The AGO is now able to introduce a multi-sensory art experience to visitors who are visually impaired. Tactile tours offer visitors who are unable to view art in a traditional sense a new way of seeing.
Since the transformed AGO opened last November, requests have been received for tours geared to those with vision challenges. Education has worked to develop “tactile” tours that will serve these special needs, and under the direction of Conservation has identified works in the collection that visitors are allowed to touch with supervision — and only while wearing special nitrile gloves to protect works from oils or acidity.
Although visitors who have visual challenges largely experience surroundings through their sense of touch, the unique qualities of gallery spaces can also be enjoyed through differing acoustics or temperatures. Although the AGO is not currently able to offer American Sign Language (ASL) for those visitors with hearing impairment, this option will be possible in the future.
“We want to customize our visitors’ experiences to suit their particular needs,” said Doris Van Den Brekel, coordinator of the AGO’s Gallery Guide program “These specially designed tours can offer meaningful connections with art through touch, visual descriptions, or discussions – we need to think beyond preconceived notions of appreciating visual art.”
Some of the European works included in the list of “touchable” art are Henry Moore’s Draped Seated Woman and Helmet Head No. 2, and Auguste Rodin’s Thinker and Adam. Contemporary works include Michael Snow’s Walking Women, Joe Fafard’s Cows currently installed in Walker Court, Sol LeWitt’s Open Modular Cube, and others.
Plans are also in place to implement a kit that visitors can use to feel different types of art — such as oil paint on canvas applied with a palette knife or with brush and varnish. Van Den Brekel gives an example of how one visitor was able to understand different painting styles. “I described the Baroque application of paint as long flowing strokes, and the Impressionist style as fine licks of paint; the description together with textural samples that he could touch gave this particular visitor a better understanding of painting.”
Tactile tour requests can be accommodated with two weeks’ notice — a high ratio of Gallery Guides to visitors is needed — and the AGO is able to schedule two groups of four, plus companions, each month.
For more information on tactile tours, contact Doris Van Den Brekel.