Creative Touch

The Creative Touch Initiative celebrates art that invites physical interaction, ignites imagination, and encourages connection at Florida Children's Museum. Children learn through their senses, and artwork should be made to touch, feel, and even hear or smell. The museum welcomes pieces that encourage multi-sensory exploration, engage young visitors with a focus on ages 3-10, are safe and durable for public interaction, use unexpected textures, materials, or movement, and support social, emotional, or imaginative learning through tactile experience.

The final artwork will be installed at Florida Children's Museum, where it will be experienced by thousands of children and caregivers annually. The audience includes infants through age 12, with a focus on early childhood. The space is vibrant, inclusive, and joyful. Installations may be floor-standing or wall-mounted, with dimensions suitable for high-traffic public spaces and ADA-accessible whenever possible.

Artists must submit a project proposal (1–2 pages) describing the concept, materials, interactivity, and how it will engage children through touch, sketches or renderings of the proposed piece, artist statement with focus on creative philosophy and past interactive work, resume or CV, and up to 3 work samples. The artist award includes a $5,000 commission covering all materials, fabrication, and installation, public display of the artwork inside Florida Children's Museum, and artist spotlight in museum marketing and media outreach. Selected artists will be notified January 9, 2026, with installation target date of March 9, 2026.