Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY, USA

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

 

Address

1071 5th Ave, New York, NY
Between 88th & 89th St.

Telephone

(212) 423-3500

Website

https://www.guggenheim.org

 

WHAT I LIKED: Great collection, architecture, and special programs

WHAT I MISSED: The wall labels are a bit too small for me and I miss the verbal description on the audio guide

To read a summary of the blog, please click the IN SHORT button.

Museums have encountered many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, as have the visitors. New York’s low vision community, in particular, relies on accessible group museum tours and suffers from not being able to experience exhibitions in person. For a visually impaired person, it is sometimes very hard to manage visiting a museum independently.

To stay in touch with art, the museum, and the community, many museums now offer their accessible programs through virtual tours, and this has proved to be a widely accepted and treasured tool for the low vision community, leading to lively discussions, a new way of experiencing art, and reconnections with docents and group members. 

The Guggenheim is among many museums that now offer their usual monthly program for visually impaired and blind people on a virtual platform. The Guggenheim’s VIP program, called Mind’s Eye, has adopted a virtual format and has even started a weekly conference call to describe and talk about one particular piece of art. This is a very well-received and loved add-on to the regular program. Many thanks to the organizers for this additional treat!

I am lucky to live in the neighborhood of the Guggenheim Museum in New York City on 5th Avenue at 88th Street, and I try to visit this gem independently as often as I can. I love the sight of this iconic building by Frank Lloyd Wright coming up between the trees when I walk through Central Park!

View from the rotunda towards the skylight, the Oculus.

View from the rotunda towards the skylight, the Oculus.

About the Museum

The museum opened in October 1959 and is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage list. The collection focuses on art from the late 19th century up to the present day. It includes masterpieces by artists such as Cézanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso.

Listen to impressions about the building with verbal descriptions: Mind’s Eye: A sensory guide to the museum

The famous rotunda with the spiral ramp offers an incredible space for special exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, lectures, screenings, and performance art.

A visit to this “must see” landmark is an inspiring and rewarding mission. To make it easier for you to plan your visit, I will share my experiences while visiting independently as a VIP (visually impaired person).

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Permanent Collection at the Tannhauser Gallery. Listen to a verbal description.

Entrance and Galleries

As you enter the building through the entrance on 5th Avenue, you will immediately be drawn into the unique space of the rotunda with the spiraling ramp and the oculus, the magnificent skylight high above you.

The ticket counter, to your right when you enter the building, is currently closed (as of February 2021), so you will need to purchase tickets online to visit the museum. Behind the ramp is the coat check and the check point for the tickets – also not available right now.

At first, orientation might seem a bit problematic, but as you only have to follow the ramp to see the current exhibition, you will not get lost. The side galleries are in the added-on tower and offer ramps as well as steps to access the exhibitions. When you arrive, take in the breathtaking view of the interior, enjoy the fountain at the beginning of the ramp, and listen to the sounds in this amazing space.

Heading up the ramp is always a special experience for me. I love that I do not have to worry about steps when I walk with my cane and am concentrating on the artwork. Sometimes I get so distracted by the art or the view of the rotunda that I forget where I am actually heading! There are also elevators at every floor, which might be a bit difficult to find if you are not familiar with the space. The staff is very friendly and well-trained and will help you along the way.

The Tannhauser Gallery on the second floor hosts the museum’s permanent collection, one of my favorite spots!

Camille Pissarro, The Hermitage at Pontoise (1867). Listen to a verbal description.

Labels, Audio Guide, and App

As a VIP, an independent visit to a museum is often not the easiest task. For me, one of the most challenging things is to find the label of an artwork and to read it.

At the Guggenheim, the pristine interior design with white walls, white banisters, and white niches with white labels presents a big problem for me. The labels are printed in a clear font and a good size but, depending on the light in the gallery, they are sometimes very hard for me to find.

On the website, you can download the labels, which include a photo of the artwork. This is a very helpful feature. You can also download an app to your smartphone to access the audio guide, though at this point in time, there is no audio guide available to rent at the museum. The audio guide gives you an overview of what is going on in the museum and offers audio files of artwork in the exhibitions. It is clear and easy to use.

You can listen to several verbal descriptions of artworks from the collection on the website, but this feature is not available on the app, so you cannot listen to it while standing in front of the original work, which is a pity.

The Mind’s Eye is a special program for visually impaired and blind people that offers monthly group tours, which are now held as a Zoom meeting, and a weekly conference call to verbally describe works of art and have a lively discussion about it. This is a fantastic way to stay in touch and experience art.

Pablo Picasso, Woman Ironing (1904). Listen to a verbal description.

Last, But Not Least

This “must see” museum is one of my favorite places to explore art and enjoy highly interesting international exhibitions. I like to prepare my visits beforehand through the website and the app so it is easier for me to navigate the spaces and access all the information I need. I love to go there independently, and a Mind’s Eye group tour is always a special experience for me.

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Kunsthaus Graz, Graz, Austria

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Address

Lendkai 1
8020 Graz, Austria

Telephone

+43 316 8017 9200

Website

https://www.museum-joanneum.at/en/kunsthaus-graz  

 

WHAT I LIKED: Very good accessibility features

WHAT I MISSED: An app with information about the exhibition

To read a summary of the blog, please click the IN SHORT button.

In early March of this year, museums around the world closed in response to the global spread of the coronavirus. I was “stranded” by COVID-19 in my Austrian hometown of Graz for more than four months and spent an interesting time with my family and friends through the lockdown. A few days before returning to New York, I was able to visit the Kunsthaus Graz when it re-opened in early July! What an extraordinary thing to do after such a long time of solitude. I enjoyed every moment of it.

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Image: The glass paneled “bubble” from the north with some of the nozzles on top

About the Museum

Graz is the second largest city in Austria and the capital of the state of Styria. Situated on the River Mur, Graz has a beautiful historic old city. Arnold Schwarzenegger was born just outside the city and is still one of Austria’s most famous “exports.” In 2003, Graz was the Cultural Capital of Europe, and for this important event, a long-wished-for contemporary art museum was built in the heart of the city.

The museum’s unique architecture by architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier made the building a cherished place for citizens and tourists, who lovingly call it by many nicknames; the “Friendly Alien” is the most common of them.

The building is a spectacular construction, combining one of the first cast iron buildings in continental Europe, the “Iron House,” with the glass-paneled “Bubble.” The structure is topped by the “Needle,” a recreational area and event space with magnificent views.

Within the contemporary art museum, which exhibits contemporary international artists, exhibitions change every few months and offer a wide variety of art. The building’s architecture offers an amazing exhibition space; with the application of new technology, even the façade of the bubble can be used as a multimedia canvas!

