Touch Gallery and Collection, 1967-2003

Between 1967 and 1974, the Brooklyn Museum explored creating a space in the Museum for a Touch gallery. It would have been a space for all vistors, but specifically visual impaired visitors to have a space to touch artworks and examples of materials used to create artwork like bronze, or wool. It ultimately never came to fruition, but inspired the Museum to create a Touch collection for the Education department to use in tours and other activities. In December of 2002, the Education department established a new Touch Collection. The collection offers blind or visually impaired individuals opportunities to experience art through touch. The collection contained artworks (both deaccessioned works and purchased works) and raw materials (bronze, canvas, etc.). This Touch Collection was much more focused to only 50-75 objects.