops for adults with vision loss. These workshops make works of art accessible through detailed descriptions, touch and other activities to awaken the senses. The October 2 to 4 p.m. workshop will focus on the special exhibition “Design without end: The essential art of African textiles.” This program is free but places are limited, so reservations are required. Please call (212) 879-5500, ext. 3561, or e-mail access@metmuseum.org. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is located on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street. The Education Center entrance at 81st Street is accessible.
October 18
Colorado Ballet, Denver, has Audio Description available for its 2 p.m. performance of “Swan Lake”; headsets are provided at the coat check at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Also available upon request (with ticket): pre-performance backstage “sensory tours,” so patrons of all ages may explore sets, costumes and choreography hands-on, as well as learn more about the production. To arrange the tour, contact Anne at (303) 339-1632, or email education@coloradoballet.org. (Other audio-described performances and back-stage tours will be held on November 19, for “The Nutcracker,” and March 7, 2009, for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” For details, visit www.coloradoballet.org.
October 20
The Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, NH, is partnering with the New Hampshire State Library Talking Book Services on a 2 to 4 p.m. verbal description tour of the special exhibit titled Andy Warhol: Pop Politics. For more information on the museum, visit its Web site: www.curier.org.
The Rubin Museum of Art, NYC, has a verbal imaging and touch tour of its permanent and rotating exhibition of Himalayan art beginning at 1:30 p.m.. The one-hour tour is free, but advance registration is required; please call Group Visits at (212) 620-5000, ext. 345, or send an email to reservations@rmanyc.org. The museum is located at 150 West 17th Street in Manhattan.
October 20-31
Edu-art, Milan, Italy, is presenting “Inside the box of the emotions.” From 2 to 6 p.m., the public is invited to see and explore the sculpture under construction, “The Way,” by entering into the box through all the five senses and different languages. Visitors will be asked to remove their shoes and wear a discovery dress. Edu-art Association is located at 16 via Orti.
October 21
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York City, offers Art inSight, Focus: Picasso and Sculpture from 2 to 4 p.m. Art insight, a program for blind and partially sighted adults, is held monthly in the museum galleries. Specially trained museum lecturers highlight specific themes, artists and exhibitions, engaging participants through extensive verbal descriptions. The museum is located in Manhattan, at 11 East 53rd Street. For details or to RSVP, please call (212) 408-6347, or visit the museum’s Website at http://moma.org.
October 24
Tohono Chul Park, Tucson, AZ, is holding a special reception for its “Please Touch Again” exhibition of multisensory art from 5 to 8 p.m. The reception is being held at the Park After Dark. For details, call (520) 742-6455 or visit its Web site: www.tohonochulpark.org.
October 25
Bellevue Arts Museum, WA, offers a 2 to 3 p.m. descriptive tour that involves opportunities to experience the exhibition through touch. Space is limited, so visitors are asked to RSVP with Guest Services at (425) 519-0770 or via email at admissions@bellevuearts.org. The tour is free with admission.
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, has a 2 p.m. Touch Tour of its permanent collection. In the hour-long tours visitors will explore works of art with a tour guide through touch and visual description. Touch tours are open to the public; however, space is limited to 12 participants. Tours are free with admission. The Walker is located at 1750 Hennepin Avenue. For details, visit the Walker’s Web site at www.walkerart.org.
October 27
Art Education for the Blind, NYC, is hosting its annual Telephone Conference Crash Course from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. For details, go to: www.artbeyondsight.org/change/aw-crashcourse.shtml
October 28
American Folk Art Museum, NYC, has a 2 to 3 p.m. program at which visitors will explore folk art through the museum’s touch collection, and then take a descriptive tour through the galleries. Private touch/descriptive tours for groups are available throughout the year; reservations for them are necessary, however, and can be made with Jennifer Kalter, phone: (212) 265-1040, ext. 148; email, jkalter@folkartmuseum.org. The museum is located in Manhattan at 45 West 53rd Street.
October 29
Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen (the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp), Belgium, has a 3 p.m. guided tour for visitors who are blind or visually impaired concerning “Abstract Art.” Entrance to the museum is free on this day, as is the tour, but space is limited, so advance registration is required. (Note: the museum offers guided tours for people with vision loss the last Wednesday of every month at 3 p.m.) For details, visit the museum’s Website: www.kmska.be.
The Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp, offers guided tours for people with vision loss on the last Wednesday of every month. Space, however, is limited, so visitors are asked to register in advance by calling 242 04 16.
October 30
The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, hosts Perspectives on Drawing: Celebrating Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month, from 6 to 7:30p.m.Stimulating the Senses will explore drawing without sight. Visitors will learn about the development of visual perspective, and how recent research has proven that we can also learn to understand perspective through touch. Participants will have an opportunity to draw while attempting to perceive the world around them, using senses other then sight. Registration deadline: 16 October. To register please call(613) 990-1985 (voice) or (613) 990-0777 (TDD). For details about the museum’s programs, visit its Web site: www.national.gallery.ca The National Gallery of Canada is located at 380 Sussex Drive.