Crossing the river from the old city is the best way for me to approach the museum – I always like to view it from as many different angles as possible.

To scroll through the images, please click on the arrow on the right side of the image

Image 1: Tactile lines on the floor with my cane
Image 2: Touch model of the museum
Image 3: Touching the model
Image 4: Tactile lines guide you to the ticket counter

Entrance and Galleries

Tactile lines on the pavement for visually impaired people, spread throughout the city of Graz, lead to the museum entrance closest to the river. There, you will find a bronze model of the building to touch. The tactile model is extremely helpful, not only to our community, but also for anyone else, as the architecture is hard to understand at first, with bubbles, nozzles, glass panels, and multiple parts of the building. Give yourself some time to touch and absorb the organic forms of the “Friendly Alien”!

The tactile lines lead you through an accessible door to the ticket counter inside. I am very impressed by how much care has been taken to offer easy access for all different kinds of disabilities in this place, and I appreciate that very much.

At the ticket counter, you will find very friendly staff members to help you along. I would recommend booking a private verbal description tour beforehand, so you can experience the architecture with detailed explanations and touch objects. This is a very special treat – do not miss it!


To scroll through the images, please click on the arrow on the right side of the image

Image 1: Artwork by Erwin Wurm, Möbel 3 (2010).
Description: Bench upside down with the legs in the air
Image 2: Label to Ervin Wurm “Möbel 3”, 2010
Image 3: Entrance to an exhibition: text on the floor with my foot on it
Image 4: Oversized signage in the lobby
Image 5: Signs in the museum
Image 6: Panel in he elevator with big buttons and raised lines

Labels, Audio Guide, and App

As exhibitions at the museum change every few months, the labels change as well. I have found terrific large labels printed on the floor, big numbers for the audio guide, labels on the artwork, and many others – all of them with good contrast and size of print. The signage throughout the museum is very big and clear, which makes navigation easy. There is an audio guide to take out and an app, which gives you information about the architecture, but not the current exhibitions.

I highly recommend that you ask for a private verbal description tour. It is a thrilling experience to hear about the architecture, touch different tactile objects – including some objects in the exhibition – and learn about the different exhibitions. These tours are offered in different languages, so please don´t forget to schedule one for yourself ahead of time!

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Image: Two artworks by Mike Kelley

Last, But Not Least

I really love to visit this museum because it is so well prepared for visitors with special needs, and the staff is very welcoming and helpful. The architecture outside and inside always gives me something new to explore – and the view through the nozzles and from the upper part of the “The Needle” to the city center are breathtaking!

To scroll through the images, pleas click on the arrow on the right side of the image

Image 1: View from the “Needle” of Graz’s landmark building the “Uhrturm” on top of the
Schlossberg
Image 2: View from the “Needle” to the “Nozzles” on the roof
Image 3: View from inside one of the nozzles of the “Uhrturm” (Clocktower)
Image 4: Touch object: light installation at the inside of the nozzles

Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel

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Address

27 Shaul HaMelech Blvd., The Golda Meir Cultural and Art Center, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

Telephone

972-3-6077020

Website

https://www.tamuseum.org.il/en/

 

WHAT I LIKED: Some verbal descriptions on the app and the building design, including ramps and soft light made the visit a very pleasurable one.

WHAT I MISSED: Programs for visually impaired people (VIP) and a clearer layout for the accessible tour on the app.

To read a summary of the blog please click the IN SHORT button.

A too-short visit to Israel brought us to the youthful, thriving, modern city of Tel Aviv. After enjoying a walk on the beaches and a tour through the Bauhaus architectural jewel and UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site the White City, we found our way to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

About the Museum

Israel’s first art museum, founded in 1932, is a leading and influential institution dedicated to the preservation and display of modern and contemporary art from Israel and abroad. It was instigated by Tel Aviv’s first mayor, Meir Dizengoff, who donated his own private residence to open a museum. On May 14, 1948, the Israeli Declaration of Independence was proclaimed at the Museum, thus marking a cornerstone in the history of Israel.

In 1959, the museum moved to a specially-designed new space, the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion, now devoted to temporary exhibitions. The need for more space led to the opening of several new buildings. The Main Building, opened in 1971, houses the Museum’s permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. In 2011, the Herta and Paul Amir Building was inaugurated alongside the museum’s Main Building to host a comprehensive presentation of Israeli art from the Museum’s collection and temporary exhibitions. The courtyard between the buildings offers a place of tranquility: the Lola Beer Ebner Sculpture Garden, which displays modern and contemporary sculptures.

The collection focuses on Israeli Art, Contemporary Art, and Modern Art and also shows art from a range of different fields: painting, sculpture, print, drawing, photography, video, installations, architecture, and design.

Yaakov Agam, Place of Time (1970), a site-specific installation of kinetic art in the lobby of the museum

Entrance and Galleries

Welcoming and spacious entrance areas provide easy access to the museum. The modern architecture makes it very easy to walk through the gallery spaces without the fear of unseen steps anywhere. Ramps lead to different levels and the often natural light, combined with modern fixtures, gives the galleries soft light and a relaxing feeling as well.

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Ramps invite the visitor up into the galleries.

Marc Chagall, Solitude (1933)

Labels, Audio Guide, and App

The labels are mostly placed to the right side of the artwork and thus were easy for me to find. I was happy to encounter a legible font and font size and a good-sized symbol for the audio guide – I usually take a photo on my phone and enlarge the text to be able to read it. I always appreciate being able to find the label without difficulty! At the time of my visit the museum offered an audio guide with a very clear and manageable display that was well-designed and good to use.

Now the museum has launched an app that allows you to download different tours, such as Top Ten, Israeli Art Collection, Children’s Tour, Architecture, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions and, to my delight, even a “Seven Accessible Masterpieces“ tour for visually impaired people. Most of the tours on the app offer an easy-to-navigate layout with photos of the paintings, transcripts, and audio.

Unfortunately, the tour for visually impaired people is rather hard to use. There is not enough contrast and legibility, and there are no photos of the paintings included, which makes it hard to understand the verbal description provided. I would love to be able to see the described painting while listening to the verbal description as you can do on the other tours on the app.

Claude Monet, Water Lily Pond (1919)

Last, But Not Least

A visit to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art is a “must“ on the to-do list when you have some time left in this lively spot. The closer insight into Israeli Art was especially thrilling for me as I have not encountered many Israeli artists before.

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I loved the street signs! Positioned just above head, they are a great size with good contrast and are easy to find and read! Signs like these make life so much easier for visually impaired people.

Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain

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Museo Guggenheim Bilbao (photo courtesy of the museum)

 

Address: 

Avenida Abandoibarra, 2 - 48009 Bilbao, Spain

Website:

www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus

 

WHAT I LIKED: Touch objects and a nice audio guide

WHAT I MISSED: taking photos is not allowed

To read a summary of the blog please click the IN SHORT button

 

 

I did not really want to create a “Spanish series“ in my blog, but on a recent vacation I treated myself to the new thriller “Origin” by Dan Brown and I knew instantly that I had to write about the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, although my visit there dates back quite a while.

In the book Robert Langdon, the protagonist of the story, is an U.S. professor of “symbology” at Harvard University and had been invited to a mysterious event at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. There the adventure begins …

 

About the Museum

The museum opened in 1997 and was immediately recognized as one of the most spectacular buildings in the world. It has been designed by American architect Frank Gehry. 

The Guggenheim is located on the Nervión River in a former industrial district of Bilbao. To describe the building, I’ll let Robert Langdon speak:

“The structure was impossible to take in at a glance, bizarre elongated forms, it doesn´t just break the rules – it ignores them completely ... it looked like something out of an alien hallucination, a swirling collage of warped metallic forms, a chaotic mass of shapes, 30.000 titanium tiles that glinted like fish scales and gave the structure simultaneously an organic and extraterrestrial feel – a fantastic dream ship in undulating form in a cloak of titanium, floating on water.”

To see for yourself, here is a video of the museum’s exterior.

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Amazing architecture at night (photo courtesy of the museum)

The museum hosts a fantastic collection of artworks from the Guggenheim Foundation and  houses large-scale, site-specific works and installations by contemporary artists, such as Ricard Serra´s “Matter of Time” (spoiler alert - Robert Langdon will have a secret and secluded meeting with his host inside the gigantic steel sculptures). In addition, works by Basque artists are displayed. 

 

Entrance and Interior Spaces

Entering the museum is a special experience, the fascinating angles and perspectives of the architecture kept me thrilled throughout my visit and – at times – even distracted me from the artwork.

The Atrium is airy and spacious. At the ticket counter you can ask for a large floor map with raised line drawings and other objects and at the a visitor orientation room, Zero Espazioa  you will find several touch objects provided by the museum for the visually impaired. The touch objects include models of the  “Puppy” by Jeff Koons, the “Maman” by Louise Bourgeois, and the building itself. 

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"Puppy" by Jeff Koons, an outside installation

The museum galleries are connected by bridge-like walkways, staircases, and glass elevators. Navigation is in general easy, but sometimes the overwhelming visual inputs from the amazing architecture might be confusing and make orientation challenging. The light is filtered through glass panels and generally without glare (depending on the exhibition).

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"Maman" by Louise Bourgeois, outdoor installation

Labels, Audio Guides, App, and Programs for VIP

At the time of my visit the labels were of a good size and with a clear and easy-to-read font. As always, white labels are hard to find on white walls, but on the whole the contrast was very good, and the labels were easy to locate.

The audio guide has a magnetic loop, which means that you do not have to punch in numbers! The audio guide will start on its own when you approach an artwork that is referenced in the device!  I liked this feature very much – for once I did not have to try to read the audio guide symbol and then type in a number – an almost perfect audio guide!

In “Origin” Robert Langdon gets handed a personalized audio guide named “Winston”; this device will be on my 2018 Santa wish list! Winston talks to you and you can ask it questions. For instance, you could say: “Winston, guide me to the next restroom and tell me if there are any steps in my way” and Winston will do exactly that. Or you could ask: “Where can I find a work by Andy Warhol and what is written on the label? And what is Warhol’s bio?” It is like having a personal assistant at your side all the time! You can even have intelligent conversations with Winston ... at least in the book. While this all sounds futuristic, I have little doubt that soon his type of audio guide / assistant will become reality in the near future.

Back to the Guggenheim Bilbao ...

When I was visiting the museum there was an app available, at the moment they are working on a new version, so please check the website if it is already available. Video guides are also available, they offer sign language and transcripts in several different languages. For visually impaired people the museum offers audio descriptive tours which are always a great experience.

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"Tulips" by Jeff Koons, outside installation

 

Last, but not Least

I wish we had had more time when we visited this museum – the architecture alone is so magnificent and multilayered that it takes a while to absorb. The combination with the large-scale artworks and the often-changing exhibitions guarantee for a very satisfying art experience, even when you visit the museum on your own as a VIP.

 

Dan Brown´s book “Origin”  is full of artificial intelligence and incredible adventures in beautiful places and the end is ... well, I´d better not reveal too much!

 

 

 

Mueso Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain

 

 

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The Sabatini Building

 

Address: 

52 Santa Isabel Street

28012, Madrid, Spain

Website: 

www.museoreinasofia.es/en

 

 

WHAT I LIKED: the labels, the audio guide symbols and the verbal description tour

WHAT I MISSED: a full app for the collection

To read a summary of the blog please click the IN SHORT button

 

 

Just a short distance from the Museo Nacional del Prado you can find several other museums. On my recent visit to Madrid I directed my steps to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia.

The Building

The first foundation of this building was laid in the sixteenth century to found the San Carlos Hospital. In the eighteenth century the building was enlarged by architect Francisco Sabatini, famous for designing Madrid's city center. It remained a hospital, with several reconstructions and additions until 1965 when it was finally closed. In 1977 it was declared a national monument  by Royal Decree for its historic and artistic value.

In 1986, the Reina Sofia Art Center opened its doors to a part of the building to host temporary exhibitions. In 1992, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia inaugurated the Permanent Collection of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia.

Since then the museum follows its goals - to conserve, expand and exhibit its collection, to hold exhibitions at an international level, and to offer training and education.

The need for more space led to the construction of the new building by Jean Nouvel, which opened in 2005. The Nouvel building increased the much needed exhibition space, and its well designed public square increased the public city space.

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The Museum

The collection begins with the end of the 19th-century, addressing the conflicts between modernity and the constant changes in social and political fronts, and the cultural and artistic developments.

The museum is mainly dedicated to Spanish art. Highlights of the museum include excellent collections of Spain's two greatest 20th-century masters, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. Certainly, the most famous masterpiece in the museum is Picasso's Guernica.

The Reina Sofía collection includes works by artists such as Joan Miró, Eduardo Chillida, Pablo Gargallo, Julio González, Luis Gordillo, Juan Gris, José Gutiérrez Solana, Lucio Muñoz, Jorge Oteiza, Julio Romero de Torres, Pablo Serrano, and Antoni Tàpies.

International artists shown in the collection are Francis Bacon, Joseph Beuys, Pierre Bonnard, Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Robert Delaunay, Max Ernst, Lucio Fontana, Damien Hirst, Donald Judd, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Yves Klein, René Magritte, Henry Moore, Gabriel Orozco, Man Ray, Diego Rivera, Mark Rothko, Julian Schnabel, Richard Serra, and Cindy Sherman.

