COCOA, FL — The Central Brevard Art Association (CBAA), in partnership with the Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central Library in Cocoa, is presenting an interactive touch art exhibition in support of the library’s Talking Books program and Vision Fair, to be held October 28, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The Talking Books Library provides free audio materials and specialized services for residents with visual or physical disabilities that make reading standard print difficult.
The interactive exhibition, on display October 2026 through January 2027, features artwork created to encourage engagement through both sight and touch, offering a unique experience for visually impaired and sighted visitors alike.
At the center of the exhibition is “Cecelia’s Invitation,” an interactive touch concept created by CBAA artists Jan Bryant, an acrylic and watercolor artist, and Janet Bethay, an abstract/modern acrylic artist.
The inspiration for “Cecelia’s Invitation” grew
from a desire to create a more intimate connection
with art through touch and imagination.
The installation consists of three large
48-by-60-inch abstract canvases that visitors are
invited—and given permission—to explore
through touch.
The exhibit takes its name from Cecelia, the
visually impaired daughter of one of Bethay’s
friends. When Cecelia explored one of Bethay’s
paintings by tracing the movement and texture
created by sweeping brush and broom strokes, she
responded: “WOW, I can feel the ocean.”
Her interpretation was uniquely her own—and
that is exactly the point.
Visitors are intentionally given no instructions for
how to interpret “Cecelia’s Invitation.” Instead,
each person is encouraged to discover the artwork
individually through texture, movement,
imagination and personal experience.
Additional CBAA artists contributing works to the
interactive exhibition include Priscilla
D’Annibale, Judith Mammay, Judith Caruana,
Cassandra Myer, Dawn Kelly, Karen D. Hollister,
and Ashley Cooke.
The exhibition is open to the public at
the Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central Library
in Cocoa, Florida, October 2026 through January
2027.