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"VIRTUAL EXHIBITS," "Online Gallery Tours", "Digital Image Database"- these
are some of many phrases which have recently become part of our vocabulary when discussing
Art Galleries and Museums. With the increased popularity of the Internet within the
past five years many cultural and educational institutions began making an online
presence. Today, most of the larger Galleries/Museums around the world belong to
the "online community." This addition to the way these cultural facilities
are able to represent themselves has caused a shift from our traditional way of viewing
and being able to access our information from them, as well as a change in the way
they operate internally.
Traditionally museums required the physical presence of the visitor in order to access
exhibits and information. For example, newsletters, print advertisements and pamphlets
were the common medium utilized to find out the latest events and upcoming exhibits.
This generally meant either residing in the same city or being on the mailing list.
Being able to get information on current and past exhibits, as well as gallery and
museum collections meant going in person and doing the research onsite or picking
up a book to get information about a particular art piece. If the piece was not written
about, then it meant physically attending the institution where the art was located.
With the presence of Galleries/Museums on the World Wide Web, the means of accessing
information has taken a drastic shift. Online visitors are able to gain up to date
information about upcoming exhibits, events and information about the collection
without having to physically attend. Although the pleasure of viewing a work of art
in person cannot be replaced by the online medium, it can be a time saver for inquires
on exhibits and the general collection. This new way of accessing the art world can
be very useful for those doing research or for those who just want to find out about
what the various institutions offer. Being able to visit a Gallery/Museum anywhere
in the world on the Internet to access information is an excellent educational resource.
This online presence has broken the barrier to accessing art resources around the
world.
Although most of the larger and even smaller Galleries/Museums around the world currently
have an online presence, the extent to which one can access their exhibits or collection
varies. This difference is largely dependent on the technology, funding and personnel
available to these institutions. Some have more funding available to be able to create
extensive graphical web sites while others are still largely text based. There are
examples of Galleries/Museums that have a fairly large image database so visitors
can browse through their collection online, while others just have a few examples
of the collection. Most of the larger institutions have a search engine on their
web site, which allows visitors to do key word searches. This can be a quick way
to access information about a particular artist or title. Others have made use of
more current multimedia options for the web such as Flash animations, Audio, Video,
QuickTime VR or online shopping to enhance the experience of the visitor through
interactivity. By creating more elaborate interactive Virtual Tours, Galleries/Museums
are bridging the gap between the online and physical experience. Regardless of the
funding available and the ability to make use of more current web technology one
thing is consistent - Galleries/Museums have come a long way in the way the public
can access their information.
In conclusion, the changes within Galleries/Museums with the introduction of the
Internet have been phenomenal. This new way of accessing the information is certainly
not replacing the need for the physical contact with the art world, it is however
increasing awareness and access for personal as well as educational purposes. For
those who would like to check out some of the art resources online visit http://www.wwar.com
(The Worldwide Arts Resource) which is a great link to various art institutions around
the world.
Henriett Kuti graduated
from the University of Victoria with a degree in History in Art. She is currently
a First Year Multimedia Student at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
Source list
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (http://aggv.bc.ca/)
- Image: Emily Carr, Heina, 1928 (National Gallery of Canada)
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