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Pablo Picasso: Guernica, taken form the app The Essential Art Walk

Verbal Description Tours

The museum has a very active accessibility department and offers regular tours with verbal description and touch objects called “Museo a Mano” (Museum by Hand). 

I had contacted the department a few weeks before my visit and was able to attend one of the tours, hoping that my beginner’s level Spanish would be of help. To my pleasant surprise the kind docent found an American intern to translate the tour for me! What a special treat!

These tours are for a small group of visually impaired or blind persons. No more than six participants at a time, which makes the tours very personal and intensive. For each of the paintings the museum had made high raised drawings available for each participant. This enabled us to touch, listen and see at the same time. I loved to experience the selected paintings in such great detail, including the history of the paintings and the artist.

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Top: Joan Miró: Man with a Pipe

Middle: Handout with raised lines

Bottom: label

Entrance and Getting Around

My husband and I met the group at the entrance to the Sabatini Building. As this is a former hospital, all the hallways and exhibition rooms can be easily accessed and entered. Elevators to all floors have been installed. I felt very comfortable walking through the well-lit rooms.

The Nouvel Building in its modern design is an interesting add-on to the old building. Don't miss the rooftop – it offers a unique view over the city center of Madrid.

After the verbal description tour we were able to explore the other parts of the museum on our own and relax in the cafe and garden.

Audio Guide and Labels and App

For a small fee you can rent an audio guide at the entrance and at several information booths throughout the museum. The audio guide is easy to handle and provides information on many art pieces. The audio guide symbols are  of a good size next to the artwork and are easy to read.

The wall labels are also well designed, including their size, contrast and font. They were large enough for even me to read and the audio guide symbol is very well designed and readable as well – I was very happy about that.

While researching for this blog I found The Essential Art Walk app , an app that features 8 masterpieces with photos and audio guide of the Prado, Reina Sofia and  Thyssen-Bornemisza for free. It is delightful to revisit some of the artworks in peace at home!

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Top: Audio Guide

Middle: Salvador Dali: Face of the Great Masturbator

Bottom: Label and Audio Guide Symbol

Last, but not Least

Our visit to the Sofia Reina was a memorable one. I especially enjoyed how easy it was to get around, to be able to read the labels on my own and to enjoy the many fantastic artworks.

We were impressed by the original Guernica by Pablo Picasso and the diversity of the permanent collection.

The unique view from the terrace gave us a good view over the city in all its splendor.

I absolutely loved the verbal description tour – thanks so much for offering an interpreter!

Of course we would have needed more time to fully appreciate this museum – for sure we will come back!

 

More photos

Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

Updatet on February 15th 2018

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Address:  Calle Ruiz de Alarcon 23, Madrid, 28014, Spain

Website: www.museodelprado.es

 

WHAT I LIKED: Touching the Prado (even though I did not see it)

WHAT I MISSED: accessible labels and programs for visually impaired people

Please click the IN SHORT button above for a summary. 

 

Early June was the perfect time to visit Madrid: mild spring temperatures and sunshine with the feel of summer – an absolutely lovely time of the year in Spain's capital!

I loved this royal city with its boulevards, grand buildings and beautiful plazas, the hustle and bustle of Spanish daily life, tapas, sangria….in short: everything!

To top this delightful experience, I decided to visit the world famous Museo Nacional del Prado.

 

The Museum

 

This impressive building by architect Villanueva opened 1819 to the public and hosts one of the best collections of Spanish art and the former Spanish Royal Collection consisting mostly of European paintings and sculptures. It is one of the most visited museums in the world. It leads Madrid's “must see” list.

The museum owns the largest collection of works by Francisco Goya  as well as art by Hieronymus Bosch. In addition, El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens, Titian and Diego Velázquez are some of the highlights of Prado's collection. You can see photos of some of these highlights here

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Francisco de Goya: Niños con perros de presa, 1786

 

The Entrance

I was very excited to visit this museum and was curious how easy it would be for me to get around and explore the artwork. My guidebook warned that the lines at the ticket counter tend to be long. I was lucky though and obtained a ticket rather quickly. Nevertheless, I think that booking in advance is definitely a good idea!

You enter the museum through a modern entrance hall with a security check and you will find the information desk, the audio guide desk, the cloakroom, and the museum shop there.

At the information desk I was given directions in English, a map of the museum, and I rented an audio guide in English.

 

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Hieronymus Bosch: El carro del heno, 1515

 

Labels, Audio Guide, and App

The spacious hallways make getting around easy but, as this is an old building, the beautiful signs and numbers of the rooms  are hard to find and I could not read them at all.

I did find my way to specific rooms by studying the map with my magnifier and by simply asking.

Finally, in front of a painting I was interested in, I realized that there was no way for me to approach the label closely enough for me to read. Each painting has a railing in front of it to prevent people from coming too close.

Unfortunately the labels were within these boundaries and not accessible to me.       

I did what I usually do in situations like these – I took a photo of the label and was able to read it on my phone using the zoom feature. This is very convenient and gives me the information I need, including the number for the audio guide.

Some gallery guards approached me and told me that I am not allowed to take photos in the museum. Resorting to some Spanish I managed to explain why it was necessary for me to take pictures of the labels. Many guards understood and would let me take label photos in their galleries. However, one guard called her supervisor who decided that I was not allowed to take such photos. He said that I would need to find a gallery guard to tell me the numbers of the audio guide, the painter´s name and the title of the work.

Imagine a visually impaired person trying to find the guard, who looks like any other visitor to me, in every gallery; then explain why and how I need his/her help (in Spanish; most guards I met did not speak English.) Nevertheless, in many cases it worked out and was a good experience, but in the end it was exhausting.

The audio guide is easy to handle and the texts are good. It even has audio descriptions for VIPs (only in Spanish!)

The museum offers several apps: the official guide to the Prado La Guía del Prado for tablets, and Second Canvas Museo del Prado  for smartphones and tablets.

Update February 2018: while researching the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia I found The Essential Art Walk app which offers 8 masterpieces of the Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza  for free.

As my iPhone and iPad were recently updated to IOS11.0.3 I could not use the official guide on my iPad as the app needed to be updated. I never used the official guide app in the museum as I did not want to carry an iPad with me.

The Second Canvas app (small fee) offers you 14 high resolution photos of some of Prado's highlights, together with an audio guide and additional information. It is nice to use at home; you can appreciate the artwork in full detail in comfort.

 

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Above: App Second Canvas

Below: Audioguide

Touching in the Prado

In order to make artwork more accessible for VIPs, the Prado created six reproductions of artworks (Touching the Prado) to be touched and perceived in greater detail. It was unfortunate that this highly interesting exhibition was touring Spain at the time of my visit.

