Jun 28, 2019 People & Community A few months ago, Senior Museum Educator and Accessibility Coordinator Kim Crowell traveled to Hong Kong to teach a two-day workshop about her process for creating touchable paintings–tactile, mixed media representations function like maps of 2-Dimensional images for individuals with all levels of sight. Crowell was recruited for this opportunity by the Arts with the Disabled Association (ADA) Hong Kong. She was contacted after representatives from ADA saw her presentation about creating touchable paintings at the Kennedy Center’s Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disabilities conference in Atlanta in August 2018. The ADA works with several cultural institutions in Hong Kong to create performances, exhibitions, and classes accessible for individuals with disabilities. For her workshop, Crowell taught several artists how to create touchable paintings using Alfredo Ramos Martinez’s Florida Mexicana as inspiration. Crowell also gave a lecture to the ADA staff about the programs and accommodations that Crystal Bridges offers for guests with disabilities. Crowell remains in touch with the ADA members and workshop participants to discuss new ideas related to accessibility and the possibility of short internship opportunities at Crystal Bridges. Staff from the ADA also mentioned the possibility of a future conference in Hong Kong at which that they would like to invite Crowell to present. She looks forward to continuing this cross-cultural exchange of ways to make the arts more accessible for all.
