In a press release issued yesterday, the Arts Council announced that it has launched a new website http://artscouncil.emuseum.com/ featuring all the visual art works in its collection.
The collection is considered one of the most important National Collections in the Country and was established in 1962.
In 2012 the Arts Council celebrated 50 years of the Collection with major exhibitions that ran throughout Ireland and a publication of the collection, 'Into the Light.'
At that time the full collection of over 1,000 works were digitised in preparation for making them web accessible.
At yesterday's launch, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys said, "I am delighted to see the Arts Council embracing digitisation as a way of making art more accessible. This new website creates an online gallery and provides access to the entire Arts Council Collection in one digital location, making it much easier to discover and enjoy the work of a range of Irish artists.
The website will also be a very useful tool for art teachers, who will be able to use the site as a hub of information on Irish art over the last 53 years. The site not only showcases the works of art but tells the story of the artist who created each piece. An interactive feature also allows you to become an online curator, so you can pick your favourite pieces and create your own personal Arts Council Collection."
Chair of the Arts Council, Sheila Pratschke added, "We are so pleased to be able to launch this website today. Our Collection provides a window into the development of Irish art since the early sixties. We are very keen that everybody can explore and enjoy it. Our Collection of over one thousand works from Ireland’s finest and most accomplished visual artists can be seen in public buildings the length and breadth of the country.
If you know of a public building or institution that might want to access a piece from the collection there are details of how to do so on the Collection home page. This is the public’s collection and this is why the Arts Council has been so determined to make it fully accessible to everyone. Although sometimes the Collection is not so well known because the Arts Council doesn’t have its own gallery space, most of the works are on public display in schools, libraries, hospitals and public institutions throughout the country."
The announcement follows the launch earlier this week of a new web portal, ww.artsineducation.ie, to help drive progress under the Government’s Arts in Education Charter. The portal is supported by the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and aims to be a key national digital resource for arts and education practice in Ireland.
Source: www.businessworld.ie
