Oak Park Newspaper

THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO LAUNCHES FIRST MOBILE APP SHOWCASING PERMANENT COLLECTION OF FRENCH IMPRESSIONIST ART

One of the Finest Collections of 19th Century French Art
Now Globally Accessible on iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, and iPad

The Art Institute of Chicago and Toura are pleased to announce the release of the museum's first mobile app, created to showcase its renowned permanent collection of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. The Art Institute holds one of the most important collections of 19th-century French art in the world, and the museum is now making these iconic images, and accompanying audio and visual learning tools, available globally through a partnership with Toura--a leading mobile application platform provider.

The Art Institute's French Impressionism App is available across multiple mobile platforms, including iPhone/iPod Touch, Android, and an HD version available for the iPad. Specifically, the app offers a dynamic multimedia experience including high-definition images of more than 100 of the world's most iconic Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, virtual tours of four Art Institute Impressionism galleries, and in-depth information on the paintings and the 22 artists--Renoir, Seurat, van Gogh, Monet, and Toulouse-Lautrec among them--whose work is represented. The app also offers an historical timeline illustrated with archival images explaining how this world-renowned collection developed.

The Art Institute of Chicago's holdings of Impressionist paintings are among the very finest outside of France. This new app makes these celebrated masterpieces available globally and dramatically enhances the learning experience of countless art lovers around the world.

The Art Institute's French Impressionist App is available on the iPhone and iPod Touch in the iTunes App Store and in the Android Marketplace for download globally at an initial launch sale price of $1.99 for two weeks, after which it will be available for $3.99. The HD version is available on the iPad for download globally at a price of $5.99 and will also be on sale at launch for two weeks for $3.99. For more information, visit http://a.toura.com/861.

The app is being released following the recent publication of the museum's new guide to the collection, The Age of French Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Art Institute of Chicago by curators Gloria Groom and Douglas W. Druick. The book is available at the Art Institute's Museum Shop for $50.00 (hard cover) and $30.00 (paperback) and online.

"The Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings at the Art Institute are among the most popular paintings in the world," said Sam Quigley, Chief Information Officer and Vice President of Collection Management at the Art Institute. "We are thrilled to be able to make these stunning works, and so much rich information about them, available to so many people in a dynamic and interactive format. We have always been committed to sharing our collection as widely as possible and to educating both visitors and art enthusiasts alike about the works we have here in Chicago. We're excited that we are now able to make our collection more accessible with these mobile application platforms and that 19th-century art is meeting 21st-century technology, for the benefit of our visitors and the public at large."

About the Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago is a world-renowned art museum housing one of the largest permanent collections in the United States. An encyclopedic museum, the Art Institute collects, preserves, and displays works in every medium from all cultures and historical periods as well as hosts special exhibitions. With a collection of more than 260,000 art works and artifacts, the museum has particularly strong holdings in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting, early 20th century European painting and sculpture, contemporary art, Japanese prints, and photography. The museum just completed the largest expansion in its 130-year history, the internationally acclaimed Modern Wing designed by Renzo Piano. The Modern Wing features the latest in green museum technology and 264,000 square feet dedicated to modern and contemporary art, photography, architecture and design, and new museum education facilities.

# # # #

Web: http:\\www.artinstituteofchicago.org
Twitter: @artinstitutechi
Like us on Facebook

MUSEUM HOURS
10:30 am-5:00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
10:30 am-8:00 pm Thursday
10:30 am-5:00 pm Saturday, Sunday

FREE FIRST AND SECOND WEDNESDAYS OF EACH MONTH BEGIN JUNE 1, 2011

Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

ADMISSION
Adults $18.00 Includes all special exhibitions
Children 14 and over, students, and seniors $12.00 Includes all special exhibitions
Chicago residents receive a $2.00 discount with proof of residency
Children under 14 always free
Members always free

Free Evenings are free to all. City of Chicago residents with Chicago Public Library cards can borrow a "Museum Passport" card from any library branch for free general admission to the nine members of Museums in the Park, including the Art Institute of Chicago.