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Francisco de Goya: El tres de mayo 1808 en Madrid: Los fusilamientos en la montaña de Pio.1814

Last, but Not Least

If you are an art history lover visiting the Prado is an absolute must. Walking through the many galleries was amazing, as was recognizing so many world famous art works.

On the other hand, for me as a VIP visiting the Prado on my own, it was exhausting to get the information I wanted. It took me a long time to see even a small section of the museum.

I highly recommend visiting this fascinating museum, but suggest you are accompanied by a sighted person.

As I was not allowed to take photos in the museum, all photos of artworks are taken from postcards I bought in the shop.

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Albrecht Dürer: Self portrait,1498

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Francisco de Goya, La familia de Carlos IV, 1800

 

 

 

In Short

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

Art Institute Chicago 

Visited: July 3rd 2017 

 

  Address: 111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL

Website: www.artic.edu

 

 

“WHAT I LIKED: the touch gallery and TacTile kit are unique and well done!
WHAT I MISSED:the verbal description texts on the audio guide and app
Please click IN SHORT for a summary”

 

This year’s 4th of July weekend found us, a group of friends, on our way to Lake Michigan with a first stop in Chicago. 

The windy city treated us well and offered its architectural beauty in bright sunlight and a mild breeze,  a perfect day for a walk through the city. After admiring its famous architecture, its public art, and the beautiful Millennium Park, we moved on to explore the famous Art Institute of Chicago. 

The Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago was founded in 1879 and is one of the oldest and largest museums in the United States. Its collection is encyclopedic, featuring African Art, Ancient and Byzantine Art, Asian Art, Architecture and Design, European Decorative Art, European paintings, Modern and Contemporary Art. Some of the highlights include Georges Seurat's  A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884,  Pablo Picasso's  The Old Guitarist,  Edward Hopper's  Nighthawks, and  Grant Wood's  American Gothic, just to mention a few.

More highlights can be seen here.

Over the years the ever growing collection made several extensions of the building necessary, the latest addition being the Modern Wing by architect Renzo Piano. This wing houses the museum's world-renowned art collections of the 20th and the 21st century; specifically, modern European paintings and sculptures, contemporary art, architecture, design, and photography.  

Entrance

We entered the building through its Michigan Avenue entrance which is guarded by two magnificent bronze lions. The numerous ticket counters help to move the long lines of visitors swiftly into the huge museum. 

I asked the staff at different counters for the Touch Gallery and the TacTile Kit. These TacTiles, which are touch objects of several pieces of art works, are specifically described on the museum’s website, featured for visually impaired people (VIP) wishing to visit the museum. Most of the staff members had never heard of of the Touch Gallery or the TacTile Kit. But the staff was very helpful and interested and guided us to the Family Resource Center where we were given directions to the Touch Gallery and were handed the coveted TacTile Kit. 

Left: Entrance to Touch Gallery

Right: TacTile Kit

A brief note: I recommend entering the museum through the Modern Wing. The lines are shorter and the Touch Gallery and the Family Resource Center are located next to the entrance. 

Elizabeth Morse Touch Gallery

To the left of the Modern Wing entrance, you will find a small gallery dedicated to blind and low vision visitors. Four copies of original sculptures from the collection are waiting to be explored by touch, accompanied by descriptive texts and a braille labels. The sculptures are made of the same materials as the originals and hence give you a good sense of the texture and temperature of the art objects. 

I could not read the labels very well as the font was too small for me, so a fellow visitor read them. In my mind it would be very helpful to find these objects on the app and audio guide and  listen to the accompanying text while touching the sculptures.  

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Above: Touch object: Bust of Wallace L. de Wolfe by Marco Zim

Below: Accompanying label

TacTile Kit

At the Crown Family Resource Center I was handed a TacTile Kit. It consists of a bag with five segments, containing a photograph of the artwork, a large print description, a description in braille, and a tile with a relief reproduction waiting to be explored with your fingertips. 

Artworks represented include: Pierre Auguste Renoir's  Two Sisters (On the Terrace), 1881; Ardriaen van der Spelt and Frans van Mieris's  Trompe-L'Oeil Still Life with a Flower Garland and a Curtain, 1658; Joan Miró's  Personages with Star, 1933; a Japanese screen by Tosa Mitsuoki,  Flowering Cherry with Poem Slips, c. 1675; and the marvelous Aztec  Coronation Stone of Motecuhzoma II, 1503.  

Top: P.A.Renoir: Two Sisters, with wall label to the right

Middle: TacTile, a relief with raised lines and forms

Bottom: Touching the TacTile in front of the original painting and listening to the audioguide 

I greatly enjoyed the TacTiles as they provided a unique way to experience art and it helped me to better understand and enjoy the different works. As with the Touch Gallery, it would be perfect to have the descriptions on the app as well, so to be able to listen while touching the TacTile. 

Labels, Audio Guide and App

Being short on time, I used the app on my smartphone as audio guide. As usual, I downloaded the app beforehand and was already familiar with it when I visited the galleries. The app is easy to navigate and it gives you the opportunity to see the artwork on the screen, listen to a description and read the transcript. The app also facilitates locating the artwork in the many galleries by using a map. My enthusiasm was somewhat tempered, because I found it difficult to use the number block and the screen contrast was insufficient for my condition.  

The audio guide one can rent is a straightforward device. You can enter the numbers and listen to the descriptions. Having said this, I still prefer the app as it offers more features. 

Above: Label with Audio Guide Symbol

Bottom: App

The labels in the galleries differ in font size and contrast. While you will encounter labels that are  easy to read and are accompanied by a readily identifiable audio guide symbol, other labels are more challenging due to small fonts and poor contrast. If you are on your own, the friendly guards in the galleries are most willing to assist you. 

Last, but not Least

I had the pleasure of seeing the current exhibition “Gauguin: Artist as Alchemist” and I absolutely loved it. It is a well curated colorful exhibition of Gauguin´s many talents as a painter, sculptor, woodworker, and magician – he could transform any found material into art. The audio guide accompanying this exhibition is very comprehensive and fun to listen to. The labels are generally well presented with a nicely sized font on a well contrasting background color. 

Before leaving, we took a short break at the  Caffè Moderno overlooking Griffin Court. Unfortunately we had no time left for a visit to the museum shop. 

We will definitely come back! 

