A few weeks ago, I went to The Broad museum for the first time to see some modern art, and look at a new mirror and lights exhibit. while there, I took notice of its accessibility with moving between floors, and of viewing the art. This week, I want to rate The Broad on its accessibility.
Notes about The Broad:
I want to start this review off and share that I really liked the art that was shown. I think I like contemporary art more than older art, so I enjoyed this museum. There was a fun variety of sculptures and paintings, and I enjoyed seeing some of the more optical illusion style pieces. For people who know art, featured artists include Roy Lichtenstein, Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and more. Entrance is free, but parking is around $17. Because this is LA, disability parking is not free or accommodated beyond legal requirements. Bags and purses are checked before entering, so to be safe I left medication I brought with me in the car. Once inside the museum, there are three floors. Floors one and three have exhibits, and floor two has restrooms and offices. The bathrooms were semi clean, but I didn't see lowered sinks for wheelchair users. The sink faucet was also too close to the sink bed to be able to wash your hands normally, which I thought was weird. Between the two art floors, the first floor has two featured artist exhibits, one that can be viewed by everyone and one that requires reservations, and the third floor is more of a gallery with multiple artists. Overall, you could get through the museum in about one to two hours if you move at a medium to fast pace through each section.
Accessibility
Navigating the Broad was semi challenging. There were about four small benches throughout the entire museum, with the rest being a mix of art and empty space where benches could fit. I wished I could have sat down more, as most rooms did not have benches. The bench problem seems pervasive at art museums, I wish there were more benches to sit and rest while looking at the art.
I was perplexed to see that there was an escalator to take viewers up between floors, but only stairs to go back down. Why there aren't two escalators is beyond me, but that's what viewers at The Broad have to work with. The only elevator was circular and glass, which was slow and couldn't fit more than 10 people at a time. The elevator would reduce in capacity if a wheelchair user tried to fit inside. There might have been a second elevator in the back of the third floor that was larger, but I never saw it in use. The potential elevator also dropped you off in the back corner of one exhibit instead of the more central glass elevator. Moving between floors was more effort if you could not access the escalator or stairs due to the slowness of the elevator that looked to be operational. I felt pressure to take the stairs, because my choices were to wait for what felt like forever, or to tough it out.
On the bright side, I did see audible guides online for patrons who could benefit from it. Googling the Broad accessibility did highlight additional parking, autism social stories, audio tours, large print, service animal approval, and wheelchair rental (The Broad, n.d). While I am glad these services exist, most of that information was not published upon walking in, so disabled patrons would need to know where to look.
Mirror Exhibit:
The mirror exhibit was a special exhibit happening that required booking tickets several weeks in advance. After waiting in a line with no where to really lean or sit, you go in a small room with a platform wide enough for 2 people to stand next to each other width wise, and about 5 people to fit in total. It is questionable if a wheelchair could fit inside. The door shuts and for one minute, you stand inside this room fully wrapped in mirrors with hanging lights that vary between staying lit up and flashing. It is impossible to tell where the room stops and the reflections start. This was my favorite exhibit, but it was not accessible for everyone. Like I said earlier, a wheelchair would be a tight fit, and you had to dodge some hanging glass art. The lights also flash on and off, so anyone who has sensitivity to light should not view this exhibit. Lastly, there is nowhere to sit. Since I was only in the room for one minute, it would seem okay but the line was around 10 to 20 minutes with nowhere to sit or lean. Adding that up, you would need to be able to stand for around 30 minutes comfortably to view this exhibit. As much as I loved the actual exhibit, the accessibility of it is a 3.5/5. The reason I gave it a 3.5 is because there were warnings for those with light sensitivity.
Overall, I give The Broad a 3.5 out of 5. While it does lack in accessibility with the perplexing elevator and escalator situation, the online services are diverse, include autism services, and it wasn't as sprawling as some of the other museums I visited which means with proper tennis shoes I could manage for under 2 hours. For The Broad to receive a 4, I would like to see more benches, better advertising of accessibility services, and better elevator and escalator systems. This is my first review where my enjoyment of the art, and accessibility rating feel like a dramatic dissonance. I hope they do make some improvements, because I really did enjoy the art
Thank you for reading about my accessibility rating of the Broad. If you have any questions or comments, reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook. Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next week!
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