Signing on for more art

Making art as accessible as possible is something the AGO prides itself on – and since last winter, we have been supporting and collaborating with the Deaf Community to create unique and exciting Deaf Culture Tours. Offered in American Sign Language with English subtitles, these unique explorations offer visitors who are culturally deaf, hearing impaired or just plain curious the opportunity to learn something new and engage with great art. Available for free online, these tours provide insight into an artwork or artist in the AGO Collection. 

Luna Quinlan, the art educator responsible for leading these tours, told us more about Deaf Culture, what she loves about the artist Kazuo Nakamura and what to look forward to on her next tour.    

AGOinsider: For those of us unfamiliar with the term Deaf Culture, can you provide us with a brief introduction? 

Quinlan: Deaf Culture is a unique and vibrant culture that thrives through sign language. Deaf Culture has its own language, social norms, and values, which all shape a deaf person's identity. It also shapes the way we experience the world. 

AGOinsider: For the first virtual edition of the series (see below!) , you chose to highlight the work of Japanese-Canadian artist Kazou Nakamura. What drew you to his work? 

Quinlan: I believed that it was important to showcase the work of an artist who reflects the experiences of being Japanese-Canadian. The discrimination faced by Japanese-Canadians in the 1940s and beyond is often ignored. His work is breathtaking and an important reminder of this terrible moment in our history.

AGOinsider: Can you speak a little about the creative nature of American Sign Language? 

Quinlan: There are numerous sign languages that are used on a frequent basis in other countries, and they include British Sign Language (BSL), Australia Sign Language (Auslan), and Chinese Sign Language (CSL or ZSG). The language I am exposed to is American Sign Language. However, it is critical to point out that Indigenous Deaf Communities have developed their own sign languages in North America. I also learned that Black American Sign Language (Black ASL) is a dialect of American Sign Language used commonly by deaf Black people in the United States.

American Sign Language is not just gestural. ASL, frequently used in North America, has its own grammar and syntax. In fact, it does not represent the spoken English at all. Like any other language, ASL has its own regional accents and slang. 

Yes, it is a visual language that gives us access to ideas, emotions and experiences. However, it has always been a cultural language that unites us together as the Deaf Community. 

AGOinsider:   Has the shift from in-person to online changed your approach to the development of these tours? 

Quinlan: The biggest advantage of working at home is that all my sessions are scripted. Organizing my information allows me to sign clearly and concisely. I also like that my sessions can reach a wider audience because they are subtitled. To be clear, my subtitled sessions are not just for my hearing viewers. They are also for deaf viewers who experienced hearing loss later in their lives and who may still be learning ASL. Lastly, my sessions are also accessible for sign language interpreters-in-training. As a result, providing subtitled sessions is a good move for furthering American Sign Language. 

AGOinsider: Can you tell us what we can look forward to in the next Deaf Culture online tour happening on November 11? 

Quinlan: Of course! My next session will discuss Walter Trier's satirical illustrations. While I do not want to give too much away, the depth and intelligence of these works may astonish some.

For more information about the AGO’s accessibility programs, visit Access to Art .

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