Art Authority Blog
Art Education in the Future: An Unbalanced Picture
It’s hard to predict the future, but sometimes things are clearer than others. Let’s look out maybe 3-5 years or so. Just about every student has an iPad-like mobile device that’s pervasively connected to the Internet/cloud. Here are two possible sets of “class materials” for a typical art history major:
- Art History, Combined Volume by Marilyn Stokstad, Michael W. Cothren. List Price (current): $200.80. Weight: 9 pounds
- Janson’s History of Art: The Western Tradition by Penelope J.E. Davies, et. al. List Price (current): $190.00. Weight: 9 pounds
- Other similar books, for art and other classes. Cost: high. Weight: tremendous
- Pervasively-connected iPad-like mobile device. List Price (future): $200. Weight: 1-2 pounds
- Art Authority and other similar apps. List Price (current): $10. Weight: 0
- Advanced version of iBooks like “Exploring Art with Art Authority”. List Price (future): $10-$20. Weight: 0
- Khan Academy‘s Smarthistory and other similar videos. List Price: Free. Weight: 0
- Google Art Project and similar sites. List Price: Free. Weight: 0
- Other similar apps, iBooks and sites, for art and other classes. Cost: low. Weight: 0
A pretty unbalanced picture, huh? We’re very happy to be helping to make the lighter side a reality sooner rather than later.
Art Careers
Our previously announced intership program is now rolling along, with dozens of interns learning the ropes in the burgeoning digital art field while at the same time helping us to enhance our digitalized art collection. They’re also helping us implement the first stages of our recently announced partnership with Bridgeman Art Library, which involves merging the two collection databases together in preparation for adding print-on-demand capabilities to Art Authority for iPad.
Relatedly, Art Authority was just featured at the Art Career Project in an article entitled “15 Art Apps You Should Be Using.” We definitely appreciate the publicity and accolades (“one of the most beautifully designed apps on iTunes”), but we even more appreciate the recognition that we’re on the right track with our education initiatives:
- The Art Career Project Web site says “We are a group of people – much like you – who are passionate about art.” Check.
- It also says “a career in art often starts with an excellent education.” Check.
- And “We’re looking to educate you on how to educate yourself in preparation for an exciting career in art!” Check!
So thanks, Art Career Project, for doing what you do and for helping us validate that what we’re doing can really be important.
An Internship at the Intersection of Art and Technology
Today we announced the Art Authority internship program, with space for up to 100 art majors to help us enhance the database behind the Art Authority app line this summer. We’re very excited about this program, because it’s a win-win-win situation:
- We get to increase the size of the database (50,000+ works) by up to 50% while at the same time enhancing its quality with additional information on current works and higher-resolution images for the new iPad’s retina display.
- Art students get ahead-of-the-curve experience as key parts of their field transition into the digital realm. Plus they get to work on a way cool app 🙂
- Users of the app around the world, including other students, get an even more comprehensive, up-to-date version of the app.
Traditionally, an art internship would consist of moving to a big city like New York and working as a docent or other volunteer at a museum. Such an internship certainly still has its place for a certain set of students preparing for a certain set of jobs. But for others, who are already more focused on technology, getting a jump on the part of their field that they’re more likely to go into could well prove invaluable.
At the iPad 2 introduction in 2011, Steve Jobs said “It’s technology, married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing.” Art Authority is quite literally the intersection of Art and Technology. And we’re looking forward to meeting a whole lot of art students there.
