Smartify is a free app that scans art and provides access to content in museums and galleries. Smartify users can also use it to build a personal art collection from some of the world’s best museums. Additionally, the augmented reality (AR) feature allows users to see the art in their homes.
I first learned about the museum app Smartify at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in front of the portrait of President Barrack Obama. There was a sign to download an app. I could deploy as a scanner on my iPhone to learn more about the Presidential portraits. I quickly downloaded it and scanned the art, and it worked. What a thrill!
A few weeks later, I created a partnership between Smartify and the Historical Society of Washington, DC., where I was the executive director. The platform was a perfect solution for the new museum. The goal was to deliver information about the history of the Carnegie Library to personal mobile devices. The app can be used throughout the DC History Center. Plans include expanding the content to allow scans of sculptures in and around the building.
Scan Art Not QR Codes – Behind the App Technology
This app eliminates the need to scan QR codes. It uses technology to recognize the art itself. This technology works on smartphones and mobile devices. And it is an art guide that provides information instantly. It works across venues and is easy to use. Smartify is a social enterprise that serves a global community of art venues, artists, and art lovers. It’s the one app you can use to scan artwork to discover content for museums around the world.
Case Study: Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square
Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square is a history exhibit about the 1903 Carnegie Library in Washington, DC. Produced in partnership with Apple, the permanent exhibition is in the Carnegie Gallery on the lower level. Originally called the “bicycle room” when it opened, the room was meticulously restored in 2019 by Apple.
With dramatic ceramic ceilings by Rafael Guastavino, the exhibit space includes sixteen images. They benchmark moments from the building’s 115-year history. These include conceptual designs, blueprints, and other images from the 70 years as the public library. The exhibit concludes with the 2018 renovations by Apple.
The complete history is available at the DC History Center website. Here, learners can find the full and unedited version of the history of the 1903 Beaux-Arts building. The website includes the history of the selection of Washington, DC, as the site for the new capital city and Peter L’Enfant’s design of the District.
To enhance the minimal content on the exhibit walls, the Historical Society partnered with Smartify to deploy additional historical images and text to visitors’ mobile devices. Visitors scan any one of the 16 images to gain access to more information. The partnership with Smartify resulted in increased visibility of the DC History Center and allows visitors to support the organization with memberships and donations.
The platform is developed in partnership with art museums worldwide, including the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, The Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and many more.
