Visually Impaired Interns Help Others Appreciate Art at Florida Museum

Art Education for the Blind (AEB) had been working for some time to develop guidelines for employment of people with vision loss in the arts when they consulted with Hope McMath at the Cummer Museum of Art in Jacksonville, Florida. To their pleasant surprise they learned that the museum already had a part-time employee who is visually impaired and was recruiting high school and college interns with visual impairments for the summer. They stayed in close touch with the museum following the internships of the students and at the end of the summer interviewed the interns and the people who worked closely with them. Although the interviews took place at summer's end, the relationship the two students started with the arts and museum community continues today. In fact, this fall both of them were accepted by Art Education for the Blind to become mentors in the arts to their peers and other young people who are contemplating careers in the arts.

Meet Emily Michael and Gina Bunting. Emily started working at the Cummer Museum as a summer intern in 2003 and has continued to work there every summer. During the year she also performs regularly as a musician at the museum. Gina also began her career as an intern at Cummer in 2003. She is an avid art lover and enthusiastic about teaching young children.

AEB to each intern: Could you please introduce yourself? Please mention your education, your interest and exposure to the arts, visual impairment, and your future career plans.

Emily: Kindergarten through eighth grade I attended San Jose Catholic School. In ninth grade I started Bishop Kenny High School where I'm in the Bishop Kenny chorus and perform concerts for the school and public. My interests are singing, drawing, writing and editing, acting and sewing.

Among other things, my exposure to the arts includes three musicals I performed in while at San Jose. One was Fiddler on the Roof in which I played Yente the matchmaker. The other two are Once on this Island, and Music Man. I've also been a volunteer at Camp Cummer.

My career goals blend being a famous novelist, editing, and translating Spanish and Japanese. My visual impairment is due to Leber's Syndrome (hereditary optic neuropathy).

Gina: I attended Fishweir Elementary and Florida School for the Deaf and Blind (FSDB), but was mainstreamed into St. Augustine High School. I just received my BA from Flagler College in St. Augustine in Elementary Education, and will attend Florida State University this fall to receive my MA and certification to teach students with visual impairments.

Until my work with Cummer, my exposure to art was limited. I really like art! Unfortunately, though, I only had one class in high school and that was drawing and painting.

Bilateral microphthalmia (Colobomus) is the cause of my vision loss. My career plans are to teach elementary school at FSDB.

AEB: What did you learn through your internship at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens?

Emily: A lot! I learned how monoprints were made, about painting, printmaking techniques and complementary colors. I also learned that I like to work with children. I LOVE the Cummer!

Gina: I learned different techniques for art making such as using new mediums like ink and relief printing, one of the earliest printing processes. My internship at the Cummer reinforced my aspiration to teach, but after working with 25-50 kids at a time it also reinforced my desire to have a small class.

AEB: What kind of obstacles, practical and unconscious, will young people such as yourselves encounter when starting an internship at an institution that has never before had interns who are blind or visually impaired?

Emily: Lighting issues, orientation issues, realizing the need to inform everyone (staff) ahead of time of one's disability is a good idea. Get oriented to the space you will be working in before the first day of work. The staff needs to know about what reading format one will use too.

Gina: One needs to know the physical environment they will be working in well. Learn to navigate your way around the building, learn which doors are exits, a bathroom, whose office is where, etc. During the "scavenger hunt" (camp activity), I realized the galleries were difficult to identify. The signs identifying the galleries were too high! Had I known this in advance it would have been helpful.

Sometimes the attitudes of people you're working with could be improved, although I did not experience any negativity at the Cummer. Another thing to be aware of is that well-meaning helpfulness from others is great to a point, but enough is enough and too much can even be upsetting! Older people sometimes are too "helpful" and think we need help when we don't.

For example, the steps in the gardens are a little tricky, although French, my Seeing Eye dog, is pretty good with steps, but people still wanted to help. French was kind of an interesting distraction, but the kids were generally very respectful and did not pet him when I asked them not to. If you have a dog guide, staff should be educated ahead of time about not trying to interact with it.

Having an orientation and walk-through before the first day of work is a must. Sometimes there are public transportation issues and one should have a fall-back plan in mind. Once you're on the way by para-transit, you're stuck for the duration! Having a way to call to notify your employer that you will be late is very important. Hopefully, they will understand that occasionally being prompt can be out of one's control when they depend on public transportation. My thanks to the Cummer staff who were very understanding in this regard.

Editor's note: To connect with mentors affiliated with AEB, or who otherwise work in the arts, please search the CareerConnect mentor database.

A follow-up article with the Cummer Museum staff about their experience working with these two students will appear in a few weeks. Stay tuned!

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