Making Art Accessible: A Multisensory Visit to the San Antonio Museum of Art

A Tang dynasty horse became more than an artwork behind glass for members of the Vibrant Works Orientation & Mobility Peer Group during a visit to the San Antonio Museum of Art.

As museum docents shared the sculpture’s history, participants traced the form of a smaller replica, felt silk fabric and smelled a tea brick. These sensory details brought the artwork and its cultural context to life.

“Being able to feel it and, at times, smell things like the tea brick transported us back to that time,” participant Rosalinda shared.

The group also explored a replica of the Japanese “Haniwa Figure of a Man” and a tactile representation of a Medicine Buddha sand mandala while learning about the history and significance of each work.

Through touch, scent and detailed verbal descriptions, participants with vision loss engaged more directly with art that is often experienced primarily through sight.

Vibrant Works thanks the San Antonio Museum of Art and its docents for creating an accessible, multisensory experience that helped participants connect with art and history in new ways.

Members of Vibrant Works' O&M Peer Group are standing around a museum docent as she describes the healing mandala in front of them.
A woman is holding a replica of the Haniwa figure that is being described.
An older woman is sitting on a stool and holding a brick of dried tea. The docents handed out tactile items while describing the corresponding art pieces.
Orientation & Mobility specialist, Nettie is guiding a member of the O&M peer group as they make their way to the entrance of the San Antonio Museum or Art.
A older woman is feeling a tactile representation of a Greek vase as the docent describes the story that is carved into it.
Orientation & Mobility specialist, Nettie is guiding a member of the O&M peer group as they make their way to the entrance of the San Antonio Museum or Art.
An older women wearing Meta glasses is holding a tactile representation of a Greek Vase as the docent and her Meta glasses describe the item in detail.
A museum docent is describing the healing mandala while a participant uses the zoom on her phone camera to see the item better.
The museum docent is explaining a vibrant healing mandala as members of the O&M Peer Group listen.
A member of the O&M Peer Group is feeling a Haniwa figure. The figure is a tactile representation of a Haniwa that is on display.
A woman is holding a wooden camel figure that represents some of the methods people used to transport goods along the Silk Road.
Independent Living Skills trainer, Beckie and her guide dog Chumley, stand with a woman to take a closer look at the horse sculptures in front of them.
An older woman is holding a small cardboard square with tactile puff paint on it. This square is a tactile representation of the healing mandala that is in front of her, the lines on the paper represent the sun rays that are radiating out of the mandala.
Angela, a volunteer with Vibrant Works stands next to an older woman as the woman feels a replica of the horse statue that is being described.
Rosalinda stands near a glass case containing small Egyptian figures to get a closer look at the items.
The O&M Peer Group stands around a Greek Vase as the museum docent shares information about the vase, it's carvings and history. The docent also hands out tactile representations of the vase.
Rosalinda hands an ornate blue and yellow silk scarf to the woman next to her.
Rosalinda, a member of the O&M Peer Group holds an ornate blue and yellow silk scarf. This scarf is representative of the goods that were traded and sold along the Silk Road.
The O&M Peer Group and a museum docent stand around a horse sculpture that has runny green and yellow glaze on it's saddle. The docent shares information about the piece.

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