Abstract
The concept of art could be seen in one of two ways: you either ‘get it’ or you don’t. This paper looks at the reasons behind why art can seem out of reach to some viewers and how the creation of participatory art is helping to make the contemporary art world more accessible. What participation looks like within contemporary art and its benefits to both viewer and artist are discussed as well as different tactics of how artists can invite this participation. Contemporary artists working with this concept of participatory art, both in the mental and the physical sense of interaction, show not only of the existence of participatory art, but the many different possible directions this kind of art can be taken.