Sally Barker, a North Carolina-based artist, has transformed the way visually impaired individuals experience famous works of art through her innovative quilt creations. By developing a unique tactile color system—known as the Barker Code—she pairs specific fabrics with colors and textures, allowing people to feel the essence of iconic paintings such as the Mona Lisa and Starry Night. Her exhibition, “Please Touch the Art,” currently on display at the Charles H. Taylor Visual Arts Center in Hampton, invites visitors to engage with art in an unconventional yet deeply meaningful way. Barker’s journey into textile art began after she was inspired by how her deaf friend experienced music through vibrations. Diagnosed with dementia and macular degeneration, Barker no longer sews, but her legacy lives on through her son Bart, who proudly shares her story and vision. The exhibition not only showcases her talent but also emphasizes inclusivity and accessibility in the world of visual arts.

Innovation Meets Inclusivity: The Birth of the Barker Code

At the heart of Sally Barker’s artistic breakthrough is the Barker Code, a tactile system that translates visual elements into touchable experiences. This method assigns various fabrics to specific colors—satin for red, flannel for yellow, wool for blue, taffeta for orange, and linen for purple—while different backing materials represent light, medium, and dark shades. Inspired by how her deaf friend felt music through balloon vibrations, Barker sought to create a similar sensory bridge for the blind. What began as a personal experiment evolved into a groundbreaking approach that allows visually impaired individuals to grasp the composition, color, and form of celebrated artworks. Her husband Larry’s name is embedded in the system, honoring his support throughout her creative process.

The development of the Barker Code was a hands-on, iterative journey rooted in trial and error. Barker experimented extensively with fabric-texture pairings, eventually refining a system that felt both intuitive and effective. She introduced early versions of her color wheel at family gatherings, using them as informal focus groups to gauge reactions and refine her selections. This tactile approach enabled her to build a universal language of color through texture, making abstract visual concepts tangible. Each quilt features a Braille indicator to help users identify the correct orientation, ensuring that the experience remains accessible and user-friendly. By transforming flat images into three-dimensional representations, Barker created a new dimension for appreciating art, where touch becomes the primary sense of interpretation rather than sight.

From Concept to Creation: Crafting Tactile Interpretations of Iconic Art

Barker’s transition from conceptualizing the Barker Code to executing full-scale quilted artworks required immense dedication, precision, and creativity. Starting with tracing posters of famous paintings, she meticulously drew patterns onto freezer paper, which she then used as templates. Her workspace was filled with bins of fabric in varying hues, each carefully selected to align with the color-coded system. The process involved cutting, assembling, and hand-sewing each piece like a complex puzzle, demanding patience and attention to detail. Among her most challenging projects was recreating Katsushika Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” which took nearly two years to complete due to its intricate design and layered textures.

Barker’s quilted masterpieces include re-interpretations of renowned works such as Georgia O’Keeffe’s “The Red Poppy,” Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” and Andrew Wyeth’s “Christina’s World.” She also crafted smaller quilts featuring beloved children’s characters like Clifford the Big Red Dog, Barney the Dinosaur, and Winnie the Pooh, broadening the appeal of her work across age groups. These pieces are more than just replicas—they are homages that respect the original while offering a completely new way to experience them. Barker’s commitment to avoiding copyright issues led her to frame her work as interpretive tributes rather than direct reproductions, a distinction that attracted institutions like the Art Institute of Chicago. Despite her physical limitations today, her influence continues through exhibitions, educational outreach programs, and international speaking engagements that celebrate her pioneering contributions to inclusive art. Her son Bart affirms that the emotional impact these pieces have on the blind community is profound, enabling them to connect with visual culture in ways they previously thought impossible.