Cleveland Museum of Art: ArtLens Studio

Museums and the Web GLAMi Groundbreaking Award 2017

 

Designing Meaningful, Barrier-Free Digital Experiences with Museum Collections

 

 

 

In September 2017, the Cleveland Museum of Art launched the second iteration of ARTLENS Gallery. ArtLens Studio, which opened in June 2016, was the first stage in upgrading ARTLENS Gallery and was the test bed for the interactive technology.

The updated space is designed with the entire family in mind and uses cutting-edge technology, movement, and play to introduce new ways of looking at art. While visitors are having fun, they are also looking closer and gaining comprehension that will enhance their appreciation of art throughout the museum. ArtLens Studio is divided into two spaces: creative and immersive. The Create Studio is a place to unleash your inner artist and let your creativity soar, offering four different ways to make your own artwork. Each area is set up like an actual artist's studio to foster and heighten the artist within us all. "Pottery Wheel" uses depth-tracking cameras to allow visitors to shape and design clay.

On the immersive side, Reveal and Zoom use innovative motion-tracking technology to allow visitors to use their bodies as a tool to explore masterworks in the museum's collection. In Zoom, your body is a human sized magnifying glass allowing you to look closer at details in the artwork. Interaction and exploration are encouraged, as visitors can play individually or in groups.