Tactile Art Raises Awareness

While many museums and art galleries have a strict policy of “look, but don’t touch,” this was not the case at the latest art show at Concord University. The university played host to a tactile art show on Thursday, March 24. It lasted from 6:00 p.m  to 8:00 p.m and was hosted by Dr. Lauri Redimiller, professor of art, and Keri Svendsen, a student of psychology. Tactile art is different from most other forms of art, as it does not rely on the sense of sight to be appreciated, nor does it rely on sound. Instead, in order to appreciate the art, it has to be touched and felt thoroughly. Artists working in this style have to make certain that each piece is not only safe to touch from all angles, but also that it feels interesting in the hands of those experiencing the piece. Through this tactile craftsmanship, those that lack the ability to see or the ability to hear or those that are impaired in either function are able to experience art to its fullest extent.

    The idea for this art show first took root, according to Svendsen, roughly a year ago. Dr. Reidmiller, in one of her classes, allowed her students to appreciate some tactile art that was created for a similar show in Ohio, and thought that it would be a good idea to bring such an art show to West Virginia. Along with the art professors at Concord University, students (including Svendsen), along with other artists such as Queen Brooks of Columbus, Ohio displayed their work in the Butcher Gallery for one week. Though it took some planning, Svendsen was happy that it “…came together nicely.” 

    Everything about this art show was built with those with disabilities in mind. For the visually impaired or the color blind, most of the pieces had distinct shapes and were brightly colored. Each of the plaques displayed the pieces’ names in large, boldface type, with braille just below for those who could not make out the words. In addition, for those wishing to truly experience the tactile art, goggles were available to visitors. Some pairs were deliberately blurry to simulate the issues that visually impaired people face on a daily basis. Others were painted over with black paint, so that those wearing them would have to experience the artwork from the perspective of those people who cannot see at all. Guides were there to help escort those that chose to wear the goggles around the exhibit. 

    Svendsen said that is very important that people become aware of tactile art. “You go to a lot of art galleries that are fantastic galleries…but there’s always a ‘don’t touch, don’t touch!’ or you can’t even have your flash on, there’s not a lot of opportunities for blind and visually impaired students to really enjoy art, because it’s no fun to have someone go and describe the art, because that’s someone else’s perception. You can’t get your own perception of something.” Dr. Reidmiller added that some museums offer white glove tours, where blind and visually impaired people can touch the paintings. However, she insisted that is no real substitution, as someone cannot properly experience the texture or the thermal qualities of an art piece in this way. 

    Following the show, Randy Gilkey, the blind guitarist of the local band The Boatmen, performed. He played several songs, most of which were old favorites from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. Overall, the event was attended by several students, and the organizers hope that the art show not only brought awareness to those with different needs than most people, but also helped them understand their daily struggles.