Adding technology to exhibits that give visitors a personal, interactive experience with the art on display recently won international recognition for the Art Museum of South Texas. The museum received the 2018 Bronze MUSE Award in the Interpretive Interactive Installations category. MUSE awards are given by the Alliance Media and Technology Professional Network for using digital media to enhance the museum, gallery, library, or archive experience.
The Art Museum of South Texas won for its exhibition, “The Color of Being/El Color del Ser: Dorothy Hood (1918-2000),” which allowed visitors to create their own abstract art and become part of the artwork itself using motion-capture devices and touch-tables. The exhibit was displayed from September 2016 to January 2017 and featured the extensive work of an under-represented female artist.
An early Texas modernist, Dorothy Hood created abstract paintings, drawings, and collages. The showing of 155 of her works at the Art Museum used technology to propel visitors into the artist’s world in a way that engaged even the youngest patrons of the arts.
The works were set up in five galleries that flowed from one into the other, exploring storylines with multifaceted content.
“The opportunity to inquire, reflect, play, and observe allowed visitors to immerse themselves in a unique art experience that brought Hood’s large and colorful paintings to life,” said Karol Stewart, coordinator of AMST community services. “The exhibition described not only the cultural and historical context of Hood but also the tools and processes she used to create her paintings and collages.”
The experience has changed how the museum views exhibition design, including an augmented reality app created by Dr. David Squires, assistant professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The museum has been affiliated with the school since 1995.
A redesign of the museum’s website will amplify the online viewing experience by incorporating video interviews with artists, linking artwork to articles, and adding resources about pieces in the permanent collection.
“We were humbled to have won Bronze at such an important competition,” AMST Director Joe Schenk said. “This award celebrates the evolution of the museum experience and recognizes a handful of museums globally who are redefining the visitor experience as interactive, memorable, and sharable.”
The Art Museum of South Texas is located at 1902 N. Shoreline Blvd. in the S.E.A. District of Corpus Christi. Closed on Mondays, hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and military members, and $4 for students. Members and children under 12 are admitted free.