ART BEYOND SIGHT AWARENESS MONTH
Calendar of Events
Now to October 9
The Museum auf Abruf (MUSA) and ArteContacto, Vienna, Austria present "Re-figuring spaces: Positions in Sculpture”. Guided tours will be offered with fifteen works that can be explored through touch (originals or a 2-dimensional diagram, or a 3-D representation of the objects). A set of materials will also be available for visitors who are blind or visually impaired who wish to explore the exhibition on their own, or in the company of friends and family. For more information, please contact Dr. Moritz Neumüller at touch@artecontacto.org or visit www.Artecontacto.org.
August 6
Touch the Artist Vision, Manila, Philippines, and the Rotary Club of San Juan del Monte are launching the tactile books "MAKABAYAN" to six SPED/Public schools; students from Batino Elementary School will show how the books are used. The event will take place at Resources for the Blind, Inc., 4/F COTI Building, 623 EDSA Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines. For more information, email Annette Lee-Esparaz touchbooks@gmail.com or call at (632) 718-1888.
August 27
Touch the Artist Vision, Manila, Philippines, and the Rotary Club of San Juan del Monte are hosting a kick-off event to raise funds for the introduction of the Touchbooks of the MAKABAYAN tactile books to the remaining 309 SPED schools, so that each school has one of the books. The benefit will be held at Crowne Hotel, Quezon City, Philippines. For details, email Annette Lee-Esparaz touchbooks@gmail.com or call at (632) 718-1888.
September 26 - October 3
Beyond Sight Foundation, Mumbai, India presents "The View From Here" a exhibition of photographs by the visually impaired at the Indian Express building, Mumbai from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Photographs on display are created by visually impaired during the photographic workshop conduct by Blind With Camera, a project of the foundation. Along with normal photographs the exhibition provides raised images, Braille footnote, large fronts, visual aids and audio description for the visually impaired visitors. For details contact Partho Bhowmick at +91-9821474731 or partho@blindwithcamera.org or visit www.blindwithcamera.org
September 13
The Jewish Museum, New York City, is offering a Tea Time Tour of the special exhibition, South African Photographs: David Goldblatt at 2:00 p.m. . Immediately following the tour, visitors are invited to participate in an interactive activity based on the exhibition and a light reception with museum staff. The Jewish Museum also offers touch tours and tactile books based on its permanent collection, Culture and Continuity: The Jewish Journey, and large print binders for all exhibitions. A public verbal imaging tour is offered monthly, and private verbal imaging and touch tours are available by appointment. Service animals are welcome. Please note that all Access tours and programs are free of charge, but require advance registration. Contact the Scheduling and Access Coordinator at 212.423.3225, TTY 212.660.1515 or email access@thejm.org. Space is limited.
September 21
The Eye Care Center at Southern California College of California, Fullerton, opens its Sixth Annual “Shared Visions 2010-2011 International Art Exhibit” with a 7 to 9 p.m. reception. The exhibit features 90 works by blind artists; it will be on display at the Eye Care Center through mid-August, 2011. Local Southern California artists are featured, as are artists from across the United States, and from India, Israel and Canada. For details contact Arlene Kaye at (714) 992-7865 or akaye@scco.edu, or visit www.sccoeyecare.edu
October 1, 2010 – October, 2011
Taha Hussein Library for the Blind and Visually Impairied, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt, offers “Discover & Express,” a three-phase educational workshop for 4- to 15-year-old children. The workshop uses art to help familiarize children with vision loss to their environment. For details and information about the library, visit www.bibalex.org.
October 1 - 15
The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, Tucson, Arizona. In collaboration with SAVVI, Southern Arizona Association for the Visually Impaired and ASDB, Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind, museum staff will ready a dollhouse, historic room box and stand alone miniatures for use during hands-on tours for the visually impaired. On-going volunteer project, hosted on-site. Those interested in volunteering should call or email Museum Services Coordinator, Emily Ralph (520) 881-0606 ex100, emilyr@theminitimemachine.org.
October 1-29
The Charlotte Art League, NC, in partnership with the Metrolina Association for the Blind, is sponsoring an open exhibit for and/or by visually impaired citizens of Charlotte. Opening Friday Crawl at 6PM. Take in is Sept 25-26. All entries are accepted. Works are by both sighted artists and those who are sightless or have low vision. This is a “please DO touch the art” exhibit. For further information please contact Sandra Gray at sandramgray@earthlink.net.
October 1 – 31
The Columbus Museum of Art, OH has tactile, multi-sensory interpretive tours for visitors with visual impairments. For more information or to book a group tour contact Amanda Kepner at (614) 629-5947 or amanda.kepner@cmaohio.org; www.columbusmuseum.org.