 

Casa Azul de Frida Kahlo, Mexico City, Mexico

Left: Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera

Right: Casa Azul

 

Address: 

Calle Londres 247, Del Carmen, Coyoacán, 04100 Ciudad de Mexico, CDMX, Mexico

Website: 

http://www.museofridakahlo.org

“What I liked: audio guide and labels were easy to handle/read
What I missed: no special material for visually impaired persons (VIP)
Please click the “IN SHORT” button to read a summary”

About the Museum

Color, intensity, and a love of life is what I took home from my visit to this special place in the beautiful, small neighborhood of Coyoacán in Mexico City.

Frida Kahlo, the best-known Mexican female artist, always fascinated me. Her youth was filled with long lonely hours of lying in bed after suffering from polio. Later in her adolescent years she had a severe accident which left her crippled and in much pain for the rest of her life.

Her extraordinary life as  painter, wife of Diego Rivera - one of the most famous Mexican muralists- as a socialist and devotee to the traditions of her country, became the  subject of many articles, books, and eventually the 2002 movie "Frida“ with Salma Hayek in the role of the venerated artist. 

 

Portrait of Frida Kahlo´s father by Frida Kahlo

The House

The Casa Azul is a two story Colonial style building with a central courtyard. It continues to enthrall visitors with its lush gardens as it did Frida and Diego in their time. The house is enclosed on all 4 sides and the walls show an intense bright blue color; hence the name “Casa Azul”. The rooms are connected and offer delightful views of the gardens. There are several stairs from the gardens into the house, and there are stairs between some rooms inside the house. This made it difficult for Frida to move around without help. In her final years she had to be carried up and down, in and out.

above: look into the kitchen, on the right side there is a cupboard with themes from Frida and Diego still on it

below: dining room with a big table, shelves, a yellow floor and a view to the garden

Frida Kahlo was born in 1907, in the Casa Azul and also died there in 1954. Frida and Diego spent many years together in this house. It was there that they hosted the exiled Marxist revolutionary and Soviet politician, Leon Trotsky and his wife, Natalia Sedova, 1937-9.

As you walk through the exhibition you get a good sense of what life was like in these rooms with friends and guests always present, with delicious meals at the big table in the dining room with its beautiful vistas of the gardens. The gardens have their own delights of secluded and quiet corners full of colors, fragrances and refreshing breezes. You will, of course, also encounter pain and suffering as you follow Frida’s life story through her paintings and photographs. In her studio you can see some of her wheelchairs, canes and easels designed to fit her needs. In a separate building on the grounds you can find her beautiful dresses next to her orthopedic corsets on display. This room gives you a sense of  the pain she must have endured.

 

Frida´s studio: wheelchair and easel

 

Audio Guide and Labels

At the entrance you can rent an audio guide which will prove to be very helpful to navigate the house and its exhibitions. The audio guide is easy to handle, for each room you will find several paintings with an accompanying audio description. You can find the sign for the audio guide easily on the labels – they are nicely sized and good to read (at least for me the header was easy to read) – what a pleasant surprise for once. It is a rare treat to find labels and signs that are easy to read for us!

above: painting "Viva la Vida" and label with audio guide sign

below: audio guide

Last, but not Least

I loved the visit to the Casa Azul. Walking through the actual living quarters of such an extraordinary and colorful couple as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera was a very special experience for me and I was delighted to spend  time with the paintings and photographs on display in their treasured home. 

Gallery

 

Broad Museum, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Broad Museum, to the right you can see a part of the Walt Disney Concert Hall

 

Address: 221 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
Website:  www.thebroad.org    
Telephone: 213-232-6200

“WHAT I LIKED: good light in the galleries
WHAT I MISSED: material and special programs for VIP
Pleas click the “IN SHORT” button to read a summary”

My perfect LA weekend - bright Californian sunshine, blue sky, delicious food, with friends - culminated in a visit  to a new exciting museum, The Broad.


About the Museum


The Broad is a new contemporary art museum, founded by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad and designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
It is located in downtown LA, next to the Walt Disney Concert Hall and near the Museum of Contemporary Art.The Broad’s new, impressive building is an additional highlight of architecture in this area.

The museum opened in September 2015 and is home to about 2,000 works of art. The Broad collection specializes in postwar and contemporary international art. I particularly enjoyed works by Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Jeff Koons and Yayoi Kusama´s Infinity Mirrored Room. The museum also features temporary exhibitions in addition to its own collection.

The Building


Situated on a plaza, part of Grand Avenue, the minimalist building structure combines two components: a public exhibition space and a collection storage space called “the vault” taking up the second floor. Its underside creates the ceiling of the lobby below, while its top surface is the floor plate of the exhibition space on the third floor.

The vault is enveloped on all sides by the “veil”, an airy, honeycomb-like structure that spans across the block-long gallery and provides filtered natural daylight.

A long escalator or a glass elevator take you from the first gallery level to the third floor, allowing you to take a quick look through viewing windows into the vault and the stored collection.

In the galleries a specially designed skylight system lets natural but softened day light enter, so that no direct sunlight ever shines on the artwork.

Top: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gold Griot, 1984

Bottom: Label to Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gold Griot

 

Entrance and Galleries
 

The entrance is at street level and you will find the ticket counter right in front of you. There was no special material for visually impaired visitors available at the time of my visit, but you can download an app to your smartphone.

After the fun ride on the escalator you will find yourself in a spacious and high ceiling gallery space on the third floor.

The galleries allow easy navigation and offer glare-free light in every room.  It is a pleasant experience to walk through the collection.


Audio Guide and Labels


There is no audio guide available but a Broad app can be downloaded to smartphones and other devices. The app offers several self-guided audio tours: Architecture; Artists on Artists; Inside the Broad Collection; a Kids Audio Tour, and usually also a tour of the current exhibition.

I focused on the ‘Inside the Broad Collection’ tour and tried to find my way to the featured artworks. As I had not familiarized myself with the app beforehand, I had some troubles working with it. The magnification I needed to use did not allow me to see the full content of the screen. It was hard for me to find the paintings in the different rooms. There are no numbers for the audio guide, you have to find the paintings by the small thumbnail photo of the artwork on the app. Locating these on the map of the app was visually too confusing for me while navigating at the same time.

I very much liked the text on the audio guide, although there is no verbal description available. Especially the ‘Artists on Artists’ tour was fascinating, because you get some insight into the thoughts of artists about the work of fellow artists. Also listening to Eli and Edythe Broad talking about their collecting process is thrilling.

The labels are black on white and the font is a little too small for me to read easily. As always in these instances, I took a photo and read  them on my smartphone.

Top: Screenshot from app: Content of Audio Tour

Bottom: Screenshot from app: one stop on the Audio Tour, Jasper Johns: Flag

Last but Not Least


My visit to the Broad was very enjoyable and satisfying.  To write this blog entry, I worked a lot with the app and now I feel confident to go back and have a full experience of the collection on my own.
Unfortunately there is no program of whatsoever for visually impaired and blind people. The collection has such a wide range of artists and artwork that it is a pity that there are no accessibility programs available at this point in time. 

