The over six-foot tall exhibit stood next to the drinking fountain at the Maker Space at the Cincinnati Public Library main branch in downtown Cincinnati.
I had just finished checking out the 3D printers, laser cutter/engraver, sewing stations, and the Espresso Book Machine, when I took a break to get a drink of water.
And that’s when I couldn’t resist stopping to look at the multi-colored elephant next to the fountain. The placard above the ten-foot long elephant sculpture provided a short explanation:
The project was created to appeal to blind and visually impaired children, as well as to encourage sighted children to discover art through other senses.
Each box contains a different sensory experience.
What do you see, feel, or smell when you open a drawer?
It didn’t take me long to pull open drawers to explore their contents!
Some drawers held food objects, others held a variety of old smartphones, and some didn’t open at all.
But I wanted to learn more about the elephant.
Who created it? What was it made of? And how did it find its way to the library?
The Sensory Elephant
After some research, I learned the exhibit was a collaboration between Cincinnati’s Summer Artworks program, Contemporary Arts Center, and the Clovernook Center for the Blind.
The Sensory Elephant was a project created in 2005, intended to celebrate the senses.
Led by artist Eric Brass, Art Works apprentices created an interactive sculpture covered on top and base with various fabrics. Each drawer of the elephant offers a different interactive sensory sensation.
And I found out the elephant was built from a library card catalog!
How could I have missed that?
Years ago, I worked in the cataloging department of a public library and university library.
Originally installed at the UnMuseum at the Contemporary Arts Center, the Sensory Elephant was moved to the Cincinnati Public Library in 2015.
Next time you’re in Cincinnati, stop in at the Maker Space on the second floor of the public library, and open some drawers on the Sensory Elephant!
