Time for a SmART Phone?

The carrots are getting bigger, maybe even large enough a stick won’t be necessary to entice me forward into the 21st century. A reluctant-not-an-early adapter, I’m actually thinking of getting an iphone. I have a brochure (I just haven’t read it yet). My son has an iphone. So does my brother. And a friend my age inherited her son-in-law’s 3G for Christmas when he upgraded to a 4G. However, none of that is pushing me to the tipping point. Nor has just finishing Steve Jobs’ fascinating biography. What has captured my interest is an article titled “SmART Phone,” by Blake Driver, in this week’s Alibi, Albuquerque’s free arts and entertainment weekly.

Driver describes a new application, or app, for the Museum Without Walls, how you can hit the “search using current location" button, and immediately have a list of nearby works of public art that will make your heart flutter. An artistic heart palpitates when it can visit a 4’ x 10’ tapestry of colcha embroidery depicting the life and culture of the historic Barelas (Hispanic) neighborhood right down the street and see nearby an oil painting called “Coronado’s First Visit to New Mexico.” There’s even a background description of the conquistadors’ visit. With a jaunt downtown to the transportation center, you can check out a steel-and-tile sculpture, “A Stop on the Rio Grande.” A video podcast shows how it was made. I want it.

I continue to be impressed with Duke City’s commitment to the arts. The Public Art Urban Enhancement Program is responsible for overseeing the 678 works in the city’s public art collection. Sculptures, paintings, murals and multimedia installations funded through Albuquerque’s 1% for Art program will soon be viewable on the app which uses a Google map and GPS to locate nearby works of art which tax dollars helped finance. In 1978 Albuquerque became one of the first cities in the country to approve the Percent for Art program requiring a portion of voter-approved bonds for improvement projects be set aside for the creation of new, publicly accessible artwork. Over the past four years, the Public Art Program has spent an estimated $600,000 annually on new projects. It is anticipated the same amount will be spent this fiscal year to complete 27 works in progress.

Albuquerque’s is one of more than 60 public art collections being uploaded to nonprofit cultureNOW’s database of art and architecture publicly viewable or paid for by public funds. So far, Albuquerque is second only to New York City for the number of listings uploaded to the database.

Not only does the Burque enjoy general public support of the arts, individuals are enthusiastic, committed supporters too. My artist neighbor, who is a painter, invited me to the “Master Works of New Mexico” art opening Friday night. It included oil paintings, pastels and watercolors. She had several miniatures on display and was involved in organizing the event. When she called me later to thank me for coming to the show, I told her how happy I was to see so many people there supporting it. Assigned to an entry table with a clicker to track attendance, she told me over 600 people attended. When I set an intention for my new life in New Mexico, I declared that it would be filled with culture – art, music, theater and writing. I am pleased to see that it’s true. The new mobile app puts the power of curating individualized, free art tours back in the hands of the people. For $1.99, it’s less than the cost of a museum ticket. I want it. I just need to be willing to join the 21st century.