Top: Keith Haring: Red Room, 1988

Bottom: Label to Keith Haring, Red Room

 

 

Städel Museum, Frankfurt, Germany

Visited: April 2016

Accessing the staircase to the main entrance of the Städel Museum

 

Address:

Schaumainkai 63

60596 Frankfurt am Main

Website:

www.staedelmuseum.de

 

“WHAT  I LIKED: audio guide and app were easy to handle and helpful

WHAT I MISSED: on some labels the font was too small, no special materials for VIPs available

Please click the “IN SHORT” button to read a summary”

 

The Museum

Frankfurt is not only known for one of the biggest and busiest airports in Europe and for the European Central Bank (EZB), but also for its culture, literature and art.

On my last visit to Frankfurt I had the opportunity to visit the Städel Museum - the oldest museum foundation in Germany, dating back to 1815.

Spanning a time period of over seven hundred years of European Art, from the fourteenth century to the present, its collection focuses on the Renaissance, Baroque, to early Modern Art and beyond.

Showcasing paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings and prints by artists like Dürer, Botticelli, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Monet, Picasso Kirchner, Beckmann and many more, this collection offers a comprehensive survey of Western art history.

 

Entrance

Located on the embankment of the river Main, on the so called “Museumsufer”, it shares the river bank with many other museums: Museum of Architecture, Museum of Archaeology, and Children’s’ Museum, to name a few. For more museums, see Museumsufer. 

Accessing the museum by a flight of stairs you enter a small foyer with the admission desk on the near left, a locker room to the far left, and the Museum Shop and Café to the right of the entrance.

At the ticket counter, I was informed that the museum does not offer large print folders or maps of the museum, and that there are no verbal description group tours available for VIPs (Visually Impaired Persons). There is, however, a program for VIPs on a quarterly basis or by appointment.

I was offered an audio guide for a small fee. I had to fetch it from what seemed a hidden spot - down several steps.

Being short of time I did not visit the current exhibition on view, but focused on the permanent collection and some of the highlights.

The galleries are well lit and spacious. Even though it was a Saturday afternoon, they were not too crowded.

Directory to the different galleries - also in English

Labels, Audio Guide and App

I asked myself: will I be able to read the labels?

The labels are big and use the color of the wall for background. The print is mostly in a contrasting color. I personally could not read the labels because the font was too small for me. However, at the bottom of the labels there is a big symbol and a number for the audio guide and the smartphone app.

There is an app, and I recommend downloading it to familiarize yourself with it before you visit the museum - it is worthwhile to do so! You can access the artwork by scan-recognition: you simply point the camera on your phone at the artwork, it scans the painting and delivers the accompanying audio guide to your screen. You will find a symbol for the app on the left bottom corner of the label. This system works very well and is best in combination with the audio guide.

The audio guide is easy to handle. It has raised, lit buttons with white numbers on a black background. The number for the audio guide is located in the right bottom corner of the label.

I found that the combination of the two devices gave me good information and allowed me to visualize the artwork in greater detail. There is no verbal description available on the audio guide and app - this would be a wonderful addition to these well designed applications.

Top: Label with signs for audio guide on the bottom right  and smartphone app on the bottom left

Bottom: Audio guide and smartphone with app in front of a label

 

Getting around

Navigating the museum might be a bit of a challenge if you want to see specific works, since there are no large print maps available.

The best way to get around is to resort to the old custom of asking the guards for direction. Since the galleries are spacious it is easy to walk from gallery to gallery. There are not many obstacles in your way, except for some benches, here and there and, of course, sculptures!

 

Last, but Not Least

So many important, original artworks are on display in this museum, that it felt as if I were walking through a text book of art history.

I will definitely come back to see more. Visit the bookstore and the cafe or treat yourself to a meal at the adjoining restaurant ‘Holbein’.

Don´t miss the garden! Some of the flower beds have been planted in the style of some of the paintings in the galleries. When I was there in spring it was too early to see flowers. It must be delightful to spend some time on a bench in the garden during the summer.

Highlight of the museum: J.H.Wilhelm Tischbein: Goethe in the Roman Campagna

 

Tip

Visit the website before you actually go to the museum to check current exhibitions and changes on the information.

Familiarize yourself with the app beforehand to enhance your experience at the museum and check out the Digitorials, a multimedia preparation course, that is being offered for some exhibitions.

 

Enjoying a bench in the beautiful garden and listening to a sound installation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Albertina, Vienna, Austria

Above: Albertina, Wien (photo by Alexander Ch. Wulz)

 
 

Address

Albertinaplatz 1, 1010 Vienna, Austria

Telephone

+43 1 53483

Website

www.albertina.at

About the Museum

A visit to Vienna is always a very special treat for me: Vienna is the capital of my home country Austria and one of the most livable cities in the world, according to an international survey of 250 different cities. Vienna offers history, art, music, literature, performing arts, museums, architecture, restaurants, coffee houses, and much more.

The Albertina palace, right in the heart of Vienna's inner city, next to the Opera House and the famous Hotel Sacher, hosts the Habsburg Staterooms, hosts one of the most important and extensive graphic art collections in the world, is the permanent home to the Batliner Collection “Monet to Picasso” and showcases exhibitions of international significance.

Entrance

From the street level you can take either an escalator or the wide staircase to the upper level and from there to the entrance lobby, a beautiful, airy atrium. The ticket counter is located on the left side. There are no large print brochures or maps available at the counter. Since I had announced my museum visit to the accessibility department beforehand, they offered to print maps and labels in large print especially for me. You can also purchase small magnifying lenses (1.10 Euros) at the ticket counter. Equipped with an audio guide I went on to explore the Albertina.

The Staterooms

As this used to be a palace in former days, I started with the official Habsburg Staterooms and immediately wished I had been dressed in the right outfit for this occasion - a beautiful robe, matching jewelry, with an elaborate hairdo befitting a queen or even an empress! I had a feeling of stepping back in time. The rooms are lavishly furnished, the floors in beautifully polished wood, the walls covered with silk tapestry, all preserved in its original, imperial layout. A beautiful staircase leads up to the upper floor. Unfortunately, it does not have a continuous hand rail, which made it hard for me to walk down.  Between some of the staterooms I encountered a couple of steps, but I was on the lookout anyway, so they did not take me by surprise.

Left: Stateroom

Right: label with an audio guide symbol on the top right corner

Each room has a sign depicting the history of the room (in German) and an audio guide symbol, which I found easy to read.

Graphic Arts

The collection of graphic art is a very unique one, with exquisite works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rubens, Dürer, Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka, Picasso, Warhol, and many more. 

