Youth Art Team unveiled a new piece for the public in June 2023 when visitors were invited to experience the artwork one at a time. There was one catch: they couldn’t see the art.
“People will come in and use senses other than sight,” said Za’Marion Epps, a 15-year-old artist who worked on the project. “Instead of looking and seeing, they’ll feel it. We’re giving people something they don’t get to experience very often.” Visitors not only got to touch the art, they could smell it and even hear it.
The Imagination Coalition, Youth Art Team’s 10 oldest artists, reviewed project proposals and decided to pick up this project over a year ago, after Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (IESBVI) approached the team about a possible collaboration.
“I would say it was different from any other project we’ve done,” said 16-year-old Araceli Lopez. ”I hope a lot of people in the community come, because it will be a fun experience and it will be something new.”
Youth Art Team artists between the ages of 6 and 17 first immersed themselves in learning. IESBVI provided vision simulator kits to help them understand that there are a variety of ways a person’s eyesight can be impaired. Volunteers with low vision and no vision shared everyday tools they use and about their experiences with art.
The team visited a local gallery to imagine what the experience would be like for a person with impaired vision – how can a person engage with the artwork if they can’t see it? The young artists also interviewed John Bramblitt, a painter based in Texas, who began painting after losing his vision and now advises museums and nonprofit organizations on accessibility and inclusivity. Jill Wells, a Des Moines-based artist whose work was underway for a show at Hawkeye Art Gallery, also spoke about her visual art practice and pathways to accessibility in the arts. Wells shared openly about how communication with her brother changed after he suffered trauma and lost his sight.
Young artists tried a variety of new art-making methods that could be practiced with low or no vision in order to invite their blind and visually impaired peers to participate with them. By wearing the vision simulation goggles while creating artwork of their own, each Youth Art Team artist personally experienced the challenges of engaging with art with limited or no sight. This led them to create an art installation that was designed to be fully experienced with no vision.
Youth Art Team artists also shared some art activities that were enjoyed by people with any level of vision. Visitors across the spectrum engaged with the installation – from fully blind to fully sighted. The team hopes that guests felt “curious,” “cozy,” and “at home” when they engaged with their work. While the installation was meant for individuals to experience one at a time, its overall message conveys a broader togetherness by underscoring the universality of creativity and art.
The project was funded in part by The Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional funding was provided by individual donors and local foundations.
About Youth Art Team
Youth Art Team brings together artists ages 5-18 from diverse life situations to complete exceptional works of art through a process that values student voices in decision making. As a local nonprofit, Youth Art Team relies on individual donations. To support this community work, visit youthartteam.com/donate.
