Instead of looking at a specific tool for this week’s Web 2.0 Weekly, we’ll be taking a look at an entire website, that of the National Gallery of Art.  The National Gallery of Art was established in 1937 by resolution of Congress to house the collection of Andrew W. Mellon, which had been donated to the United States upon his death.  Over the years, the collection has grown and expanded into all areas of art.

The National Gallery’s website is nothing less than amazing.  Opportunities are provided for visitors to search the Gallery’s collection and view information about each work.  Some have very detailed information about the piece’s history.  Many also have images available for online viewing.  Additionally, detailed close-up images are provided that allow the pieces to be studied more closely.

Beyond simply providing digital access to the Gallery’s collection, the site hosts online tours, including collection tours, but also in-depth study tours grouped by artist, art work, and theme.  Any of these in-depth tours would be very useful for an art class to explore.

The Gallery website includes an extensive education section as well.  However, what I found most intriguing is the large selection of audio, video, and music podcasts created by the Gallery.  Topics range from lectures and studies of individual works to recordings of the Gallery’s string quartet.  Podcasts can be accessed from the Gallery’s site or accessed through iTunes or another “podcatcher”.

Strengths:

• Comprehensive selection of resources
• Useful historical information for many works
• Video, audio, and music podcasts add an extra dimension for an art class

Weaknesses:

• Podcast listings aren’t well-organized
• Website is designed using a minimalist approach, making it somewhat uninteresting

The National Gallery of Art’s website is of use to anyone with an interest in art, but it is of especial usefulness to art or history teachers.  The site is free to use and requires a computer with Internet access, a modern web browser, QuickTime for playing video podcasts, and a program capable of playing MP3s for audio podcasts.