• About UANews
• Sign up for News
• Resources for Media
• Calendar
• Contact Us

The Arizona State Museum, in recognition of Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month, is hosting a multisensory adventure for individuals who are visually impaired.

By University Communications
October 8, 2008

Touching art work in museums is usually not allowed, but the Arizona State Museum is hosting an event Friday that will allow participants to be more tactile than usual.

The museum is hosting a "Touch Tour" in recognition of October's Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month.

The museum, located on the campus of The University of Arizona, is welcoming people who have vision loss to visit its Pottery Project exhibition. The curator-led tour will include audio descriptions of some of the museum's finest prehistoric and contemporary Southwest Indian pottery, followed by hands-on exploration activities.

“The modifications museum educators and exhibit designers can make for the visually impaired benefit all visitors," said Beth Dewitt, Arizona State Museum program coordinator.

The event will be held Oct. 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required. Space is limited to 30 individuals with vision loss and their companions.

"Tactile and audio materials enrich the experience for everyone by reinforcing the message in multiple ways,” Dewitt said.

"Visually impaired audiences deserve meaningful museum experiences and access to the arts. Imagine never experiencing the Mona Lisa or a Picasso? The world’s great art and artifacts are in museums – it’s our duty as museum professionals to make those collections accessible to people of all abilities.”

The museum's Pottery Project contains about 20,000 Southwest Indian whole-vessel ceramics that span 2,000 years in the American Southwest and northern Mexico. The collection reflects nearly every cultural group in the region and is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind.

Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month is an annual event observed by museums, arts organizations, schools and libraries around the world. The intention is to address the issue of access to arts for the visually impaired.

Organized by Art Education for the Blind, the month provides opportunity and incentive for professionals and institutions to raise public awareness about making art and culture a part of life for adults and children affected by sight loss.