Our December student art exhibit was a hands-on experience since most of the visitors were blind. It's pretty rare to to to an gallery or museum where touching the art is allowed, much less encouraged. Teaching Art at the Academy for the Blind has taught me that for these kids, "you see with your hands, not with your eyes," and so most of the assignments from this semester were relief sculptures for tactile image projects.
We had a table in the middle of the room for ceramics items and hand-bound books, just waiting to be handled. Text was often in Braille, and some of the images were pop-up.
2D images on the walls and easels were all within arm's reach.
Students helped curate the exhibit, deciding what pieces should go in, how they should be arranged, and making Brailled the name tags.
Although it was an exhibition and not a sale, a lot of students were able to sell their work to teachers and parents. It was so gratifying for them to know that their work had value and was appreciated by discerning adults.
Ultimately, talents are meant to be shared, and you don't have to wait until you're a master to start sharing. I love that my students can shine at their current ability level, and because shining feels so good, I have every confidence that they'll keep growing to the next level.
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