Miami Art Museum has free Touch Tours of public art surrounding MAM (weather permitting) or audio description tours in the galleries throughout Awareness Month. Tours may be scheduled Tuesday through Friday by calling the education department at 305-375-4073. For directions and exhibition information please visit: www.miamiartmuseum.org.
Minneapolis Institute of Arts will offer "Spotlight gallery discussions" featuring an Ancient Roman sculpture, Tiber Muse, several times per week. On Thursdays, at 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., anyone can experience the sculpture through touch. The program is free of charge and requires no advance registration. The sculpture is located in gallery 230. For more information, contact Debbi Hegstrom at 612-870-3074 or dhegstro@artsmia.org.
The Newark Museum, NJ offers Interactive Tours and Art Making Sessions for People with Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Loss. Second Tuesdays at 2 p.m.
Free with Suggested Museum Admission. Pre-registration required; call 973-596-6613
Noguchi Art Museum, New York City, offers free guided Touch Tours of select works from the permanent collection for individuals and groups by appointment. To learn more about the Museum’s Touch Tours and other programs for visitors with special needs, call 718-204-7088, x203 or email education@noguchi.org.
Grounds For Sculpture, Hamilton, New Jersey, offers complimentary touch tours for visitors with visually impairments every Tuesday at 1pm starting from the Visitor’s Center. These docent-led tours provide access to sculpture through a tactile and multisensory learning experience. A "Patron’s Guide" illustrating artworks installed on the small mezzanine is available at the Museum’s reception desk. Accessible walkways allow for access to the 35-acre, landscaped sculpture park. For further information, please email Cassandra Demski at cdemski@groundsforsculpture.org or call (609) 586-0616.
October 2
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, offers Seeing through Drawing. This monthly program makes drawing accessible in innovative ways to adults who are blind or partially sighted. The program is free, but advance registration is required. Call (212) 650-2010 or email access@metmuseum.org to register. The class runs from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
San Francisco Fine Arts Museum presents the Access Advisors Open House and Disability Arts Festival, from 10 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Activities include taking docent tours, making art, and attending the performances, disability culture presentation, and Art Slam, a non-juried slide show of work by artists with disabilities.
Attendance at the Open House is free and for people who make reservations by September 27, general admission to the galleries is waived. Sign language interpretation will be provided, there will be extra accessible parking spaces , and requests for accommodations should be made by September 24.
Information or RSVP: tbrown@famsf.org or l415-750-7645.
October 5
The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, Tucson, Arizona. Museum docents will participate in a training session on how to lead a tour for those with visual impairment utilizing both gallery exhibits and prepared miniature displays. The program will include sensitivity training provided by staff from SAAVI or ASDB. Material training will cover school aged group tours as well as those for adults. Those interested in participating should call or email Director of Education, Lisa Hastreiter-Lamb (520) 881-0606 ex105, Lisahl@theminitimemachine.org.
The Newark Museum, NJ offers guided tours for blind and visually impaired visitors using verbal imaging techniques. Specially trained Docents will guide blind and partially sighted museum guests to the featured area, describe selected objects and their back story and offer similar objects that can be held to stimulate the senses. Come Learn about Early American Portraiture.
Free with Suggested Museum Admission. Pre-registration required; call 973-596-6613.
October 9
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, offers Picture This! Family Program: Weaving a Picture, Telling a Story. This program, for children who are blind or partially sighted and their family members, focuses on weaving as an art form common to many cultures. Through touch and description, families will explore the stories found in varied textiles from around the world, and create their own woven artwork. The program is free, but advance registration is required. Call (212) 650-2010 or email access@metmuseum.org to register. The class is from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
October 11
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City, presents Mind's Eye, a monthly program for adults with partial vision and blindness, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mind's Eye comprises a tour and discussion led through Verbal Imaging and touch, and a wine reception. This month's program will focus on the special exhibition, Chaos and Classicism: Art in France, Italy, and Germany 1918–1936. Museum entry and program are free, but registration is required; send an email to access@guggenheim.org or call (212) 360-4355.
October 13
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, presents Diaghilev – Designed to Dance, a talk and tour of the work and influences of one of the 20th century’s most important choreographers. Exhibition curator Jane Prichard will explore the ideas and themes that inspired Diaghilev to produce his ground-breaking work with the Ballet Ruses and will examine his collaborations with well-known artists such as Chanel and Picasso. To book, please call 020 7942 2211 or email: bookings.office@vam.ac.uk.
