July 20, 2006
Listen while you look: Henry’s new artcasts help patrons learn more
Artist Cat Clifford’s current work does not occupy a large part of the Henry Art Gallery. In fact, the three videos that comprise her exhibit, And Deer and Trees and Things, are playing in the elevator.
The physical space is small, but through the Henry’s new “artcasts” — museum podcasts — you can hear Clifford talk at length about her art and her inspiration — on a computer, or better yet, an iPod or other portable device, as you view the exhibit (riding up and down, presumably).
“This is something that museums all over the country are using now, and we are a contemporary art museum, and we know our audiences use contemporary tools in their everyday life,” said Betsey Brock, the museum’s media coordinator.
Visitors to the Henry’s Web site (http://www.henryart.org) can now access pre-recorded interviews with various exhibiting artists, conducted by museum staff, often as the artist and interviewer stroll through the exhibit.
Such is the case for a conversation chief Henry curator Liz Brown recorded with Akio Takamori, the sculptor and UW professor of art whose exhibit, The Laughing Monks, will be shown in the museum’s North Gallery until Oct. 22. The discussion is titled Drinking Sake and Celebrating the Universe: A Conversation with Akio Takamori.
And for artists whose exhibit space is limited, such as Clifford, the artcast presents an opportunity to expand the viewer’s knowledge of the artist and his or her methods and other work. “My practice is, I not only make videos but also animations and drawings,” Clifford said of her artcast. “So I had the opportunity to address those pieces of work, which then hopefully interested the viewer, who will seek out those works as well.”
Artcasts are new to the Henry’s staff as well as its artists. “We’re definitely still fine-tuning,” Brock said. For Clifford, who is a fairly new artist, the artcast interview was the first she had conducted. “It’s a little intimidating,” she said, but it worked out well. Brock agreed: “She has such a small exhibition space at the Henry, it’s great to be able to talk more with her about her process, her background and what she’s working on now.”
Also available, Brock said, are a walking tour of Threshold: Byron Kim, 1990-2004, recorded by guest curator Eugenie Tsai, and a tour of the popular exhibit of artist Maya Lin’s work, recorded by Richard Andrews, director of the Henry.
Brock praised the artcasts as increasing what the Henry can offer in programming, while remaining fairly easy and inexpensive.
“I feel we can have a much more personal experience with an exhibit and an artist,” Brock said. “It brings (the viewer) that much closer to an art work, and provides an experience that can change and enhance the way they think about art.”
