#DrawArt: Object of the Day at Cooper-Hewitt

Poster: John Lennon, 1967. Designed by Richard Avedon.
Watch Video Playback

Everyday I'm #DrawArt-ing
Paige Dansinger/ @museumpaige

I have been drawing the Object of the Day from Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum. Inspired by National Museum Month, I dedicated the month of May to drawing the collection that was presented daily on their new multi award-winning Public Alpha website. 

This Spring, I visited New York City to experience seeing my art in a museum for the first time. I had made 200 Digital Trading Cards for the Gutai Card Box included in the past exhibit, Gutai: Splendid Playground at the Guggenheim. Luckily, I was welcome to stay with my relatives in the Upper East Side. As often as I could, I'd walk over to the Guggenheim to see the exhibit and then on to the  nearby Met, so I may draw their collection in a #DrawArt Digital Sketchbook.  I loved my adventure in NYC so much I returned a couple weeks later with my son to show him where we should live one day! 

On my way back and forth between the apartment and the museums, I'd walk past the Cooper-Hewitt Museum. Closed for renovation, it was wrapped in plastic sheeting with metal girders covering the facade. Along with fine art, I always had a fascination with objects of material culture. It's likely a result of the opening scene in the first Indiana Jones movie (so GenX) that ignited a life dedicated to museums, cultural heritage and online collections - as well as my imagination & sense of adventure.  I wondered about what it looked like inside - what was in there? I wanted to know the architectural and interior details of the site and galleries, it's objects for exhibition, and most of all, the contents organized in main storage. My experience an intern/volunteer assisting the Main Registrar of Collections, from 2005-2012,  at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts inspired a deep interest in learning the contents of museum's collections. This interest contributed to my dedication in  drawing over 1000 works of famous art from museums digitally on my iPhone & iPad and sharing them with Social Media. Using #DrawArt, I have also recently performed two one-day Digital Art Residencies. 

Cooper-Hewitt's mysterious exterior under-construction and the fact that it was closed to the public, completely inaccessible to me heightened my curiosity. How could I get inside and access the treasures in their collection? It would occupy my thoughts as I passed by. I wondered about the museum collection's vases, chairs and wall sconces. I wanted to know about their silver, plates, fans, and wallpapers. I could feel my inner-Indiana Jones was coming out.. I was on a quest and had to know more about the contents of the collection. As I walked by the museum, like a modern-day Indie, I whipped out my iPhone and checked-out their website.

Cooper-Hewitt's new website gave me exactly what I needed. It let me know just what was up - right away. It shared that even though they are closed, there's still many things happening at programs in other local spots and it offered me three easy opportunities for engagement. Intellectually, I may learn more by reading about the Object of the Day, physically I may integrate good design in my life by shopping in their online store, and spiritually or holistically by becoming a member of the museum community. In my opinion, these forms of engagement are good examples of sustainable ways to make most people interested in this museum and to return to their website. When I read about their objects in the collection I was able to learn insights about the works that are more relevant today, in a language that was a mix of profesional museum voice, hip best friend with a twist of street vernacular - it a voice that anyone could identify with. I even had the option to see the collection organized by color - like shoes or color-coated candy. With the site easily organized and communicated in a language I understand, I wanted to return and learn more. For me, it was a return I made every day this month. 

Watch the Object of the Day at Cooper-Hewitt video playbacks here  

(bookmark-it as an app on your mobile phone!)

I have accomplished my goal of drawing the Object of the Day for the month of May. In the middle of June, I will have another opportunity to get my Indiana Jones-on during a 3-week tour in Israel. My plan is to use #DrawArt to illustrate significant archeological sites and historic art and objects and to create an Indiana Jones-style illustrated story and game experience with the images I draw.  I will likely continue to draw works from the collection at the Cooper-Hewitt until I leave for my new adventure and anticipate continuing drawing from the collection when I return later this Summer. When the museum reopens in 2014 I will come back to New York again. Hopefully I may be a Visiting Artist and use #DrawArt live in the museum! 

Indiana Jones was afraid of snakes. Can you find the snake in this drawing?
Sampler, 1870, Watch Video Playback

#DrawArt Micro-Thumbnails

Fun to look at!

I created these images drawing on my iPhone by playing the game Draw Something (Zynga) or on my iPad with #DrawArt that I designed with Clement of the Elumenati.

I use Social Media to Instagram, Tweet, Facebook, Tumbler the image with a link to the original work on the museum's website or Wikipedia link. Sometimes other links from Smart History or YouTube are also offered.

The works engage audiences and I receive many "Likes" on Instagram and RTs on Twitter. I have even used this practice to Mentor Teens by drawing, commenting and supporting their growth in art and life by using this form of Social Media.

One Day Artist Residency with Worcester Art Museum

High Chest of Drawers, 1760-80

I recently enjoyed participating in a One Day Artist Residency. A progressive and new program by Adam Reed Rozan, Director of Audience Engagement at  Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts.

Worcester Art Museum is a beautiful place with an impressive collection of diverse works from several regions, periods and cultural groups. I learned about this museum & lovely collection by its well designed website and digitized online gallery. I have never been to Worcester, MA but I have literally spent the day there using a mobile phone and tablet.

New mobile technology is how I conducted the entire Artist Residency - by using digital media, the museums's online resources, social media and new innovations in audience engagement.

