October 13, 2004 - There is no denying that art–face to face–is an experience like no other. But what happens if you live in Europe or you are a 5th grade student working at your desk and you learned of an exciting show on pre-Columbian art across an ocean or hundreds of miles away?  You might be out of luck.

Hold on a minute.  If you have a computer with an internet connection, welcome to Objects from the Pre-Columbian Collection of Hillwood Art Museum. The unveiling of the interactive web site coincided with Humanities Month (October) and is the first endeavor of its kind undertaken by the museum, which is located on the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University.

"Conservation of our pre-Columbian works, especially the textiles, has always been a top priority for us," said Museum and Project Director Barry Sterns, head of the museum for the past seven years. "After conservation, the next step was taking the collection to the point of an exhibit. And we wanted this exhibit to be accessible to everyone, including those who can't come to the museum in person." 

When you log onto the site at www.hillwoodprecolumbian.org, moving images you're your eye. Divided by region and media, the site introduces viewers to the art of the Americas created by cultures in various regions of North and South America, such as the Chavin and Nazca of Peru and the Maya and Veracruz of Mexico. You will travel as far back as 2000 B.C.E. through the great Inca Empire of the 15th century.

The rich colors on the site hint at the richness of the pieces themselves. Textiles, figurines, musical instruments and vessels have much to say about the world in which the artist lived. By clicking on the detail button, viewers are treated to the kind of up-close examination generally enjoyed only in person. For several of the works, rotating 3-D perspectives complete the picture.

Unifying the educational components of the site is the inclusion of essays on female roles in everyday life, musical instruments, stirrup vessels and textiles to accompany each piece of art and provide background to the reader. Digital Initiatives Librarian and Assistant Professor Catherine Larkin led a team of writers in the scholarly research and writing of the narratives. Larkin, a C.W. Post alumnus with a B.A. in Art History, is now a graduate student in the C.W. Post/Palmer School Ph.D. program in Information Studies.

"Scholar or elementary student, the first step in the web's text development writing is always a foundation of well-researched, scholarly information," said Larkin. Museum Director Barry Sterns said that the site's anticipated viewers drove the style of writing.  "We envisioned an audience of students and their parents, as well as those with a strong interest in pre-Columbian art, so we wanted essays and descriptions that would be informative and easy to understand."

Patrick Aievioli, Professor of Digital Art and Design in the School of Visual and Performing Arts at C.W. Post, brought his expertise in web production and design to the project.  Museum Coordinator Barbara Applegate provided writing and research support in pulling all the pieces together.

The site is funded by New York State Council for the Arts (NYSCA), New York Council for the Humanities (NYCH) and Long Island University.

Hillwood Museum is open Monday through Friday, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Thursdays until 8:00 PM and Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 3:00. There is no charge for admission.

For more information, call the museum at (516) 299-4073.