The Heckscher Museum was granted an Award of Excellence for the Soundwalk at the Arthur Dove & Helen Torr Cottage in Centerport, NY. The award was presented by the Greater Hudson Heritage Network (GHHN) at its recent conference. The theme of the conference was “Embracing Innovation,” and the work of creating the soundwalk, the innovative use of technology, and the important connections with community were cited as some of the many reasons the Museum was deserving of this honor.
GHHN stated: This Project Award recognizes The Heckscher Museum of Art’s creation of a Soundwalk at the Dove/Torr Cottage (Centerport, NY) for the 25th anniversary of its stewardship of the historic artists’ property. Museum staff collaborated with community members, students, and local artists to create this new self-guided Soundwalk, which provides visitors 24/7, 365 days a year, access to the historic site on any smartphone via the Museum’s app on Bloomberg Connects. The multi-faceted project involved a collaboration with Girls Inc. Long Island, engaging middle-school students in the design process, along with the development of a Museum Accessibility Advisory Group providing advice and expertise to enhance accessible interpretive material for all visitors to enjoy – increasing accessibility through on-site informational signage which includes braille and 3D tactile images, QR codes, and tactile maps of the terrain.”
The Dove/Torr Soundwalk was created with support from a Dorothy C. Radgowski Learning Through Women’s Achievement in the Arts Grant, a joint effort of Where Women Made History (WWMH), and Historic Artists Homes & Studios (HAHS) at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Special thanks to Susan Buroker, Evangeline Knell, Girls Inc. Long Island, Monica Ortiz-Menier, Helen Keller National Center, and the Heckscher Museum Accessibility Advisory Group for their work on the project. Tactile Maps and Signage were created and installed for this project at Heckscher Park and the Dove/Torr Cottage with generous grant support from the Town of Huntington Environmental Open Space & Park Fund Advisory Committee.
