Web site: http://www.artsmia.org/unified-vision
The judges said:
" The Prairie School website is part of a dual-program effort
to reach visitors online and in the museum gallery. At first glance,
the website is a simple spin around some of Minnesota's Prairie
School masterpiece. The design is so simple that it focuses its
attention squarely on the buildings themselves, also supported
by very clear, informational text. A few innovative touches really
make this web site. For instance, the call-in audio tour, using
such forgotten technology as the telephone, is an inspired solution
to the problem of relying on visitors' proficiency with the web
to download audio."
A Tip From the Producers:
"With Unified Vision, we learned — much like the architects
of the Prairie School — that often less is more. By using
a simple, clean interface and keeping the number of subject areas
to a minimum, we found that sometimes limiting the breadth of
content can strengthen the project as a whole."
Web site: http://catlinclassroom.si.edu
The judges said:
Across the board, this is an excellent application of technology
in the context of art interpretation and education. The Web site
provides much in the way of content--a wealth of information in
a range of formats. We get history, art history, biography, natural
history, and more. Use of first person narration works beautifully
to bring multiple perspectives to bear on Catlin's work and its
place in Native American history. The campfire circle of voices
was a very good choice for addressing some of the complexities
of the art in question while keeping the format comprehensible
and accessible. The design is rich and elegant, with an interface
that represents complex layers yet is easy to use…The virtual
space where teachers and students could share their thoughts was
a very effective tool in that it allowed a variety of thoughts
and ideas to easily be exchanged."
Web site: http://georgewashington.si.edu
The judges said:
"George Washington: A National Treasure uses very innovative
and engaging methods to explore a single portrait. The "filters"
that allow one to explore the work via allegory, history, etc.
are very clever and represent using the medium in ways that would
not be possible in printed materials… The format allows for
the inclusion of a fair amount of historical information, which,
in the case of the Landsdowne Portrait, is entirely appropriate
… It brought to life a somewhat 'boring' painting, and show
the significance and meaning behind it. It did this using innovative
technology."
Audio Tour
The judges said:
"I rate this audio tour very highly, as it presents a range
of "characters" to bring such a broad collection of
art to life. The audio quality is top-notch, and the audio is
parsed in such a way that short, brief statements are able to
say a lot. Also, the tour presents fundamental ideas in a very
easy, conversational style that I found very refreshing….
A fun and informative introduction to the collecction that provided
a variety of stylistic approaches to the entries without becoming
cutesy or patronizing."
A Tip From the Producers:
"A tip to getting young museum visitors involved in guided
looking and listening is to animate your collection – use
unique character voices, quirky personifications, comical dramatizations,
evocative sound effects/music and entertaining interactive question
and answer games."
Web site: http://www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/
The
judges said:
"The Artist's Toolkit is a great introduction to basic concepts
in art for students as well as teachers. This should be every
classroom teacher's essential tool. It's also a great way to introduce
the MIA collection to visitors. It's very nice how the producers
tried to appeal to different learning styles… The animation
of the artworks is a terrific way to introduce children to visual
ideas."
A Tip From the Producers:
"One of the goals articulated by the museums involved in
this project was to represent art from all cultures, time periods,
genders and include decorative arts, textiles and non-traditional
media to impress students with a broad and deep definition of
art. It was well worth the time and patience spent getting to
know the two museum collections. It took a little digging, but
the result is one of the most well rounded, multi-cultural art
sites for kids, delivering the message that art is truly by and
for everyone."
Art |
History and Culture
| Science
| Promotion of
an Institution | Collection
Database or Reference
Two-Way Communication
Gold:
Unified Vision: The Architecture and Design of the Prairie School
Gold:
Campfires with George Catlin: An Encounter of Two Cultures 
Silver:
George Washington: A National Treasure
Bronze:
Norton Simon Museum Family Audio Tour