Bocaleye and Vancouver Art Gallery Give Art a New Feel

Trained by Vocaleye Descriptive Arts Society, art educators at the Vancouver Art Gallery have taken the lead on an initiative that provides described tours for people with vision loss.

When I attended BC Access Awareness Day in June 2018, this venture was in its infancy. Patrons with vision loss were guided through a collection of paintings by Emily Carr. The art educators used technical details and poetic language to convey the magnificence and depth of each painting. We were all awed by the talent of Emily Carr.

It was only when my boyfriend, Shawn, pointed out that I possessed the art theory and literary knowledge to interpret what we had been told that I realized the challenge of describing art to a person with vision loss. For example, how can painted leaves look like velvet or satin? How does an artist show distance and perspective?

As we attended more described tours at the art gallery, I noted that the art educators implemented the use of tactile props to give patrons with vision loss an idea of the textures and patterns that would be discussed. And I saw that Shawn gained more from the exhibits because of this.

During the described tour on September 7, 2019, titled "ALBERTO GIACOMETTI: A LINE THROUGH TIME", our art educator, Marie-France, made a concerted effort to describe each sculpture and drawing to us using everyday terms of reference. "A woman sits with hands clasped in her lap, feet together. She might be wearing a skirt because there is a curve around her legs but her chest is bare and you can see her breasts." Marie France even went the extra mile and created a clay replica of one of the sculptures on display. Each patron was able to hold it in their hands, feel the tiny proportions and the detailed features of the nude female body. To demonstrate how the artist created sculptures from wire, Marie France created a replica out of pipe cleaners.

Needless to say, Shawn and I are impressed by the initiative and creativity of the art educators at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The partnership between Vocaleye and the Vancouver Art Gallery has turned a primarily visual form of entertainment into an accessible and enjoyable experience for people with vision loss.