Experience Art Through Touch: An Exhibition That Engages All Senses

Art Beyond Sight: USC Students Launch Inclusive Exhibition

Art can resonate in ways beyond mere sight, a principle embraced by What Hands See, a student organization founded by University of Southern California seniors Chelina Kim and Cheyenne Kim. In partnership with the Braille Institute, the group held its inaugural art exhibition at E2ART Gallery in Los Angeles on December 20-21.

What Hands See seeks to bridge the gap between art and accessibility for blind and low vision artists, providing multisensory experiences that challenge conventional gallery norms. Since its official launch in August, the founders have rapidly expanded the initiative, focusing on inclusion and accessibility.

“I feel like most galleries assume vision is a default to experience art, because art is a very visual-centered thing,” said Chelina. “That’s very different for blind and low vision artists. We want to expose that experience to the general public, who may not understand where they come from. So accessibility is a really big thing for our exhibition.”

Both Korean American pre-med seniors at USC, Chelina and Cheyenne have been friends since middle school. Their bond grew stronger after they decided to room together in college, leading to discussions that sparked the creation of What Hands See. Cheyenne’s background as an art major fuels her passion for the project, while personal experiences with her low-vision grandfather significantly influenced its mission.

“I would have a lot of art pieces and art exhibitions, but my grandpa had very low vision,” Cheyenne recalled. “He would always make me explain the art pieces, like he would want to feel it while we were at the exhibition.”

The exhibition showcased artwork from approximately ten artists affiliated with the Braille Institute, an organization dedicated to serving the blind and low vision communities since 1933. The institute offers a variety of free classes, including sensory awareness, adaptive cooking, printmaking, ceramics, braille reading and writing, yoga, and dance.

In November, Chelina and Cheyenne visited the institute to connect with participating artists and learn about their creative processes. “There’s only so much we can do and assume,” Chelina noted. “We had the privilege of interviewing each artist and really exposing ourselves to their experiences, because we wanted it to be centered around them.”

Attendees at the exhibition were encouraged to engage with art in ways beyond sight. The gallery featured tactile artworks, braille descriptions, and volunteers to assist visitors throughout the event.

Following the conclusion of the exhibition, Chelina and Cheyenne plan to release a digital archive that includes the artwork and descriptions from the gallery. To fund their project, the duo organized fundraisers and launched a GoFundMe campaign. Balancing their responsibilities as full-time students has posed challenges, but they remain hopeful about hosting future exhibitions.

“I’m just hoping that out of this, everybody doesn’t see accessibility as an accommodation but as a creative opportunity,” Chelina said. “People should get to enjoy and explore different fields just the same as we do, just in a different form and in a different way, but it should be celebrated the same way.”