Meet at the Cromwell Road meeting point at 11.30 a.m.
October 13 & 14
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, presents In Touch With Art 2010 – a 2 day conference produced by St. Dunstan’s. On the Wednesday, speakers from the UK, U.S. and Continental Europe will present best-practice case studies. On Thursday participants will explore disability equality and access for vision impaired people at London’s major museums, and develop audio description skills; students can enrol in accredited visual awareness training. The closing session of the conference will discuss a Conference Resolution with recommendations for decision makers, in response to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (which came into force in July 2009). In Touch with Art is designed for museum and heritage professionals, local organisations and social workers, policy makers and funders and anyone interested in equal access to museums for people with vision impairment. For more information contact Bhakti Chauhan or Anna Rackett on 0044 (0) 20 7723 5021 or email itwa@st-dunstans.org.uk Information also can be found online at www.st-dunstans.org.uk/itwa.
October 14 -16
American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, KY, has artworks by visually impaired children and adults on display during its Annual Meeting at the Galt House Hotel. The exhibit is the result of an international juried competition; nearly 400 entries were received. The exhibit opens at noon, October 14 and runs through noon, October 16. For more information, please contact Roberta Williams at rwilliams@aph.org or call (502) 899-2357.
October 14
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, offers Picture This! Scent Workshop. Following a descriptive gallery tour incorporating scent, adults who are blind or partially sighted and accompanying friends will create their own fragrance. The program is free, but advance registration is required. Call (212) 650-2010 or email access@metmuseum.org to register. The program will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
October 20
The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, Tucson, Arizona. The museum will open registration for the newly designed tours for the visually impaired. Those interested in scheduling a hands-on tour should contact Director of Education, Lisa Hastreiter-Lamb (520) 881-0606 ex105.
October 21
The Albright-Cox Gallery, Buffalo, NY presents “Art Sense-Ations”, a program for adults who are blind or partially Sighted. Participants will enjoy a verbal description tour of select contemporary artwork from the Gallery’s permanent collection, followed by a hands-on art activity. Advance registration is required and enrollment is limited. Program will take place from 2.00 to 4.00 p.m. Please call 716.270.8249 or email jcox@albrightknox.org to register or for more information.
October 22
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, presents ThePsychology of Color from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. This program for teens with and without visual impairments begins with a discussion with artist and art educator Pamela Lawton and artist and neuroscientist Bevil Conway, focusing on how people see color and the uses and implications of color in art. Then, in the galleries, participants will discuss the diverse facets of color, including their own personal perspectives. The program is free, but advance registration is required. Call (212) 650-2010 or email access@metmuseum to register.
October 24
Museum at Eldridge Street, New York City, presents “In Touch with History” – a hands-on exploration of the 1887 landmark Eldridge Street Synagogue. During this multi-sensory tour, artifacts, music, and special materials will bring the story of this fascinating building to life. Meet at 4 p.m. Registration is required. Call Miriam Bader at (212) 219-0300, ext.2, or email mbader@eldridgestreet.org.
October 27
The American Folk Art Museum, New York City, invites blind and partially sighted visitors to explore the world of folk art through verbal descriptions and discussion with an educator. This hour-long tour begins at 1 p.m. Museum admission and the program are free; registration is required. Call Jennifer Kalter at (212) 265-1040, ext. 381.
October 28
The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario presents “Stimulating the Senses,”an inclusive program geared to encourage visitors to discover art through senses other than sight.Learn how Carl Beam’s powerful narratives collapse past, present and future as he linked historical, cultural, and political issues in his exploration of the space between Indigenous and other cultural views.
Registration priority is given to blind and partially sighted people. Cost: $7. Registration required by October 13 at (613) 998-8888 or reservations@gallery.ca.
November 2
The Newark Museum, NJ offers guided tours for blind and visually impaired visitors using verbal imaging techniques. Specially trained Docents will guide blind and partially sighted museum guests to the featured area, describe selected objects and their back story and offer similar objects that can be held to stimulate the senses. Come Learn about Mid-Nineteenth Century American Art: The Civil War Years
Free with Suggested Museum Admission. Pre-registration required; call 973-596-6613.
December 7
The Newark Museum, NJ is offering guided tours for blind and visually impaired visitors using verbal imaging techniques. Specially trained Docents will guide blind and partially sighted museum guests to the featured area, describe selected objects and their back story and offer similar objects that can be held to stimulate the senses. Tour is entitled: Christmas in the Ballantine House.
Free with Suggested Museum Admission. Pre-registration required; call 973-596-6613.
