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Making Urban Art Accessible: Current Art Access Techniques, Design Considerations, and the Role of AI

Lucy Jiang, Jon E. Froehlich, Leah Findlater

TL;DR

This workshop paper first draws on art literature to help define the space of public art, identify key differences with curated art shown in museums or galleries, and enumerate how existing art accessibility techniques may (or may not) transfer to urban art spaces.

Abstract

Public artwork, from vibrant wall murals to captivating sculptures, can enhance the aesthetic of urban spaces, foster a sense of community and cultural identity, and help attract visitors. Despite its benefits, most public art is visual, making it often inaccessible to blind and low vision (BLV) people. In this workshop paper, we first draw on art literature to help define the space of public art, identify key differences with curated art shown in museums or galleries, and discuss implications for accessibility. We then enumerate how existing art accessibility techniques may (or may not) transfer to urban art spaces. We close by presenting future research directions and reflecting on the growing role of AI in making art accessible.

Making Urban Art Accessible: Current Art Access Techniques, Design Considerations, and the Role of AI

TL;DR

This workshop paper first draws on art literature to help define the space of public art, identify key differences with curated art shown in museums or galleries, and enumerate how existing art accessibility techniques may (or may not) transfer to urban art spaces.

Abstract

Public artwork, from vibrant wall murals to captivating sculptures, can enhance the aesthetic of urban spaces, foster a sense of community and cultural identity, and help attract visitors. Despite its benefits, most public art is visual, making it often inaccessible to blind and low vision (BLV) people. In this workshop paper, we first draw on art literature to help define the space of public art, identify key differences with curated art shown in museums or galleries, and discuss implications for accessibility. We then enumerate how existing art accessibility techniques may (or may not) transfer to urban art spaces. We close by presenting future research directions and reflecting on the growing role of AI in making art accessible.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 6 sections, 3 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Defining the Space of Urban Art and Accessibility
  3. Art Accessibility Techniques
  4. Existing Techniques
  5. Transferability of Existing Techniques and Design Considerations
  6. Conclusion

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: One of many Lost Cat graffiti tags in Ithaca, New York. The artist remained anonymous until his passing.
  • Figure 2: A bench in the Benches of Bird Rock series, which is covered in a variety of colorful ceramic tiles, stones, and marbles in San Diego, California. The mosaics were created by Jane Wheeler.
  • Figure 3: A life-sized sculpture titled Child of Ithaca of a young woman sitting at a bistro-style table in Ithaca, New York. The sculpture was created by Roberto G. Bertoia.