Art Beyond Vision

– It’s a common mistake to think of art as merely visual representation and a venue open only to those who can see. Inviting people to touch works of art can broaden the experience of both the sighted and the non-sighted.

In a unique collaboration between the NH Association for the Blind andthe NH Art Association, the Children’s Museum of NH’s Gallery 6 is hosting an exhibit titled Art Beyond Visionthrough May 28, 2012.This curated collection of textural paintings, fiber arts and sculpture welcomes visitors to open their minds to a fresh new way of experiencing the beauty of art. Tactile works created by more than adozen New Hampshire artists offer opportunities for gallery visitors to explore each piece using different senses. Unlike most art exhibits, this one welcomes guests to take a hands-on approach as they tour the gallery.

Marty Quinn's MoveMusic technology is also featured during Art Beyond Vision as part of the popular Build It, Fly It exhibit. Museum visitors will be able to hear the paths of objects as music as they fall in flight. Using visual-to-image sonification technology developed by Quinn's Design Rhythmics Sonification Research Lab, visual surveillance software tracks the moving objects as they are selecting pixels in a selected image. Those pixels are turned into music using MoveMusic's innovative algorithms. In addition to hearing the objects fall through various and selectable artistic images, qualities of the moving objects, such as size, speed, angularity and change of direction add to the musical mix, providingadditional information that visually challenged guests can utilize to perceive the flights of the falling objects, and experiment to hear how the music varies with different objects and their unique flights.

"We are thrilled to have this one-of-a-kind gallery show in the Museum,” said Justine Roberts, Executive Director of the Children’s Museum of NH. “It is amazing what you can accomplish with the right partners, and in this case, we had an ideal team with the New Hampshire Association for the Blind and the New Hampshire Art Association.”

“This show captures so much of what Gallery 6 is about,” Roberts continued. “It is multi-sensory, which is an ideal way for children to learn, and gives our visitors a successful experience with art. This show also fuses science with art by exploring vision. And we have come up with some really exciting art projects that will be available in our Studio, allowing visitors to do their own creative explorations."

GeorgeTheriault, President and CEO of the New Hampshire Association for the Blind, stated, “We hope that many, many people of all ages will come to the museum for this fascinating exhibition – it will challenge visitors to ‘see’ and perceive art in very new and different ways! And, we hope that this experience will promote better understanding and appreciation of all of the senses and how people whose sensory input is reduced or impaired can and do fully appreciate art and lead independent and fulfilling lives. The New Hampshire Association for the Blind is delighted to join in this very special partnership opportunity.”

An opening reception for the featured artists and invited guests will be held on the evening of March 14. The museum has also planned a special day of tactile experiences for young visitors on Tuesday, April 17 from 10:30 am – 2:30 pm.
The Art Beyond Vision exhibit can be viewed in Gallery 6 during regular business hours at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire: Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm and Sunday noon – 5 pm. No admission fee is required to view the gallery only. Regular admission applies for families who wish to also explore the rest of the museum.