Sight Unseen Reframed: International Photography by Blind Artists marked its return to Riverside at the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California on August 27, 2026. Originally curated by the late Douglas McCulloh in 2009 as Sight Unseen, the exhibition challenges the traditional views of modern art, believing that every artist - even those with no vision - can see.
McCulloh, an Inland Empire native, was a pioneering photographer in conceptual art, an art form that emphasizes mental construction - an idea that shaped his exploration of blind photography. Spreading awareness on the innovative works of blind photographers, McCulloh curated Sight Unseen in 2009, presenting pieces composed by, according to UCR ARTS, 12 of the most accomplished blind photographers in the world. His curation features the likes of Ralph Baker, Henry Butler, Kurt Weston, Evgen Bavčar and more, to help convey how those who are visually impaired "see."
Since its inception at the California Museum of Photography at UCR ARTS in 2009, the exhibition has traveled around the world. It has been presented at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC; Centro de la Imagen in Mexico City, Mexico; Flacon Art Complex in Moscow, Russia; Sejong Center in Seoul, South Korea; and Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Canada. The exhibition was recently reframed by Dawn Hassett and Timothy LeBlanc as Sight Unseen Reframed, adding new designs and accessibility features to the exhibition.
"[Doug] was an incredible missionary, an artist in his own right, and somebody respected the work of other artists," featured blind photographer Kurt Weston said. "He respected the fact that sighted people and people with no sight at all, still had vision."
Within the exhibition, many would find that the art created by these visually impaired photographers served as a form of language meant to communicate the world they see.
Attendees explore the opening reception of Sight Unseen Reframed at the Inland Empire Civil Rights Institute, where works by Kurt Weston, Bruce Hall and other blind photographers filled the galleries alongside remarks from event speakers. | Erik Chen
"The thing I try to do in my work - that you'll see here in this exhibition - is I was trying to represent what it was like to show what it was like on my feet, from my perspective, what it was like to see through my eyes," Weston said. "So I created a body of work called my 'Blind Vision Series,' and to create that, I used a scanner where I would scan myself or my subjects and use the scanner as a camera."
Experiencing the exhibition feels as though drifting through frozen time. Stepping into the room, one is immediately met with fixed faces, clear yet somehow distorted. Artwork such as String Theory - The Space Between Us by Kurt Weston expands our sight to those without, examining the ideas conveyed by artists in an elegant and peculiar way.
Beyond the artwork, the exhibition serves to raise awareness for blind photographers, bringing accessibility to a nontraditional craft for the public.
Encouraging visitors and local residents, Executive Director Sabrina Gonzalez said, "If you have permission, move away from the traditional ideas of studying and perspective and the idea that there is only one correct way to experience art and culture. Maybe tonight, you can think about access, not simply as removing barriers, but as opening up more possibilities, more ways to encounter, to interpret, to connect, and to have experiences."
Through bringing the work of blind photographers to the public eye, Sight Unseen Reframed effectively redefines the longstanding view of "vision" as not just sight, but the courage to imagine.
More Information: The Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California is an exhibition space, archive and resource center educating visitors about civil rights, social justice and civic engagement in Riverside and San Bernardino counties through free exhibitions, events and youth programming. Visit the institute to see its newest exhibition or attend one of its upcoming events; it's open Wednesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., with free admission, at 3933 Mission Inn Ave., Suite 103, at the corner of Mission Inn Avenue and Fairmount Boulevard.
