Message-Id: <mailto:199506021418.JAA07741@library.wustl.edu> Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 09:17:40 -0600 From: Alan Newman <mailto:anewman@ARTIC.EDU> Subject: With Open Eyes CD-ROM To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 18, 1995 MEDIA CONTACT: Eileen Harakal Patricia O'Connell (312) 443-3625
ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO GOES MULTIMEDIA WITH ITS MASTERPIECES
The Museum and The Voyager Company Co-Publish First Art Museum CD-ROM Geared for Children
Families who love The Art Institute of Chicago can now bring a multimedia version of the museum's best masterpieces into their home. A CD-ROM version of the current laserdisc publication With Open Eyes: Images from The Art Institute of Chicago will be available June 30, 1995. Aimed principally at families with children of all ages, the CD-ROM features more than 200 magnificent works from the Art Institute's vast collections, and offers a myriad of information, activities, and games relating to each work of art. Designed for use on both Macintosh and Windows computers, the CD-ROM is jointly published by The Art Institute of Chicago and The Voyager Company, a New York-based publisher of high-quality interactive media.
>From an African mask to a Chinese tomb figure to an abstract painting,
spectacular full-screen views of artworks are accompanied by audio clips that make viewers laugh, think twice, or want to explore further. With Open Eyes features a wide range of works from the museum's holdings, which span more than 5,000 years and represent cultures from around the globe. Works from the museum's 10 curatorial departments are included: Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; American Arts; Architecture; Asian Art; European Decorative Arts and Sculpture, and Classical Art; European Painting; Photography; Prints and Drawings; Textiles; and Twentieth-Century Painting and Sculpture.Each of the main images on the CD-ROM is accompanied by two soundtracks, one of which pronounces caption information, including the title, description, creator, and date of each artwork, as well as a short educational narrative. This information is also displayed as text on the screen. The other track provides seven-second "soundbites" designed to enhance the viewer's appreciation of the work. These "soundbites" may be words, music, or even a related sound-effect evoking a playful atmosphere for the image: for example, the sound of feet on wet pavement accompanies Gustave Caillebotte's Paris Street; Rainy Day and the strains of Swan Lake herald Edgar Degas' dancers.
With Open Eyes ignites a child's imagination and tests his or her powers of observation. For each art object, your child can: * travel a timeline and discover the date it was created; * traverse the globe to find the country in which it was made; * select alternate views of each object to get a closer look; * visit a virtual gallery where each piece is seen in comparison with a child to demonstrate its scale and size; * play a game and test his or her powers of observation; * make a picture scrapbook of favorite masterpieces; * learn interesting facts about each work; * leapfrog into a new work of art, and be surprised with what appears.
Whatever the game or activity a child chooses, With Open Eyes unfolds new and fun ways of learning about art. The CD-ROM will be available beginning June 30, 1995, for $39.95 at all four locations of the Art Institute's Museum Shop or directly from Voyager by calling 1-800-446-2001 or 1-914-591-5500 and through Voyager's World Wide Web site--http://www.voyagerco.com.
With Open Eyes was developed cooperatively by The Voyager Company and the departments of Museum Education and Imaging and Technical Services at The Art Institute of Chicago. The co-producers of the CD-ROM are Jane Wheeler of Voyager, and Alan Newman, executive director of Imaging and Technical Services at The Art Institute of Chicago.
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MUSEUM HOURS: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday and holidays from noon to 5:00 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day. Suggested admission is $6.50 for adults and $3.25 for students, seniors, and children. TUESDAYS ARE FREE. Special exhibitions may require full admission fee. For public information, call (312) 443-3600.
INFORMATION ON THE MUSEUM SHOP: Merchandise mentioned is available in the main shop in the museum, and in the Art Institute's three satellite shops. Art Institute members receive a 10% discount on all purchases at each location.
To order by phone using a credit card, call (312) 563-5151, or FAX to (312) 563-1973, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. American Express, MasterCard, Visa , and JCB are honored. To order by mail, enclose a check or money order made payable to "The Museum Shop" and mail to The Museum Shop, Mail Order Department, 1224 West Van Buren, Chicago, IL, 60607. Add 8.75% sales tax to the cost of each product for Illinois destinations. Postage and handling charges are additional. Allow three weeks for delivery.
Thanks, Alan
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Alan Newman, Executive Director tel. 312 443-7247 Imaging & Technical Services fax. 312 443-0849 The Art Institute of Chicago Internet: mailto:anewman@artic.edu 111 S. Michigan Ave. Applelink: ARTINST Chicago IL 60603 America Online: ARTINST