One of my favorite drawings there is Albrecht Dürer’s “The Hare” - unfortunately with a label that I could not read and no audio guide information.

Above: Albrecht Dürer "The Hare"

Current Exhibition and Batliner Collection

The current exhibition that I visited was “From Chagall to Malewitsch” - very interesting and beautiful, but taking photos was not allowed. The labels were hard to read and I also could not read the numbers for the audio guide.

In the permanent Batliner collection “Monet to Picasso” I was very happy to see that the labels were in a decent size and that I was able to read the audio guide numbers.

The audio guide itself was easy to use, with a big display and large buttons that were easy to manipulate - a pleasant experience. The text was interesting and well written, but there was no verbal description available.

Above: Audio guide and symbol

Last, but Not Least

My visit to the Albertina was interesting and rewarding. I loved the time span the museum let me experience, from Leonardo da Vinci to Anselm Kiefer. The museum was navigable by myself without a guide. 

Don´t miss the shop before you exit the museum - it has a very good collection of art books, prints, gifts and many more lovely items. Also the Café, to the left of the entrance, is worth a visit.

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY, USA

 

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

 

Address

99 Gansevoort Street

New York, NY 10014

Telephone

(212) 570-3600

Website

www.whitney.org

 

About the Museum

The Whitney Museum moved to its new building and location in May 2015. This museum has always been an exciting place to visit, focusing on American art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Their exhibitions, biennials and their enormous permanent collection were and are well worth a visit.

Highlights of artwork of famous artists, from Edward Hopper, Georgia O`Keefe, Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, David Smith, Andy Warhol to the most contemporary artists will capture the attention of many art lovers.

On May 1st, 2015, the Whitney Museum reopened, after leaving its old building, designed by Marcel Breuer, at 75th Street and Madison Avenue (now the new Met Breuer, on the Upper East Side) in its new landmark building, in the lively Meatpacking District next to the High Line - an absolute hot spot in New York City. Situated between the Hudson River and the High Line, this amazing piece of architecture, designed by Renzo Piano, offers fantastic views of the neighborhood and the Hudson River. It certainly is a “must see” for all visitors to New York City.

The new building with its enormous space for its art additionally features terraces for outdoor sculptures. These give the view a special beauty which changes with the time of day and the seasons.  

 

 

Open 5th floor gallery

Verbal Description Tours

I am a regular guest at the verbal description tours that the Access Program of the museum offers. Once a month the visually impaired and blind community is invited to join a verbal description tour of either the current exhibition or the permanent collection.

An educator, specially trained in verbal description, explains and describes a selected artwork in great detail and tries to evoke an image in  the group’s mind’s eye. The verbal description lets paintings, sculptures and installations come to life for me. I can perceive and understand artworks much better with the help of verbal imaging.

For me these tours are a true pleasure. I do not miss out on details I would not have been able to see on my own. The description allows me to understand the artwork in question in greater depth, including what the artist meant to communicate.  These tours make my art experience more fulfilling. I simply love them.

During these tours we are being helped by several volunteers. They make sure that every one of our group can access the galleries safely, they provide folding seats, listening devices, wheelchairs, and act as guides to people who need assistance in navigating the premises. On many occasions the educators prepare touch objects, model reproduction of  integral parts of an artwork, even 3D prints. These are a treasure chest for visually impaired and blind people.

 

 

Top: Sculpture by Frank Stella

Bottom: 3D printed touch object for verbal description tours by Frank Stella

 

Entrance

But what happens when I visit the museum on my own, without a sighted person at my side?

From the street you can access the museum either by a ramp or up  some steps to two revolving doors and a door especially for baby strollers and wheelchairs. Enter, and you are in the lobby.

The lobby of the museum is a beautifully designed glass palace allowing for much natural light.

You will find the museum shop to the left of the entrances. The ticket counters are further down, also to the left and the membership desk is on the right.

At the entrance where they check your ticket, and at the coat check (downstairs), there are barriers to mark walkways. These are well designed ropes, but invisible to me. I find myself tangled up in these ropes every time I go there. Fortunately, they are soft and you do not hurt yourself.

I asked for printed material for visually impaired and blind people (VIP) in different places (membership desk, ticket office, audio guide booth), but the staff could not provide any special information or large print material.

I happily accepted the free audio guide and headed towards the elevators. Each elevator is a piece of art in itself and fortunately the buttons for the floors are big and clear enough for me to see. I could find the right floor easily.

Line up ropes in entrance hall

In the Galleries

The galleries are very spacious. For every new exhibition the  location of the inner walls are reset to best display the artworks.  The museum has a versatile concept of moving walls and lighting throughout the building. The galleries are usually well lit (for me) without too much glare. There are sometimes exhibitions that I find too dark for me, but rarely.

The flooring is made of recycled wood and easy to walk on. There are no steps between galleries to have to watch out for.

The doors to the cafe and to some of the restrooms are of transparent glass  and hard to see, you have to be very careful not to bump into them.

Glass is a special feature of the architecture of this building. Glass walls (ceiling to floor) separate the open terraces from the building and offer magnificent views of the neighborhood and the Hudson River. 

 

Painting by Stuart Davis with label on the right side

 

Art Labels, Audio Guide, and Signs

In the galleries the artwork is well displayed, but for me it is VERY hard to find the labels. And if I find them, they are hard to read. The font of the text is too small and especially the number for the audio guide is too small and hard to find.

I had to take a photo of the label with my phone, and read it on its screen with the zoom on, to be able to get any information at all.

The audio guide is a huge problem for me. For each floor there is a list of numbers with the name of the artwork next to it- I had to read it with my magnifying glass to be able to handle it as there is no zoom function on the device.

Imagine: first taking a photo of the label (after you found it) to be able to read the number, and then having to use a magnifier to use the audio guide. It is hard work!

I was told that they are working on an app – I can´t wait for it to be here!!

The signs for the restrooms are overhead, once you know where to look for them, they are easy to read.

The navigation in the museum is simple enough. The floors can be reached by elevators and stairs. A big cheer for the stairs! All staircases have a sturdy handrail and you can walk up and down safely.

Audio guide display

 

Last, but Not Least

A visit to the Whitney is a great experience, even when you go there on your own as a visually impaired person (VIP). In general it is easy to navigate, only the Audio Guide may represent an obstacle.

Please don´t miss the Studio Cafe on the 8th floor - delicious food and great views from the terrace. The restaurant “Untitled” on the lobby level offers contemporary American food in a beautifully designed setting.

 

Painting by Wayne Tiebaud and label

Tip

Before you actually visit the museum go to the Whitney website to check out current exhibitions, hours and schedule changes.

Make sure you allow enough time to explore this spacious museum.