Project Title:  Portland Art Museum iPhone Application

Project Category: Handheld/Mobile Multimedia

Museum/ Institution: Portland Art Museum

Program Created: November 11, 2009

Press Release: http://portlandartmuseum.org/about/news/releases/Portland-Art-Museum-Launches-iPhone-Application/

Program URL (if available):

http://portlandartmuseum.org/visit/display/iPhone-application/

Or Search “Portland Art Museum” on iTunes 

Project Image(s) and/or Video

(Screen shot of the App page on the Museum Website)

 http://smarthistory.org/portland-art-museum-oregon.html

-Videos featured on the iPhone app are also found on Smarthistory.org

Media Source(s)/Credit(s):

 http-//www.flickr.com/ph#17F451 Image of Art Museum iPhone App from Flickr

Program Description:

The Museum's free iPhone application was created in partnership with Spotlight Mobile using a grant awarded by the Kress Foundation includes 12 short videos (and videos describing the video’s content) featuring curators, educators, and others discussing works of art on view in the Museum's permanent collection. The app also includes, basic interpretive information, and a map-enabling visitor to locate works of art and general Museum information. 

 http://portlandartmuseum.org/visit/display/iPhone-application/

Firsthand or secondary review/critique: 

I downloaded both the Portland Art Museum and AMNH’s apps, it was only after using the Portland app, that I felt like I’ve utilized the same content before – I had on www.smarthistory.org. Before I begin to proceed with my firsthand review, I thought that the cross platform use of the information was fantastic!

Unlike many users who are most likely using the application in the galleries on their own device or checking one out – I’m using the device as a stand-alone application. I have an iPhone 3 (yep, it’s old) and was using it in a Wi-Fi network and it still took 3 minutes or so to load. One it loaded it was really straightforward. The main screen offers three major options – permanent collection, past show: Lee Kelly, and Museum Maps, below a keypad and Museum info option. It offered 10 permanent collection options, 12 for the Lee Kelly show, and maps of each floor in both the main and Jubitz building.

I selected 9. (in the permanent collection section) Boite-en-valise, Series F by Marcel Duchamp. From it’s screen I could select to play the video, show the video details, or find the artwork on the map. What I enjoyed most about the video is it was a conversation between Bruce Guenther (curator) and Beth Harris (educator) and that it was less the five minutes. I didn’t like how the video was just the artwork without any additional cuts to the speakers and that the zooming happened 3 minutes into the video.

I think the application stood on it’s own fairly well, I’m excited that it was free, that I can access it during downtime. I wish it had more! –More artworks and more content.

Technologies incorporated:

Audio/Vido, iPod touch/iPhone interface, touch screen, web enabled technology. 

Internally or externally produced:

 Externally Produced by Spotlight Mobile: http://www.spotlightmobile.com/

Entry Contributor and Date: Erin Narloch 4/22/11

Related projects:

Spotlight Mobile also created: American Museum of Natural History’s iPhone App