The Dallas Museum of Art, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille,
with the support of FRAME, have published a digital guide to help the museum community welcome audiences with autism
Dallas, Lille and Montreal, April 28, 2021 – The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA), Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), and Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille (PBALille) have each developed programs in recent years specifically for people with autism and other neurodiverse conditions. The three institutions, all of which are members of the FRAME (FRench American Museum Exchange) network, have combined their expertise to create a Guide for Welcoming Museum Visitors with Autism Spectrum Disorder, a free digital publication.
As agents of change, inclusion and social cohesion, the museums in the FRAME network are deeply committed to providing equal access to their collections for all audiences through targeted programs for visitors with special needs. To close Autism Awareness Month (in April), FRAME, the DMA, MMFA and PBALille are releasing this guide to help museums around the world make the arts and the museum experience accessible to people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a group with few museum programs that are tailored to its needs. This online compendium is the first in a series of initiatives called “FRAMEworks.”
This innovative publication provides keys to understanding and tools for designing mediation activities and spaces that account for the specific needs of visitors with ASD. The recommendations and practical advice in this guide are drawn from projects by the education departments of these three members of FRAME, a network that includes 32 museums in Canada, France and the United States. Carried out in collaboration with parents of neurodiverse children, community organizations, and educational and research communities, these activities confirm the important role that art museums play in social life.
FRAME is pleased to have provided the catalytic support that enabled the research and collaboration between the Dallas Museum of Art, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts that led to this ground-breaking publication. With this exemplary work, FRAME is launching a series of online guides called ‘FRAMEworks’ that will promote the innovative ways that transatlantic cultural dialogue and international collaborations can benefit museums of the 21st century and welcome underserved populations to art museums.
Download the Guide for Welcoming Museum Visitors with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Virtual activities for neurodiverse individuals
The DMA, MMFA and PBALille are running a series of three video workshops on the theme Our Natural World. Together, these workshops provide step-by-step instructions for creative sensory activities designed specifically for neurodiverse audiences.
Discover the three activities online: mbam.qc.ca/en/our-natural-world
Acknowledgements
The Our Natural World project was made possible through a FRAME Emergency Grant Award. With the goal of helping museums develop new online cultural content during the pandemic, this initiative allows FRAME’s member museums to continue to engage with their audiences and increase remote access to their institutions.
‘‘The Art of Being Unique’’ at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 2019. Photo © Mikaël Theimer (MKL)
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Download high-resolution images here.
Information:
FRAME
Marguerite d’Aprile Quigley
Executive Director, FRAME North America
mdquigley@framemuseums.org
Dallas Museum of Art
Jill Bernstein
Director of Communications and Public Affair
1-214-922-1802
jbernstein@dma.org
MMFA
Patricia Lachance
Maude N. Béland
Media Relations Officers
presse@mbamtl.org
Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille
Mathilde Wardavoir
Media Relation Officer
+33 (0)3 20 06 78 18
mwardavoir@mairie-lille.fr
About FRAME
FRench American Museum Exchange (FRAME) is a consortium of 32 major museums in France and North America that promotes transatlantic cultural exchange in the context of museum collaborations. FRAME fosters partnerships among its member museums to develop innovative exhibitions, educational and public programs, and online activities. FRAME also encourages professional exchanges among museum staff and provides an extensive network of intellectual resources on both sides of the Atlantic. FRAME maintains a website to reach global audiences. framemuseums.org
About the Dallas Museum of Art
Established in 1903, the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is among the 10 largest art museums in the country. With a free general admission policy and community outreach efforts, the DMA is distinguished by its commitment to research, innovation, and public engagement. At the heart of the Museum and its programs is its global collection, which encompasses 25,000 works and spans 5,000 years of history, representing a full range of world cultures. Located in the nation’s largest arts district, the Museum acts as a catalyst for community creativity, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds with a diverse spectrum of programming, from exhibitions and lectures to concerts, literary events, and dramatic and dance presentations. The DMA is an Open Access institution, allowing all works believed to be in the public domain to be freely available for downloading, sharing, repurposing, and remixing without restriction. DMA.org
About the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Founded in 1860, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is the oldest art museum in Canada and a leading museum in North America. Its collection showcases Quebec and Canadian heritage and international art from a critical and intercultural perspective, and comprises over 45,000 paintings, sculptures, graphic art works, photographs, multimedia installations and decorative art objects dating from antiquity to the present. The MMFA’s exhibitions span every discipline from archaeology to fine arts, to contemporary practices. Laid out over five interconnecting pavilions, the Museum complex includes over 80 exhibition galleries, the Bourgie concert hall, an auditorium and movie theatre, the Boutique and Bookstore, an in-house publishing department, a public sculpture garden and the Michel de la Chenelière International Atelier for Education and Art Therapy. A pioneering museum in the provision of art therapy, the MMFA works with the community, education, health and technology sectors to give all people exposure to art through inclusive and enriching experiences. mbam.qc.ca
About the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille
The Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille holds 60,000 exceptional works that make it a leading museum in France. Its masterpieces provide a comprehensive overview of art history from antiquity to the 20th century. Flemish painting, the Italian Renaissance, French sculpture, and relief maps of 18th-century fortified cities are some of the highlights from its collections. Inaugurated in 1892 and completely renovated on the eve of the 21st century (awarded the Équerre d’argent prize for architecture in 1997), the Museum is now conducting a vast transformation program to infuse the visitor experience with greater comfort and technological innovation. Keenly aware of the issues important to contemporary society, the Museum strives to offer a space for contemplation and community where everyone can find their place. pba.lille.fr