2024 Award for Excellence from the Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Boise Art Museum receives 2024 Award for Excellence
from the Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

October 29, 2024

Boise Art Museum is proud to share that they are the recipient of the 2024 Award for Excellence from the Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

This award is presented to an organization in Idaho that helps the Council fulfill its mission of making Idaho a place where people of all ages who are deaf or hard of hearing have an equal opportunity to participate fully as active, productive, and independent citizens.

In the letter of award to the Boise Art Museum, Tara Adams, at the Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing wrote, “The commitment of BAM to making exhibitions come to life for patrons who use American Sign Language as a primary mode of communication has been notable.  The Boise Art Museum has expended time, talent, and resources dedicated to improving the quality of life for Idahoans who are deaf or hard of hearing.”

“We are humbled to receive this award and look forward to continuing our work in partnership with our advisory group of people who are part of the Deaf community to expand Boise Art Museum’s commitment to be welcoming and accessible,” said Melanie Fales, Boise Art Museum’s Executive Director.

For the past four years, the Boise Art Museum has been focused on inclusive design and access for people who are deaf by collaborating with members of the Deaf Community to produce and provide ASL interpretation videos for select artworks in the Museum’s Permanent Collection.  BAM hosted an Event for the Deaf Community and invited people to provide opinions about the new ASL interpretation videos, which were met with great enthusiasm.

Boise Art Museum’s inclusive design and access initiative has been funded in part by grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.