I used the new iPad program I designed - #DrawArt - to draw in real-live-time the online collection at Worcester Art Museum. Then I would Instagram the image (which cross posts to Twitter, Facebook & Tumblr). Each image on Instagram is posted with a link back to the original work at the museum. Social media was a great tool in engaging audiences. Some people even tweeted suggestions for me to draw of their favorite works and shared my posts with others. The museum used social media too by positing on Flicker, as well as Twitter & Facebook.

The highlight of audience engagement was that I included a link each time I shared an image for others to Watch it Live on a #DrawArt Digital Sketchbook that I created just for the One Day Residency which indefinitely extends the audience's experience with the ability to watch video playbacks of the drawings and the opportunity to learn more about each work, see the original art and link back to the museum online.

Other artists have contributed to the program in great ways. Artists are encouraged to learn more about the program and are welcome to participate by contacting the museum. I loved doing my One Day Artist Residency at Worcester Art Museum and hope that I may do this for many museums in the future! Its an engaging experience for both the artist, museum and audiences within social media.

EADWEARD MUYBRIDGE, Jumping a hurdle; saddle; bay horse Daisy Plate 640 of Animal Locomotion, 1887

#DrawArt images created for One Day Artist Residency with Worcester Art Museum.
Included are portraits of Matthias Wascheck, Director and Adam Reed Rozan.

#DrawArt Digital Sketchbooks

I made 3 Digital Sketchbooks to share #DrawArt while I was in New York City: #PaigeNYC showed my drawings of my visit to see Gutai: Splendid Playground at the Guggenheim and attend the Council of American Jewish Museum's Annual Conference. Another Digital Sketchbook was created to highlights the drawings I enjoyed doing live in the galleries and in the Matisse exhibit at #MetMuseum. The last one is called #Breath/Breadth. I made it while performing live during an art show drawing Bees. I was once caught in a massive swarm of bees and they consumed my breath. The show was curated by Jewish Art Now at Brooklyn College.

Thumbnails of Jewish Art

Here are some thumbnails of Jewish art I've drawn on my iPhone!

CAJM13 in NYC

I am in NYC at the Council of American Jewish Museums (March 3-5). Here are some #DrawArt images of my experience and perceptions during the conference. Included in drawings are Josh Perelman (National Museum of American Jewish History), Nelly Silagy (The Jewish Museum), Limor Tomer (Met Museum), Tiya Gordon from Local Projects and more.

Watch these drawings playback & view more #DrawArt Live in this Digital Sketchbook: http://t.co/Wek8XFGAvc

#DrawArt Live in NYC!

Today I'm going to NYC!! New York is the famed place of all my childhood, teen and art school dreams.. the home of great artists & museums... (and of course the home of the Beastie Boys).  I am coming to NYC for my first time as an artist and not a family wedding or the Newark airport - which is NOT really visiting New York! The reason I'm coming is because of all my artistic & creative skill and passion for  #DrawArt - the iPad program Clement & I created for me to draw in museums and also from lots of playing around with the iPhone game Draw Something to draw famous art in museum. I have now drawn over 800 images with my finger on my mobile device & thats whats bringing me to New York... innovative use of new digital technology!!

Who ever thought this GenX museum innovator would risk stepping away from her safe museum jobs to draw on her iPhone? Thats just the thing I did to explore museum engagement, social media,  educational games & contemporary culture. It has rewarded me an invitation to participate in the current exhibition, Gutai: Splendid Playground at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NY. I was asked to create 200 Digital Trading Card Stickers that will contribute to Tsunami Relief that are included with cards from many other artists in the Gutai Card Box, a recreation of the original performance in 1962. They even included my name in a list of Card Box participants in their new free app!!! (For a lady who likes museum apps that makes me really excited!!!)

I also recently received attention from ARTnews Magazine. They pronounced me an Artist to Follow on Instagram for using social media, art history and my drawing skills. I was welcomed by the Museum Computer Network Conference in Seattle and was included in the Smithsonian's Mock-Trial for the Google Art Project as the #DrawArt live court illustrator. While there, I was contracted by Museums & the Web to use #DrawArt to create special Presenter's Avatars for the speakers at the upcoming annual conference in Portland. I was even featured in Meet a Museum Blogger. #DrawArt has come a long way since this Summer!

It is then no surprise that I will be using #DrawArt Live in NYC!! I'm going to draw on my iPad with #DrawArt Live in each museum I visit. I will also be demonstrating #DrawArt Live in an art exhibit in a gallery by Jewish Art Now called Breath/Breadth at the Brooklyn College Hillel. I will also be using #DrawArt as a Live Digital Sketchbook! All you have to do is follow my daily drawings while I'm in NYC on your laptops or smartphones.

Here are some screen-shots from my iPhone of drawings of famous art from museums I have done prior to visiting NYC. Included are works from Guggenheim & the Gutai exhibit, The Jewish Museum - I'm attending CAJM -  Council for American Jewish Museum's Annual Conference while in New York this week too!! Theres also drawings from MoMA, Met, Whitney & Brooklyn Museums and some highlights from artists I cant wait to see such as Matisse at The Met because its so close to my paintings & a show I'm having later this Summer with self portraits of his appropriated Odalisques..  I also want to see the painting of Adele Bloch Bauer I at Neue Gallerie, the exhibit 1993 at New Museum and some Jean-Michael Basquiat paintings at Gagosian... and so much more to do & see!!

Check out these Matisse plates... painting plates is my new thing..that and hot iron pours and welding huge sculptures... I love being an artist. But these Matisse paintings are part of some works that I will exhibit July & August 2013 in a local Minneapolis gallery with digital work too I make with #DrawArt.