JACKSON, Wyo. — The National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA) announced the recent addition of a new 3D multi-sensory display to allow blind and low-vision visitors to engage with art through touch and sound.
The NMWA partnered with Tactile Images and 3DPhotoWorks to re-create the painting “Chief” into a tactile image. The artist, Robert Bateman, replicated the bison image into an interactive installation.
According to the NMWA, the display will give visually impaired visitors access to some of the Museum’s most popular works, as well as form a deeper understanding of the ecological, cultural and historical information embedded within them.
The Museum thought “Chief” would be a fitting first image for the accessible art display.
“It is a massive, impactful piece that translates well to a multi-sensory experience,” NMWA Associate Curator of Education Julia Spencer said in a statement. “This work is also a visitor favorite and provides a great introduction to the Museum and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”
In addition to 3D imagery, braille is used for text, and there is a combination of sensors to provide a touch-activated narrative in both English and Spanish. The audio clips include statements from the artist and sounds from the Yellowstone Sound Library. These features will allow museum visitors to use sensory stimulation to form their own mental picture of the image, according to NMWA.
The idea for an accessible art display was formed when Jane Lavino, the Museum’s
Sugden Chief Curator of Education, and Spencer attended the American Association of Museums annual conference. Tactile Images was at the conference, featuring an exhibit of 3D artworks and photographs.
“3D artworks have great potential to support the Museum’s goal of broadening the
audiences and populations who feel welcome and engaged when visiting,” Lavino said via press release. “Ideally, at some point in the future, all of the Museum’s permanent galleries will have one tactile interactive display so we can provide a substantive experience for blind/low vision visitors.”
Additional enrichment for blind/low-vision visitors at the Museum is the upcoming
“Sensory Immersion” audio tour. Within the Museum’s app, “Sensory Immersion” will be a six-stop tour that gives rich audio descriptions of select paintings throughout the
Museum’s galleries. Production on the tour is in the final stages, with an anticipated
launch this spring.
