Now partnering with The Lighthouse of Houston to bring student and adult art program
CREATING WITH BLIND ABANDON
Free accessible art program for those who are blind or have low vision
ALL CALL FOR TACTILE ARTISTS
From "Art in the Dark" to "Hands to See Gallery"
Artist Call - NEW DUE DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS: MAY 30, 2025
Art in the Dark
Houston,Texas
Now is the time for you to expand your artistic talents to a new direction! The general rule for art culture is “Hands Off!” However, this prohibits those who use their hands as their eyes from experiencing this segment of human creativity. We are proposing a new idea! We are holding an open call for artists to create new “touchable” artistic experiences for the visually impaired community. Imagine hundreds of people having access to your work and experiencing the joy of someone who has never experienced Art, to fall in love with your piece.
How to Submit Work.
All submissions due by May 30, 2025
Contact curators: Linda Brown and Katherine Trimm with photos of art media you’d like to submit. Email: creatingwithblindabandon@gmail.com
Application Submission Requirements
Email a written proposal, picture/drawing of your idea for the show to include size, materials, and price, and a detailed description of your piece.
You may choose to sell your artwork during the art exhibit. If your piece is sold, please be aware that the piece must remain on display throughout the Art in the Dark exhibit dates.
Since the exhibit will take place in “Hands to See Gallery” at The Lighthouse of Houston, you may also choose to leave your artwork on display after the exhibit is complete, as the new “Hands to See Gallery” will have its Grand Opening the following week. Any sale of your artwork left on display in the “Hands to See Gallery” after the Art in the Dark exhibit, will be handled directly between you and the buyer, as The Lighthouse of Houston will not be able to accept funds for you. If a participant expresses a desire to purchase your art piece, they will be given your contact information to coordinate with you for the purchase. We ask that your art piece remains on exhibit for at least 30 days prior to the buyer taking possession of the item.
Everything in our show can and WILL BE TOUCHED.
Please keep in mind when submitting work, it must be finished, dried, and ready to hang when dropped off. No Excuses or it will not be accepted.
Rules of thumb and good ideas to keep in mind…
Everything Will Be Touched.
- Create tactile art in accessible formats for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
- Can you make out what your piece is with your eyes closed? Bring in somebody blindfolded to test out your piece.
- Pieces with more interesting and varying tactile elements provide for a more interesting tactual exploration.
- Consider including a multi-sensory experience in your piece. Remember that visual impairments do not always mean totally blind. You may consider including lights, bright colors, high contrast between various elements of the art, sounds, and smells. Please be aware that strobe lights and flashing lights may cause seizures for some individuals.
- Sculptures should be touch-friendly, without sharp edges, sharp points, and securely displayed considering safety and fall potential when touched.
- Interactive art pieces are good for audience engagement.
- Keep in mind your audience. If you lost your vision, what might you create as an artist?
- If your artwork will not be hung, please provide your art display stands. Please keep in mind that things should be made to be low to accommodate wheelchairs (as per ADA Standards)
The Guidelines- Will Not Be Accepted
- No nails, barbed wire, sharp objects, or rusted pieces
- Nothing sexual or vulgar (we have lots of Children come through the show)
- Nothing sticky or wet unless you have spoken to us first
- Size is a factor, so consult before going forward (no forklift)
- Nothing that can easily fall or has protruding legs. Bigger is not always better, and neither is anything too small. Anything too big or too small is difficult for those with visual impairments to discern.
DATES & TIMES & LOCATION
"Art in the Dark"
Show: Saturday,10am-6pm, June 14, 2025
Show Intake 3 days: June 11, Wed 10am-6pm; June 12 Thurs 11am-5pm &
June 13 Fri 10am-1pm
Location: 3602 W Dallas, Houston, Tx 77019 @Lighthouse of Houston
Additional exhibit: "Hand to See Gallery"
June 20-21, Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 9am-noon.
