The fifth of the Tactile Art workshop series in partnership with Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Denver was a great success with 15 registered participants. It was wonderful to meet teens from diverse backgrounds and form creative connections. I’d like to thank Alyssa Lubow, Manager of Youth Programming at MCA, for organizing this workshop, making it free for all participants and mailing all the workshop materials to the participants prior to the event. I am also thankful for Valerie Alcaraz for sharing her talent with us as a guest artist.

March 18 Workshop: Creating Clay Pinch / Coil and Whistle Pots

Guest Artist: Valerie Alcaraz
Collaborating Artist: Rishika Kartik

This session allowed participants to create their own unique pinch, coil or whistle pots. Valerie covered the basic techniques pinch or coil pots. Students were taken on a bit of a sound journey and learned how to make their pots into an earthy flute-like sounding whistle with a few extra steps. Participants explored form and texture, utilizing stamps and other clay tools. No prior experience was necessary to participate in this workshop.

MCA sent the registered students materials for the workshop that included: 

• Clay

• Newspaper or fabric to put the clay on

• Stamps and texture tools

• Plastic or metal knife for cutting the clay

• Small sponge

Thank you so much Valerie for such a memorable workshop! We had a great time forming a community, exchanging perspectives, and honing our pot making skills! Here are a few pictures from the workshop:

About the Tactile Art Workshop series:

This interactive, virtual workshop series serves as an engaging creative outlet for teens who are blind and visually impaired or interested in accessible tactile art. Each session will focus on utilizing three-dimensional media to create artwork that explores spatial relationships, texture and form. As participants explore the materials and creative process, they will hear from an inspiring artist who is blind to learn about their story and artistic practice. The first two sessions took place October of 2020 and four more workshops in March of 2021.


Artist Bio: Valerie Alcaraz

Valerie enjoys spending time with her guide dog Gravity, singing, swimming and interacting with birds for fun, but her dream job would be to either be a full-time artist or art instructor. Valerie has been totally blind since birth. She used to play with modeling clay as a child. As the years passed and she started her college classes, she realized that she’d like to study art and make it her career path. Her focus was ceramics, but she also studied art history, drawing and 2d design, wood working, sculpture and painting.

Valerie graduated with an AA degree in art from Fullerton College and was the first blind major at that school. There were some challenges and roadblocks throughout her studies, but she was fortunate to have many supportive teachers and a Disability support center with good resources at their disposal. She loves working with children and adults. Valerie did an internship in China where she worked with blind orphans and other families whose children happen to be blind, teaching them English and a few art lessons along the way. In that same year, she also worked at our own center (CCB) during the summer program, teaching assistive technology which is another major interest of hers.

One of her art goals is to find a way for totally blind students to create digital art. Since the pandemic began, she has had a lot more time to focus on learning more ways to create art, and has found that very enjoyable. She participated in a workshop that taught blind folks how to create their own 3d printed designs, from coding them to giving details about different types of printers and materials. Valerie is currently taking art classes at the Braille Institute, She has also joined a virtual choir for the blind called Sing for Serenity.

About Touch & Create Studio:

Touch and Create Studio (TCS) was founded by artist Rishika Kartik with the mission to provide opportunities and outlets to the Blind and Visually Impaired Community to experience and create accessible art and develop Tactile Arts curriculum to be incorporated into regular schooling as an integral part of holistic education for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Tags:
#tactilceart, #Artfortheblind, #touchart, #visuallyimpaired, #blindartist,, #accessibleart, #artforall, #sensoryart, #BlindandVI, #accessibility, #inclusion, #artmuseums, #artforeveryone, #accessiblemuseum
Art for the visually impaired, Art for the Blind