Printing
Honoraria
Marketing & Outreach
Interpretation
Old Jail Art Center
Albany, TX
With the temporary exhibition, “Two Worlds: The Reality of Abstraction,” the Old Jail Art Center prioritized accessibility. Wall texts were offered in both English and Spanish, allowing museumgoers to engage with the art on display in their desired language. Pamphlets geared toward K–12 populations were also available, further contributing to the institution’s goal of creating an accessible space for all visitors. Most of the information in the written materials provided crucial context for the exhibition, describing the art movements that would eventually contribute to the widespread use of abstracted visual art forms.
By offering all written materials in both English and Spanish, the Old Jail Art Center wanted to make the exhibition’s artworks and themes accessible for a variety of audiences. Norman Lewis’ work was also placed in conversation with the work of local Texas artists in hopes of making abstraction more comprehensible by comparison. With these goals in mind, the Old Jail Art Center aimed to prepare visitors for future encounters with abstract artworks and abstracted visual forms. The museum expected to reach 3,000 visitors with this exhibition.
To measure the outcome of this project, the Old Jail Art Center relied on feedback from visitors who used an interactive digital application located within the museum’s galleries. A variety of visitors responded that the exhibition helped reveal the depth and range of the artworks in the center’s permanent collection. This project reached roughly 2,100 visitors, 400 of whom received a printed handout explaining the exhibition's themes and artworks.
Sharing context is a fantastic way to increase engagement. By prioritizing education and accessibility, the Old Jail Art Center increased visitor engagement with Norman Lewis’ piece and other works from the museum’s permanent collection.
A presentation on the Three Sisters Garden and Indigenous foodways accompanied a tasting of Indigenous recipes and an afternoon of garden planting at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art.
Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) created resources designed for blind and low-vision visitors to access the “Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice” exhibition. It partnered with NewView Oklahoma, a low-vision advocacy group, to review and promote the exhibition's new accessible materials.
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A presentation on the Three Sisters Garden and Indigenous foodways accompanied a tasting of Indigenous recipes and an afternoon of garden planting at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art.
Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) created resources designed for blind and low-vision visitors to access the “Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice” exhibition. It partnered with NewView Oklahoma, a low-vision advocacy group, to review and promote the exhibition's new accessible materials.
The interpretive activities in the gallery provided an innovative and experimental space for families to engage in hands-on artmaking inspired by Rachel Rose's "Lake Valley".
