effort, the Art Institute of Chicago becomes one of the first museums to offer such extensive scholarly and entertaining content--more than 1000 supporting images, 16 videos, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into context and conditions of production of works of art--on a custom platform rooted in the gallery experience. "The decorative arts in a museum have always presented something of a challenge," said Douglas Druick, President and Eloise W. Martin Director of the Art Institute of Chicago. "These objects--chairs, cabinets, tableware--were originally designed to be used but must now be protected so they can be preserved. We are thrilled that we can present these intricate objects in a much richer context through the creative use of technology, thanks to the generosity of Melinda Martin Sullivan and the Eloise W. Martin Legacy Fund. And we are confident that the LaunchPad platform and the resources it contains will be a model not only for other galleries here at the Art Institute but for other museums as well." "LaunchPad has truly been a collaborative effort involving no fewer than 71 professionals across the museum and beyond," said Sam Quigley, project leader for LaunchPad and vice president for collections management, imaging, and information technology. "Working so intimately with Ghenete Zelleke, Samuel and M. Patricia Grober Curator in the Department of European Decorative Arts, and her colleagues, along with videographers, editors, photographers, and researchers has been a monumental, and monumentally satisfying, effort. And our hope is that similar institutions may take up LaunchPad as a model; with our development partners at IMA Labs of the Indianapolis Museum of Art and Sandbox Studios, we have been committed to making this an open source platform so that others may benefit from, and build on, what we
have developed." More than two and a half years in development, LaunchPad will offer visitors the chance to get up close to some of the centuries-old objects in the Art Institute's collection and discover their hidden stories through several innovative technologies. Users will be able to virtually "handle" objects, turning them over to examine the exquisite artistry on each and every side, through advanced 360-degree imaging. And animated videos of works such as the magnificent multi-chambered Augsburg Cabinet will allow users to open doors and drawers and see the beautiful carvings in the interiors and the pharmaceutical tools and bottles that are stored inside.
For the LaunchPad platform, teams at the museum have additionally created more than a dozen videos that focus on the skilled craftsmanship that went into making the pieces, providing an intimate view into the actual processes and techniques behind these objects. One such film captures Patrick Edwards, one of very few Americans trained in traditional 18th-century French marquetry, or wood inlay, recreating sections of an intricate coffer by André Charles Boulle in his San Diego studio--without a power tool in sight. Another video records two artists, one from the School of the Art Institute's ceramics department, fashioning a replica of an earthenware vase step by step, from throwing to painting to glazing. With its host of unique resources--which even includes an 18th-century recipe for rabbit stew for the museum's rabbit-shaped porcelain tureen--LaunchPad will enhance visitors' experience and appreciation of the museum's rich holdings of European decorative arts and offer a model for creating the most productive intersection possible between the technology of today and the creative expression of the past. LaunchPad was designed and written by staff from numerous departments at the Art Institute of Chicago. Its open source software was developed by IMA Labs at the Indianapolis Museum of Art with project coordination and management by Sandbox Studios of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The software is based on the TAP project, which is a collection of free and open source tools supporting the creation and delivery of mobile tours. LaunchPad was originally conceived for the galleries of European Decorative Arts by Melinda Martin Sullivan and was created with a grant from her late mother, Eloise W. Martin.
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Resources you can use
NEW YORK, NY.- The Metropolitan Museum of Art today launched MetPublications, a major online resource that offers unparalleled in-depth access to the Museum’s renowned print and online publications, covering art, art history, archaeology, conservation, and collecting. Beginning with nearly 650 titles published from 1964 to the present, this new addition to the Met's website, will continue to expand and could eventually offer access to nearly all books, Bulletins, and Journals published by the Metropolitan Museum since its founding in 1870, as well as online publications.
publications and access the most recent information about these works in the Collections section of the Museum’s website. “MetPublications presents a rich and fascinating record of the last five decades of Met scholarship,” said Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum. “I am particularly pleased that this new portal allows us to share the Met’s publications with a global audience. It will extend the reach of our past, current, and future publications, and give new life to out-of-print volumes.” MetPublications includes a description and table of contents for almost every title, as well as information about the authors, reviews, and awards, and links to related Met titles by author and theme. Current in-print titles may be previewed and fully searched online, with links to purchase the books. The full contents of almost all other titles may be read online, searched, or downloaded as a PDF, at no cost. Books can be read and searched through the Google Book program, an initiative to maximize access to the Met’s books.
A unique feature of MetPublications is that many out-of-print books are now available through print-on-demand capabilities, with copies offered for purchase through Yale University Press. At the launch of the program, 140 titles will be available in print-on-demand paperbound copies with digitally printed color reproductions. Readers are also directed to every title located in the online library catalogues WorldCat, a global catalogue of library collections; and WATSONLINE, the Metropolitan Museum’s catalogue of its own libraries’ holdings.
MetPublications, as of today's launch, allows users to:
* Search 643 books published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art about art and art history by title, author, keyword, publication type, theme, or collection.
* Read, download, and search the full contents of 368 out-of-print titles.
* Preview and search the contents of 272 titles that are in print or otherwise unavailable to read fully.
* Obtain print-on-demand copies of 140 out-of-print titles.
* Access two online publications, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History and Connections.
* Find links to locate all titles at local libraries through WorldCat, and on the Metropolitan Museum library catalogue WATSONLINE.
* Find book descriptions, tables of contents, author biographies, press releases and reviews, awards, and related bibliographies by author, theme, and keyword.
* Explore works of art from the Metropolitan Museum’s collection featured in all titles with links to updated information about each work. This makes it possible to provide updated information about older titles,
linking earlier with current scholarship.
* Rediscover the scholarship of 50 years of publishing dedicated to the arts from this encyclopedic Museum.
Publications to be added to the program on a continuing basis include recently published books and online publications, and print titles published by the Metropolitan Museum from 1870 to 1964, as well as print-on-
demand options for out-of-print titles.
MetPublications was created by the staff of the Metropolitan Museum’s Editorial and Digital Media departments.
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