Join us for a celebration of ArtAccess programs and exhibition opening for work produced in Open Studios and Family programs during the 2016-2017 year!

ArtAccess is a unique program of the Queens Museum designed specifically for visitors with diverse abilities, grounded in community-based art therapy. Since its pilot in 1983 as Please Touch, to provide art education for people with visual impairments, ArtAccess has grown into a nationally replicated model designed to allow audiences of all abilities to enjoy a personal connection to art and cultural institutions. Each year, the Museum’s ArtAccess program provides unique on- and off-site programming for over 5,500 children and adults with varying physical, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, development, visual, and hearing abilities in the New York City area.

ArtAccess Open Studio for Young Adults with Autism brings young people ages 17-25 to the museum to work on projects of their choosing. With mentors, participants explore new techniques and media for expression. In Open Studio, young adults reflect on their own experiences through art and expand the subject matter and medium of their practice.

Our two Open Studios for adults of diverse abilities allow artists the chance to work in whatever material they choose to create artwork based on their interests and inspirations. Working in an open and flexible studio environment, participants make art in their own way. Artists and facilitators provide technical suggestions and encourage self-expression. This year, artists have focused on a diverse array of subjects and themes, including personal memories, understanding oneself through art, portraiture, landscape, and repetition.

ArtAccess programs at the Queens Museum are made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc., The Barker Welfare Foundation, and Astoria Bank. Additional support is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.