Art Babble and SmArt History

Put down your books and spread the word of art through video.

As an Art History Major at New York University, I hear a lot of conversations about how expensive and outdated our textbooks are. We welcome the likes of online art educators SmArt History and Art Babble, where you can find art videos, discussion boards and podcasts, with open arms.

Art Babble identifies with our generation’s need for immediacy and interaction. Conceived and launched by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Art Babble contain’s “video art content in high quality format from a variety of sources and perspectives.

SmArt History was started by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker in 2005 for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Recognizing the multiplicity of art histories, the duo recently launched a public version of the site with hopes of highlighting its capacity for remixing art history and opening dialogue.

Maybe you saw the Jenny Holzer show at the Whitney and didn’t quite get it. You can hop onto Art Babble via your nearest online access point and hear the concept for the exhibit straight from the horses mouth.

Say you are writing a paper on Paul Cezanne’s portraits. SmArt History has videos describing and zooming in on Cezanne’s architectural use of paint and his color planes.

“Art-Bab-ble [ahrt-bab-uhl]
noun; verb (used without object) -bled, -bling

1. free flowing conversation, about art, for anyone.
2. a place where everyone is invited to join an open, ongoing discussion - no art degree required.”

If only Ovation could start a decent website already.