Andy’s touch
Warhol museum increases accessibility with art you can hold
Andy Warhol is woven so deeply into Pittsburgh culture, it’s easy to forget that our city is home to the The Andy Warhol Museum. With that singularity comes responsibility, such as showing leadership in the realm of accessibility.
That’s why visitors to the museum, especially those with no or low vision, are able to experience Warhol’s art through the sense of touch, not just sight.
Nearly 10 years ago, the museum began the research and development phase of creating tactile reproductions of classic Warhol pieces, which included a focus group of people with visual impairments.
The first iteration, made of routed foam core, didn’t stand up well to being repeatedly handled, and the focus group found the contours “jagged-y,” which has more significance than just discomfort.
“Using your fingers comes into play so much for avid Braille readers. Anything that’s going to mess with their sense of touch, it’s going to be a problem,” said focus group member and accessibility advocate
Brian Rutherford, whose vision is severely compromised after a series of four strokes 12 years ago.
“It could also be a ‘blind fear,’ that I don’t know how potentially dangerous this could be because I can’t see it.”
The museum and the reproductions’ fabricator, David Whitewolf, then tried 3Dprinted plastic tactiles. They were sturdier, but the heavier models were more difficult to move around, and the focus group, made up of two previously sighted individuals, knew they weren’t as detailed as Warhol’s original works.
But in 2016, the team nailed it. These versions, which are still in use, are made of copolymer and formed by a computer numerical-controlled router, imparting durability and detail.
“Even with COVID and having to handwipe them after every visitor touch, they have really stood the test of time,” said Nicole Dezelon, director of learning and public engagement for the museum.
After creating a reliable product endorsed by local members of the low- and novision community, the museum commissioned a total of 14 tactile reproductions.
How patrons interact with them went through its own evolution. Initially, museum educators led visitors through the tactile exhibits with prompts like, “Start at 12 o’clock, now move to the left,” while noting the details they’d touch at each location.
But the reproductions now sit out in the museum for anyone to experience at any time. In another step toward greater accessibility, the museum added recordings to replace the live educators.
The museum’s Out Loud app uses beacon technology to alert patrons — sighted or not — to exhibits with associated recorded material as they pass by them. Using headphones, visitors can hear tactile explanations, curatorial talks or family stories as told by the artist’s nephew, Donald Warhola, who is a board member of The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts.
While some personal connection between museum staff and visually impaired patrons was lost by placing the tactile exhibits among the visual ones, the setup strengthened ties with Warhol’s art.
“We do know that creating accommodations for those with disabilities generally improves the quality of programs for wider audiences,” Ms. Dezelon said.
Art museums can be challenging environments for young children, whose stages of cognitive development often inspire them to connect with what they see by using their hands. But at The Andy Warhol Museum, there are 14 stations where “Don’t touch” turns into “Go ahead.”
But more importantly, those handheld experiences trigger important conversations.
“It’s interesting to hear the questioning strategies from older visitors to younger ones. Intuitively, they say, ‘How does it feel? How is it different from what you see on the wall?’” Ms. Dezelon said. “It’s also nice hearing them explain how artwork can be made accessible and available to people with disabilities.”
And from an early age, the presence of the tactiles addresses why those with low or no vision might attend an art museum in the first place. The answer speaks to the heart of accessibility.
“For me, part of it is I still enjoy doing the things I’ve always done,” Mr. Rutherford said. “From what I’ve discussed with other blind people who have never had eyesight, going to the museum and enjoying the arts is about being a part of the community and the world in general.
“When stuff happens that people are talking about, like art exhibitions, it’s about still wanting to be a part of stuff.”