I know – you’re sick and tired of looking at that bepollened bee! Why haven’t we been posting on this blog, you ask? For one thing, it turns out that actual 40-hour-per-week jobs take up a lot of time. Then there’s commuting, and spending time with friends, and chores, and…
Faithful readers will remember that I am working this summer at Art-Reach, a nonprofit dedicated to making the arts accessible for people with disabilities or economic disadvantages. Aside from the fact that I am on the phone more than I ever thought I would be, it’s been a great job so far. Not only does Art-Reach advocate on behalf of people in need to get reduced-rate admissions to a couple hundred cultural venues throughout the area, they also organize pretty great community events. A couple weeks ago Art-Reach collaborated with the Walnut Street Theater to present a fully-accessible performance of Fiddler on the Roof, complete with audio description, ASL interpretation, and a sensory tour before the performance.
Since there were a few extra headsets, I checked out the audio description during the play. The speaker described what was happening on stage (“curtain rises;” “they shake hands”), although I found that he provided more details as the show progressed (“the dancers are moving faster now, left legs extended, bottles balanced on their heads”).
The pre-show sensory tour allowed patrons with visual impairments to check out props before the show started. Two actors presented their costumes and then passed around the wig used in the show’s dream sequence, several hats, and of course a fiddle. I loved that the male actor also presented his beard as an element of his costume, although people were cracking up at feeling his face:
And a few weeks before that event, Art-Reach partnered with the Philadelphia Museum of Art to present audio-described tours in the collections and touchable tours in a gallery of work by artists who have visual impairments. Sighted patrons were given the option to don blindfolds as well (I couldn’t because I had to take flashless photos, sigh).
A docent described two paintings in the early American gallery, but I sort of preferred the work of the contemporary artists with visual impairments:
Faithful readers will remember that I am working this summer at Art-Reach, a nonprofit dedicated to making the arts accessible for people with disabilities or economic disadvantages. Aside from the fact that I am on the phone more than I ever thought I would be, it’s been a great job so far. Not only does Art-Reach advocate on behalf of people in need to get reduced-rate admissions to a couple hundred cultural venues throughout the area, they also organize pretty great community events. A couple weeks ago Art-Reach collaborated with the Walnut Street Theater to present a fully-accessible performance of Fiddler on the Roof, complete with audio description, ASL interpretation, and a sensory tour before the performance.
Since there were a few extra headsets, I checked out the audio description during the play. The speaker described what was happening on stage (“curtain rises;” “they shake hands”), although I found that he provided more details as the show progressed (“the dancers are moving faster now, left legs extended, bottles balanced on their heads”).
The pre-show sensory tour allowed patrons with visual impairments to check out props before the show started. Two actors presented their costumes and then passed around the wig used in the show’s dream sequence, several hats, and of course a fiddle. I loved that the male actor also presented his beard as an element of his costume, although people were cracking up at feeling his face:
And a few weeks before that event, Art-Reach partnered with the Philadelphia Museum of Art to present audio-described tours in the collections and touchable tours in a gallery of work by artists who have visual impairments. Sighted patrons were given the option to don blindfolds as well (I couldn’t because I had to take flashless photos, sigh).
A docent described two paintings in the early American gallery, but I sort of preferred the work of the contemporary artists with visual impairments:
The bright colors, geometric shapes, and incorporation of found objects reminded me a lot of Haitian art, so it was fun to see. I’m not sure how much longer this exhibit will be up, so if you’re in Philadelphia definitely head over and check it out.
Love this - and you're right, the art totally reminds me of Haiti!
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