Art For Everyone

Making Art Accessible

Nassau County Museum of Art holds programs for people with disabilities

By Mike Adams

The Nassau County Museum of Art (NCMA) makes its home on the grounds of the former Clayton Estate. Its gallery lies within the palatial Gold Coast mansion at the heart of the property. On its walls sit pieces from titans of human creativity: Breugels and Warhols, Rockwells and Chagalls. This most recent exhibition, “The Seasons,” features works that bring patrons on the transformative journey from Winter to Spring to Summer to Fall as they traverse the rooms of the mansion.

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‘‘ Ava really enjoys art, so to have access to this little gem before the public gets here is a really great treat for us. I want to open a world to her that most kids don’t get to experience .

’’ —Julie Corzo

The group studies a Janet Fish painting in the “Summer” section of the exhibit. (Photo by Mike Adams)

Most mornings, the museum, which opens at 11 a.m., is almost completely silent. But every now and then a Saturday comes when the old building springs to life a bit earlier than usual to support a good cause.

One chilly Saturday morning in early February, NCMA Education Director Laura Lynch and art therapist Mollie Bassett led Gavin Bluni, Ava Corzo and their parents through one of their first runs of the NCMA’s new Early Morning Access program, which offers young people with autism the chance to experience the artwork it has to offer.

“The mission of the museum is to make this a place for everyone, of all ages and abilities,” Lynch says. “There are times when people don’t feel like they belong in a museum, where they’re concerned their child might not be appropriate. So we open before it’s open to the public so everybody can feel completely relaxed and that we value them so much that we will open early to make this a special day for them.”

Art patronage isn’t always high on the list of things people prioritize for those with intellectual disabilities, but it’s the sort of activity that can go a long way toward helping people develop identities and relationships beyond whatever disabilities they have.

“Looking at artwork in a group setting with your family is an opportunity to come together and see each other beyond your disability,” Lynch says. “It’s not just a focus on your autism. It’s about being people and artists in this beautiful place having wonderful conversations.

Gavin and Ava are veterans of the weekday craft programs the museum runs at the cartoon graffiti-clad Manes Center just down the road from the mansion, but it’s not always easy to take in the artwork at the main building during normal operating hours. The bustle and the noise of the NCMA at midday can be a lot to process for people on the spectrum, so having a quiet, controlled environment makes a big difference. Even before people come to the museum, they can view a sensory map on the NCMA’s website to give them a better sense of what to expect from a visit.

“Ava really enjoys art, so to have access to this little gem before the public gets here is a really great treat for us,” Ava’s mother, Julie Corzo, says.

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“I want to open a world to her that most kids don’t get to experience. We try to get to each show they present.”

Ava herself agreed, and says she enjoys that the museum isn’t so crowded in the mornings.

Far from a simple visual exercise, Bassett’s tour makes use of textured palettes, audio recordings and bottled scents, engaging patrons with the full range of the sensual spectrum. Well...almost the full range of the spectrum. You can’t eat the artwork.

Simple as it sounds, drawing a reinterpretation of a pie sculpture or using pipe cleaners to twist together a replica of an Andy Warhol butterfly print can help speech-shy kids on the spectrum interpret the artwork. Combined with a few wellplaced questions, that sort of hands-on exercise gives them the opportunity to communicate how they feel about complex subjects like artwork.

“Sometimes it’s hard for anybody to communi- cate feelings through words, so it’s a great outlet to allow them to express themselves through artmaking,” Bassett says.

It’s not uncommon for kids on the spectrum to be treated like they’re immature, and Lynch and company take pains to make sure they treat all their patrons as equals, neurotypical or otherwise. “These are teens and young adults, we have to be careful not to infantilize them,” Lynch says. “You can encourage them to think about art history and artistic processes, and they can also learn about art vocabulary.”

The next rounds of the Early Morning Access Program are set for March 21, April 18 and May 9. Anybody interested in learning more about the program or registering can email Lynch at llynch@nassaumuseum.org.

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