On Monday, January 20, the Cleveland Museum of Art released to much anticipation an iPhone version of its award-winning iPad app, ArtLens.

“We’re really excited because lots of people have been waiting for the smartphone version,” says museum CIO Jane Alexander. “ArtLens for iPad got great reviews, but we found people really like using their own devices.”

ArtLens for the iPhone has some added features, such as a search function. It also can make recommendations based on user preferences. “You can hold the iPhone up to something you like and it shows you hotspots of other works,” Alexander explains. “It’s kind of like Amazon -- if you like this, you might like this.”

Visitors to the museum can go to the Collection Wall, the 40-foot interactive wall with images of the museum’s collections, and select their favorite works. The app will then take the visitor on a guided tour of the selected works.

The iPhone app also includes Top 10 lists of favorite works selected by both museum curators and visitors.

The original ArtLens app was released on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2013, to coincide with the opening of Gallery One, where technology and art merge. Alexander says that commingling technology and fine art reduces the intimidation many people feel when they walk into the museum.

An Android version of the ArtLens app is planned for a spring release.

Source: Jane Alexander
Writer: Karin Connelly