Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has launched a newly designed exploratory website at www.gardnermuseum.org. In addition to structural and navigational improvements, the museum’s new site “aims to engage online visitors with meaningful explorations that reflect the unique, multi-sensory experience of a physical visit to the Gardner Museum and its interior courtyard and galleries.”
The site’s landing page is organized around the historic galleries and floors of the museum. It provides many images leading to a selection of almost 300 objects of art, which can be understood through traditional and historic material. The design invites visitors to virtually explore the galleries and collection. You can listen to audio; read archival excerpts; closely at works of art; and discover different perspectives on the collection or new work by visiting contemporary artists. This exploration improves “accessibility to the Gardner Museum’s collection and encourages connections across museum departments, programs, and media through a user-driven path that provides a personalized web experience.” Give it a try. I did and it was fun and very engaging.
