MAAM 2026 Annual Conference

How can "Please Touch" replace "Hands Off"? This session explores The Active Power of Touch, a landmark exhibition at the Peale Museum curated by a blind professional using a nonvisual curatorial process. By centering tactile engagement from the outset—spanning sculpture, textiles, and kinetic art— this exhibition disrupts traditional museum norms to foster deep visitor connection. We will examine the journey from nonvisual artist selection to the practicalities of tactile installation. Attendees will learn how welcoming touch transforms visitor behavior, inspires sighted artists to create multisensory work, and creates a truly inclusive environment where blind and sighted visitors engage as equals.

Session Takeaways:
•Nonvisual Curatorial Frameworks: Strategies for selecting and organizing artwork through both tactile and visual aesthetics.
•Tactile Installation Logistics: Practical methods for securing works in clay, metal, and wood to allow for safe, high-traffic hands-on exploration.
•Fostering Universal Engagement: touch facilitates intergenerational and cross-ability dialogue among visitors, moving accessibility from "specialized" to "universal."