ArtsQuest’s Newest Interactive and Sensory Friendly Art Exhibit, Bear In Mind, Opening at The Banana Factory

Bethlehem, PA, January 26, 2024 – ArtsQuest provides access to the arts for all and is excited to announce an upcoming interactive and sensory friendly art exhibit, Bear In Mind coming to The Banana Factory this weekend.

We’re excited for this new exhibit that is both interactive and sensory friendly,” commented Lisa Harms, Senior Director Arts and Education at ArtsQuest. “Exhibitions like Bear In Mind help to increase access to the arts for people of all ages in our communities. We also encourage engagement with our “Touch Collection” of artwork and musical instruments intended to promote self-exploration and relaxation.”

In addition to being a key component for art exhibits like these, ArtsQuest’s All-ACCESSible Arts Program also features a sensory space in the artist galleries with a “touch collection” of art to allow hands-on art exploration in a calm environment with dim lighting and low auditory stimulation. The program also supports the well-being of students through social and emotional programming during the ArtSmart and Teen Takeover after-school arts enrichment programs by teaching students strategies for incorporating mindfulness into their daily lives through art practices.

Bear In Mind will run from Saturday, Jan 27 through Sunday, April 7 of 2024 in the Crayola Gallery at the Banana Factory. The artist – THECOLORG is a millennial feminine queer interdisciplinary artist and professional arts administrator based in Philadelphia.

“Bringing together my ‘fine art’ studio practice and traditionally ‘craft’ plushie making hustle – Bear in Mind exhibits 30+ handmade and sentimental memory bears situated on swings to symbolize a back-and-forth playfulness present in creative labor and recalling memories (the past) through materials to understand the present,” commented THECOLORG. “With the Banana Factory’s history of production and labor and its current identity as an arts center, Bear In Mind considers the past, present and future of the space through its reference to labor, material production and playful presence in the gallery.”

Bear In Mind is a reminder that Bethlehem’s history in the production of steel and distribution of goods helped to build a middle-class economy, and that our personal histories are a map toward how we can work together to build a more equitable future. For more information on THECOLORG, visit thecolorg.com.

About ArtsQuest  
ArtsQuest’s mission is to provide access to exceptional artistic, cultural and educational experiences using arts and culture as key elements of economic development for our urban communities. ArtsQuest™ supports this mission via the presentation of performing and visual arts, film, arts education classes and outreach, youth programming and cultural events. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest; the Banana Factory Arts Center; and the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest’s programming reaches more than 1.9 million people annually. The organization’s programs and events, of which over 50% are free to attend, have a combined economic impact of more than $136 million annually in the region.