Media Categories
2-D & 3-D Mixed Media Ceramics Textiles Glass
Woodworking Sculpture Jewelry
** 3D Printing Wall Art for Art Accessibility. Replicas of six different famous works.
Application submission Requirements
Application deadlines: May 30, 2025
WHAT ARE WE UP TO?
Creating With Blind Abandon
Creating With Blind Abandon
Creating With Blind Abandon
This is a free and accessible art program that we started in 2017 to provide visually impaired students with the opportunity to create tactile art projects. In the Fall of 2023, we partnered with the Lighthouse of Houston to open the program to the entire visually impaired community of all ages! We meet once a month on a Saturday from 1-3 PM at The Lighthouse of Houston, 3602 W Dallas St, Houston, TX 77019
Art in the Dark
Creating With Blind Abandon
Creating With Blind Abandon
We received a grant from The Idea Fund to produce a tactile art exhibit to bring community awareness of the need for touchable art experiences for those who are blind/visually impaired and those with other sensory needs. We had planned to host this show in October to accentuate Blindness Awareness Month; however, we have had difficulty securing a location to host the show. We have now decided that it will be best to make the tentative date for February, 2025. This will allow more time for the artists to create touchable art for the exhibit. There will be an “all-call” for artists coming soon. This show will not be created by the participants in Creating With Blind Abandon, although some may choose to create their own art to put in the show. We will seek artists in the community, both visually impaired and sighted, to create art “touchable” art for this exhibit. More information regarding this project will be coming soon!
Hands to See Galery
Creating With Blind Abandon
Hands to See Galery
GRAND OPENING JUNE 21, 2025
This has been a dream in the making for the past 7 years! We are very excited to announce our partnership with The Lighthouse of Houston to house Houston’s first completely touchable and multi-sensory art gallery that will be accessible to all, the Hands to See Gallery! We are thrilled beyond belief to provide this opportunity for our visually impaired community! Although the gallery is created specifically with the VI community in mind, it will be open to the community to experience! We plan to have an educational piece to help others understand the varying levels of blindness due to a multitude of visual impairments. This will enhance the gallery experience in providing greater understanding of the various needs of those with differing visual impairments. We plan to include areas of multi-sensory experiences and some fun activities to participate in under blindfold! Of course, the art will include 3-d paintings, sculptures, and many touchable art pieces! More information will be coming soon!
Bring Your Vibe to Our Tribe!
About Us
Our Artists
Our program is open to any artist, whether students or adult, with a visual impairment, including blindness or low vision that cannot be corrected with glasses, who would like to express himself/herself creatively! We would love to see this program reach students and adults throughout the Houston and surrounding areas!
Our Goal
UPDATE!!!
OUR GOAL IS FINALLY BEING ACHIEVED!!
IT WILL BE CALLED
THE HANDS TO SEE GALLERY
We continue on our never-ending quest for accessible art venues for our art enthusiasts. Unfortunately, in the vast cultural city of Houston, tactile art exhibits cannot be found! We will continue participating in as many events as we can find, so that everyone will see that even the visually impaired love to experience art! So far, we have been featured on ABC Channel 13 for our participation in the Houston Art Car Parade, participated in the Houston White Cane Day celebration, participated in the HAVIN Expo, and have been featured in TSBVI TX Sensbilites newsletters in both the Summer 2018 and Summer 2019 editions. Who knows! Maybe one day we will open our own tactile museum! We dare to dream!
How We Began
My name is Katherine Trimm, and I am a Teacher of Students With Visual Impairments (CTVI). Over the years, I have had so many students who love art, but do not usually have the opportunity to express themselves creatively! Linda Brown, a Braillist, and I decided that it was time for a change! Together we researched artistic opportunities for our students to no avail! We resolved that our students could become the tactile artists that we could not find! With the help of some wonderful people, we saw our vision come alive!
Help Our Cause
Your support and contributions will enable us to continue our program, as it is free to all of the participants. Your generous donation is greatly appreciated.
