|

Fred Showker takes you on a visual extravaganza to help sharpen
your creative edges, and introduce you to the pleasures of discovering art.
Looking for Art in all the right places
Fred Showker
Although this doesn't seem to be a Design and Publishing topic, it really is.
Your visual experience should always be digesting new and different input. You need
visual stimulation to maintain your creative edge. Looking at art is one way of doing
this -- and the web offers an unlimited wealth of visual wonders. Pull out your daytimer,
or your palm, and make an appointment with yourself. Take one or two hours each month
and discover new visual landscapes. It will serve you well, and you'll come to look
forward to those little jaunts into the visual web.
. . . here are just a few of my favorites
[The Museum of Modern Art] _ [WebMuseum Network] _ [Artnet] _ [The Alternative Museum] _ [The
National Gallery of Art] _ [Phoenix Art Museum] _ [Contemporary Arts Center Cincinnati]
_ [Art-A-Whirl] _ [The Institute of Egyptian Art &
Archaeology] _ [Alaska Natives and American Indian
celebration] _ [Native Canadian Indian Art] _ [Cake Decorating and Sugar Art]
_ [Center for Puppetry Arts] _ [KinderArt] _ [Access Place]
- The Museum of Modern Art
- No article about finding art on the web would be complete without at least mentioning
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA.org). If you cannot get to New York to visit this
world-famous museum, then the next best thing is their constantly evolving site.
Here is featured MoMa's information on exhibitions, online art projects, images from
its collection; plus, The MoMA Online Store, free E-Cards and E-News. http://www.moma.org/
- WebMuseum Network
- This is probably one of the best places to start learning about fine arts and
modern arts on the web. If this is one of your first trips out, you may want to start
exploring a tiny subset of the collections first: try out the medieval art exhibit.
However, most artworks are exhibited in the Famous Paintings section. One final word:
if you ever get lost, feel free to experiment the endpage navigation panel. http://metalab.unc.edu/wm/
.
- Artnet
- Artnet.com is the world's leading source for art market and contemporary art
information. With up-to-date and comprehensive searchable databases of auction records,
gallery exhibitions and artists' portfolios, artnet.com offers powerful tools and
extensive up-to-date resources. The artnet.com magazine features the latest art world
news, exhibition reviews, columns, and feature articles by top art critics and columnists.
http://www.artnet.com/
.
- The Alternative Museum that had no alternatives
- The Alternative Museum was founded in 1981 to present socially and politically
charged work, often by minority artists who could not find other outlets. Today,
there are many more options for presenting such work. After 25 years of showing art
in its downtown-Manhattan galleries, the "Alternative" museum has relocated
to cyberspace. http://www.alternativemuseum.org/
.
- Regional Art trips
- .(top)
- The National Gallery of Art
- The National Gallery of Art, Washington houses one of the finest collections
in the world illustrating major achievements in painting, sculpture, and graphic
arts from the Middle Ages to the present. http://www.nga.gov/
.
- Phoenix Art Museum
- Looking for art with a Western flavor, try the official site of Phoenix Art Museum.
Western art is not all you'll find here however. The Phoenix Art Museum features
works from the Collection, exhibition schedule, events, Museum Store, and much more."
http://www.phxart.org/
.
- Cincinnati's Modern Art Museum
- The Contemporary Arts Center Cincinnati is the region's only museum dedicated
to Modern and Contemporary art. The CAC focuses on recent developments in painting,
sculpture, photography, architecture, performance art and new media. http://www.spiral.org/
.
- Minneapolis Art-A-Whirl 2000
- The mission of Art-A-Whirl and the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association is
to promote and support the quality and diversity of artistic resources based in Northeast
Minneapolis for the benefit of the greater community. What you'll find there is a
lot of fun, and probably even a few eye-openers! http://art-a-whirl.org/
.(top)
- Something a bit more exotic?
- While we're talking about 'regional' or even local art, The University of Memphis
proves that some rather exotic works can be seen without going too far. The Institute
of Egyptian Art & Archaeology, founded in 1984, is a component of the Department
of Art of The University of Memphis, in Memphis, Tennessee (USA), and is a Tennessee
Center of Excellence. It is dedicated to the study of the art and culture of ancient
Egypt through teaching, research, exhibition, and community education. As part of
its teaching and research, the Institute conducts an epigraphic survey in the Great
Hypostyle Hall of Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt. http://www.memphis.edu/egypt/main.html
.
- Alaska Natives and American Indian celebration
- Tlingit National Anthem-Alaska Natives Online presents Tlingit, Alaskan Native,
Northwest culture history, American Indian and Alaska Native issues, tourism, fine
art, Native American links and resources. Celebration 2000 pictures.
http://cooday8.tripod.com/alaska.htm
.
- Native Canadian Indian art
- For an even deeper trek into the wilds try the Native Canadian Indian Art site.
Even though it's not a huge site, this grass roots site displays some wonderful native
art and crafts -- even its name, "northern whispers," suggests it's worth
the trip. http://www.northern-whispers.f2s.com
.(top)
- Art you can eat? You are what you eat?
- If you're like me -- sweet tooth and all, you're going to like the International
Cake Exploration -- truly an art in itself... Icing Art! Here is the home of all
the information you will ever need on Cake Decorating and Sugar Art. Sugar Art at
its Finest, Cake Decorating Techniques, World Renown Cake Decorators display beautiful
desserts, cakes, and other edible sugar art. http://www.ices.org/submit.htm
.
- I'm your puppet
- Center for Puppetry Arts is a really fun trip! Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the
Center for Puppetry Arts is one of the largest organizations in the United States
dedicated to the art of puppetry. The Center is a magical place where adults as well
as children can be entertained, educated and enlightened about all forms of puppetry.
http://www.puppet.org/home.html
.
- Teach your kids about Art
- KinderArt is one of the largest collection of free online art lesson plans and
art education information on the Internet. Not only are there lots an lots of ideas
as well as inspiration for artists, there's a complete all-in-one resource for parents
and teachers who want to help their children learn about the arts. http://www.kinderart.com/
.(top)
- To round out your own experience
- If you want to expand your awareness of art and art galleries on the web, then
you'll want to bookmark this one. AccessPlace.com has a respectable collection of
good links to art news, museums, exhibits, schedules, artists, dance, theater, literature,
photography, architecture, paintings, sculpture, art stores and a lot more. Thanks,
Bryce Westover, media@accessplace.com -- http://www.accessplace.com/arts.htm
(top)
Keep a sharp edge on your creative eye by seeking out new visual
horizons on a regular basis.
Fred
Of course, if you find particularly good art and art gallery experiences, please
pass them along to me at: showker@graphic-design.com.
Return to the Design
Department of DT&G
Online
|