SEATTLE — On the third floor of King Street Station, home of The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), there's an exhibition that actually encourages visitors to touch the art.
It's called "Please Touch: Breaking Barriers Together," making it okay to put your hands on statues, fabrics and even paintings.
"When we put this exhibition together we wanted to be as inclusive as we could," said curator Barbara Oswald, a legally-blind artist who also advocates for disability rights. "We wanted to make sure not only was the art was beautiful but the art was also tactile."
Sandra Pressley, who is also legally blind, has a mixed media piece on display, featuring a woman with children on a beach. She calls it "The Survivors."
"I just wanted to get the message across that we are resilient as humans," Pressley said.
Though the art is beautiful to the eyes, the exhibition offers another way to appreciate it.
Blindfolded.
Oswald guided our reporter from piece to piece, leading his hand to each work of art.
One by an artist who calls herself Patti O is called "Covid Kid." Blindfolded, it felt rough, almost like it was made out of diamonds. It was actually made of rhinestones.
"We don't pay enough attention to our hands and what we go through touching," Oswald said. "For most people, their vision overrides any other of their senses. But when you have the opportunity to wear a sleep shade, you can get a totally different sense of the art than when you just look at it."
Here there is more than one way to appreciate the so-called visual arts, and to appreciate what our visually impaired artists are capable of creating. It's all through the magic of touching.
"Come, touch the art," Oswald said. "Everyone. Enjoy it. Experience it."
"Please Touch: Breaking Barriers Together" is free and runs through January 5, 2025 on the third floor of King Street Station.
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