The Value of Exposure to Art And Museums - National federation of the blind

Art is about thinking, it's about appreciating, it's about experiencing our world. And so blind people are going to do that a little differently. But we need to be exposed to what's out there. I'm Polish by heritage and I recently attended a traveling exhibit of Polish art and the museum had an audio descriptive tape for me to listen to. And it was one of the most enjoyable experiences that I had. I walked in with some colleagues and they got their headsets and I got my headset and we started off for the first station and we moved around andI stayed with them, listening to my tape. And some of the objects on exhibition I could see a little bit and with the description I could understand them further. There were some that I could get real close to. But the audio description is what made that tour work for me, and being able to be with my colleagues and go through it like everyone else. It was a social experience. It was an educational experience. It was an art appreciation experience. And I think that's what is important for blind people to get out of a museum. It's the whole experience. It's not just the ability to see a Monet; it's the ability to be in an art museum, to hear the echoes across the hallways, to talk to your friends, to share something with a child you are taking there for the first time. It's that kind of exposure and that kind of experience that museums and art galleries can create for blind people who are interested. But all blind people aren't even going to know what's there because most of us have never gone. Because we've thought, Well, it's all visual, there's nothing for me here. And so outreach is an important aspect of programs in museums and art galleries.