Gallery site bonus for art lovers

By LOUISE POPPELWELL

In this technological age everything has a website, even art galleries. A month ago Auckland Art Gallery launched a website after a year and a half of planning and preparation. The existing site was reformed and several features were added including visual access to the gallery's entire art collection.

Registrar David Reeves clarifies: "The website offers all the standard information about how to find the gallery, the hours we are open and the exhibitions and activities that are on but it is also a gateway to nearly 12,000 works of art.

"We are one of the few institutions world-wide who have a record of their collection online. There are some overseas examples but it's new territory for any gallery in New Zealand," says research librarian Catherine Hammond. "We are offering global access to an Auckland city asset and it's a first."

The project started with the need to replace the in-house database. Members of the gallery's staff met the Auckland City Council's business improvement group, who manage initiatives outside normal funding, to form a blueprint for the redevelopment.

The existing website had not been modified in years and similarly needed redesigning. With the New Zealand-made Vernon collection management system the two projects evolved simultaneously.

Over 10 months digital images were taken of most art works including those in the gallery's print collection - much of which had never been documented.

Nearly 50 per cent of the works needed copyright permission to be published on the website - a high percentage has now been granted. Two consultants were hired to discuss with descendants of the sitters putting images of the Goldie and Lindauer portraits online. About a third are available, with more being added.

Much of the existing data about the works had to be cleaned up. This has ensured the correct spelling of artist's names and titles.

Central to putting the collection online was the need to make the gallery more accessible. The ability to search by using key words makes the website easy to use.

Reeves admits, "We had to make it accessible to people who didn't know what works we have."

A highlights section is available allowing people to view selections of important works.

Members of the curatorial team have added brief yet insightful descriptions about particular art works. This increases the educational value of the site by giving works background and meaning.

"An image is worth a thousand words but an image with no words is almost useless because unless you've got a few clues you don't get the benefit of knowing what it's about," says Reeves.

The collection has become more accessible to Auckland Art Gallery staff. Improved access means the management of the works is easier.

Previously curators looked through the works individually to select them for exhibitions. Now the information is at their fingertips - there is an immense time benefit. Since delicate works no longer have to be handled, there is also a conservation benefit.

While the initial focus was on providing access to the collection the rest of the website is continually evolving. Since its launch new features have been added such as an interactive exploring Leonardo da Vinci's influence on Marco d'Oggiono's Madonna and Child - a central work in the gallery's collection.

Copies of the Gallery Quarterly, a journal analysing works in the collection, will be added. Published between 1956 and 1978 the journal includes commentary by Wynstan Curnow and Peter Tomory, among others.

The response from the public and colleagues has been overwhelmingly positive.

"The Auckland Art Gallery was thought to have fallen behind other institutions in having electronic access to its collections but now we are at the forefront, we have set a benchmark," says Reeves.

* The Auckland Art Gallery website