Expanding Access: Tactile & Braille Features in the NYSM Exhibit, Mary Banning's Mushrooms

Please Touch the Artwork! 

The New York State Museum is moving in a new direction, working to create exhibitions for all New Yorkers and visitors by introducing accessible, interactive, and multi-sensory experiences for everyone! Outcasts: Mary Banning's World of Mushrooms  brings the tactile experience of 3D reproductions of Mary Banning's scientific descriptions and whimsical watercolor illustrations to life. 

NYSM educators, scientists, and exhibition staff worked together with the NYS Library and Talking Book & Braille staff to create a tactile experience for visitors who have low vision or are blind. Four illustrations are on exhibit featuring alt text descriptions in Braille, and each of Banning's 28 watercolors has an accompanying QR code to transcribe Banning’s elegant script into accessible text describing her detailed scientific discoveries.