As a Research Assistant and 3D Designer for the BMA’s Interpretation Department, I designed, fabricated and evaluated a portable touch kit prototype with custom 3D models, interpretation tools, and educational materials specific to the BMA’s collection. As part of the process, I engaged with a wide range of age groups and diverse perspectives and interpretation needs to gather feedback, conduct accessibility consultations and better serve museum visitors.

Design: I sketched the design for the touch kit and compartments, then modeled them in Rhino 3D.

Fabrication: I created the containers of my 3D models using Prusa and 3D printers, the inserts using a laser cutter, the woven strap using a loom, and the compartment components using a combination of woodworking, painting, fibers, and laser etching techniques.

Evaluation: Participants filled out surveys before and after using the touch kit and shared feedback with me throughout the experience using the touch kit, which I annotated and incorporated into the preliminary findings. Participants were compensated for their time.

Please email me at atallahhannah@gmail.com to request a pdf version of my report of the preliminary findings.

Interpretation as a field aims to make art more accessible. But what does this mean and for whom?

How can we better serve people who experience blindness and low-vision? How can we make places like a museum feel more welcoming, antiracist, and decolonized? How can we collaborate on figuring out how meanings come into being, who gets to shape them and under what conditions?

This project was made possible thanks to the Education and Interpretation teams at the Baltimore Museum of Art.