E.A.A.T. Experiments in Art, Access & Technology

Experiments in Art, Access & Technology, or E.A.A.T. chronicles the emergence of access as an animating principle of art, science, and technology. Invoking the field’s ethos of experimentation and collaboration, E.A.A.T. prototypes a new program that links communities, institutions, and ways of knowing through practices of creative access. The E.A.A.T. exhibition introduces methods in art and technology that arise from—and viscerally embody— lived experiences of disability. Meesh Fradkin, Carmen Papalia, Josephine Sales, Andy Slater, and Olivia Ting premiere new work developed in the Leonardo CripTech Incubator, an art and technology fellowship for disability innovation. These works span spatial audio, surveillance technologies, gaming, haptics and auditory prostheses. E.A.A.T. artists deploy access as a creative form, an emancipatory tool, and an experiential technology for sustaining community.

Organized by Leonardo/ISAST

The Beall Center for Art + Technology

The mission of the Beall Center is to support research, exhibitions, and public programs that explore new relationships between the arts, sciences, and engineering, and to promote new forms of creation and expression using digital technologies. Located within UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts, The Beall Center for Art + Technology seeks to revolutionize the museum/gallery experience by addressing how technology can effectively shape interdisciplinary art. Additionally, it aims to facilitate artist-audience connections.

Commitment to Accessibility

"For most of us, technology makes things easier. For a person with a disability, it makes things possible." –Judy Heumann, Disability Rights Activist

Access and inclusion extend the depth and variety of experiences in the arts. The Beall Center and UC Irvine are committed to creating an environment that is accessible to all members of the UCI community and the public. For more details, refer to the School of the Arts' Accessibility and ADA Information page. https://www.arts.uci.edu/ada

Gallery Accessibility & Wayfinding

The Beall Center for Art + Technology’s gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm-6pm.

The gallery has a wheelchair accessible ramp. During the gallery’s open hours, the doors are propped open. Please refer to this map that highlights all ADA paths on campus. There are no restrooms inside the gallery. The nearest accessible restrooms are located adjacent to the gallery in Winifred Smith Hall 187 and the Drama Building 140.

There are three parking locations nearby that offer accessible parking for gallery visitors. The service lot located directly behind Beall offers the closest accessible parking. In the event the lot is full, please use either the Mesa Parking Structure (MPS) or Student Center Parking Structure (SCPS).

The gallery will always be staffed. Beall staff or student docents are available to direct visitors to works of interest, provide additional information or assistance with the exhibition’s interactive elements, or answer other gallery or exhibition related inquiries.  

For visitors with noise sensitivities, noise reducing headphones and earplugs will be provided at the front desk as some installations have audio that may be loud or jarring. Staff or student attendants can share these items upon request.

Textual and verbal descriptions of artworks will be available via QR codes in the gallery, as well as through the exhibition website at https://leonardo.info/eaat. A Braille program, along with a tactile floor plan, is located by the gallery entrance. Tactile elements are also available throughout the exhibition for visitors to freely engage with, from 3D-printed and vibrotactile objects, to a tactile wall relief.

Events and related programming will have CART captioning and ASL interpretation.

COVID Safety

E.A.A.T. is presented by, with and for the disabled community, which has been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. As our community members remain vulnerable and may be continuing to shield from Covid-19, we strongly encourage visitors to wear masks to ensure that everyone can comfortably enjoy the exhibition. Masks and hand sanitizer will be provided at the gallery entrance.

For comprehensive accessibility information on this exhibition, please visit https://leonardo.info/eaat/

For further inquiries, reach out to the gallery directly at: 

Beall Center for Art + Technology
 712 Arts Plaza
 Irvine, CA 92697-2775
 949-824-6206
 beallcenter@uci.edu

For access requests or more information about visiting Beall, contact fatima.m@uci.edu or refer to UC Irvine arts access website. For specific questions pertaining to the E.A.A.T. exhibition, contact criptech@leonardo.info. Report a concern here.