NEW YORK, NY.- Reopened to the public as of October 3, the
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum now offers Minds Eye: A Sensory Guide to the Guggenheim New York, a new audio experience designed for blind and low-vision communities, and illuminating for all. Narrated by a diverse cast of quintessential New York voices, including both regular and renowned city dwellersamong them actors Bobby Cannavale and Maggie Gyllenhaal and Bishop Chantel R. Wrightthe Minds Eye guide transports listeners to New York City, bringing them from bustling Fifth Avenue into the uplifting space within the museum. Each of the ten tracks describes one sensory aspect of the spacesuch as sound, touch, and lightcreating a rich aural and physical experience: a new and quietly revolutionary way to explore the Guggenheim. The Minds Eye guide is free of charge and available through the Guggenheim Digital Guide on the Bloomberg Connects app; on podcasting platforms, including SoundCloud and iTunes; and through guggenheim.org.
During the production process, iterations of the guide were reviewed by participants in the Guggenheims Minds Eye program, which provides tours and workshops for visitors who are blind or have low vision, conducted by arts and education professionals through verbal description, conversation, sensory experiences, and creative practice.
Tracks and voices featured in the Minds Eye audio guide:
Approach Marilee Talkington, actor (Law & Order: SVU, See) and activist and advocate for performers with disabilities
Threshold Bishop Chantel R. Wright, choir director and founder of Pneuma Ministries International
Sound Jeremy Pope, actor (Aint Too Proud, Hollywood)
Incline BD Wong, actor (Law & Order: SVU, Jurassic World)
Suspension Maggie Gyllenhaal, actor (Secretary, The Deuce)
Light Karen Bergman; a staff member in the Guggenheims Education Department, who also wrote the guides scripts
Scale Bobby Cannavale, actor (I, Tonya, The Irishman)
Touch Maggie Gyllenhaal
Flow Azuri Jenkins; yoga instructor and full spectrum doula
Continuity Jeremy Pope
The Minds Eye guide was collaboratively conceived and developed by a cross-departmental team at the Guggenheim along with San Franciscobased creative agency Sound Made Public. The scripts were written by Karen Bergman, Access Programs Associate, with input from Ashley Mendelsohn, former Assistant Curator, Architecture and Digital Initiatives, and members of the Digital Media and Digital Experience departments: Laura Kleger, Senior Director, Digital; Caitlin Dover, Associate Director, Digital Media; Miriam Weiner, Associate Director, Digital Experience; and Clara Boesch, Manager, Digital Experience.
In addition to the new Minds Eye sensory guide, a range of digital programming including virtual talks, architectural and gallery tours, art classes for adults and families, and free teaching materials continue to be presented on the Guggenheims website through Guggenheim at Large to extend access and offer experiences for audiences in any location.