Magazine Article
Digital Innovation

Collection Online

Welcome to a brand-new, in-depth digital experience

Jane Alexander, Chief Digital Information Officer

October 11, 2019

Appears in Cleveland Art, November/December 2019

Object Pages Scrolling text on the right-hand side is paired with a static image, providing easy reference when reading an artwork’s information. — **Object Pages** Scrolling text on the right-hand side is paired with a static image, providing easy reference when reading an artwork’s information.
**Citations** are linked directly to the CMA’s archives, simplifying scholarly research.
**Icon Bar** Every object page includes icons for downloading images and metadata; acquiring open access or copyright designation; seeing a print view; sharing via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, direct link, or email; obtaining instructions on how to download ArtLens App; and, for select objects, accessing an object’s 3-D model.

The museum’s cross-departmental Collection Information Team launched the new Collection Online in September. As part of the initiative to make artwork information universally available, we scrutinized every layer of the visitor’s online experience to create a powerful search that removes barriers, helping users engage easily and intimately with the collection.

More than 61,000 artwork records can now be accessed online: Dive deep into the provenance of J. M. W. Turner’s The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons. Zoom in on every detail of the boxing match in George Bellows’s Stag at Sharkey’s. Watch videos explaining the story of creation and destruction depicted in the statue Nataraja, Shiva as the Lord of Dance. Select alternate views for Bamboo, Rocks and Lonely Orchids to easily investigate the handscroll’s intricate images and writing.

Earlier this year, director William Griswold introduced the CMA’s Open Access initiative as a logical and exciting outgrowth of the CMA’s mission to create transformative experiences through art, for the benefit of all the people forever. In addition to around 30,000 images of public-domain artworks, metadata relevant to more than 61,000 records is available without restriction, whether the works are in the public domain or under copyright. Objects are now linked to brand-new content, from videos to 3-D models, all within a sleek modern framework.

3-D Choose the “In 3-D” option when searching to find these objects, then click the “3-D” icon to view the models. — **3-D** Choose the “In 3-D” option when searching to find these objects, then click the “3-D” icon to view the models.

Among the new features, the search function considers general users’ familiarity with Google-like searches as well as scholars’ needs, while the auto-complete accounts for common errors such as missing diacritics and misspellings. We’ve also implemented Microsoft’s Azure Search—an AI-powered cloud service—that ranks suggestions based on the noteworthiness of the search term itself, so more popular artists or artworks are suggested first. Often a user sees what they’re looking for before completing a search, and popular artworks are pushed toward the top. A search for “twilight,” for example, returns Twilight in the Wilderness as the first result despite other artworks having a close textual match.

Multipart Objects A search for “tea service” displays results for entire sets (immediate right). Selecting the icon over each thumbnail opens all set records, showing each piece from the tea service (far right). — **Multipart Objects** A search for “tea service” displays results for entire sets (above). Selecting the icon over each thumbnail opens all set records, showing each piece from the tea service (above right).
**Autofill** Terms typed in the search box will automatically call up the most common searches using those words (above, lower left).

Unlike any other museum’s online collection, all components of a multipart artwork are searchable. A search for “tea service” provides the option to toggle between individual teacups, pots, and trays, while selecting the cover record gives the whole set.

When searching for a particular subject—such as “Madonna”—each page of a book, side of a coin, or part of a set containing that term is returned. Unique pieces of art previously hidden behind the collective of the work now spring into view. These components of larger records can be viewed individually and connected back to information on the whole work.

Deep Search A search for “Madonna” returns results from across the collection, including those that were previously buried within the cover record. — **Deep Search** A search for “Madonna” returns results from across the collection, including those that were previously buried within the cover record.

Did you know you have access to videos relating to 358 artworks? Select the “With videos” option at the top of the search page to enjoy interviews with art historians that highlight captivating interpretive content. This is just one of many options in the new search function. Find what you’re looking for by medium, time period, or gallery number.

We continuously add new content to keep our Collection Online fresh and inspiring. While about 10 percent of the museum’s collection is on view in our physical galleries at any time, fully 90 percent is digitized and available on Collection Online (we plan to be completely digitized by July 2021). We are excited to see how you will use this tool to engage with the collection, find a new favorite, or inspire your next visit.

Find Videos Selecting the “With videos” filter displays all artworks in the collection with videos. — **Find Videos** Selecting the “With videos” filter displays all artworks in the collection with videos.