Goodbye boring search bar, hello interactive search grid. Putting a creative twist on traditional databases, Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA's) Collection Explorer invites users into a "birds-eye" view of more than 12,000 pieces of art. Click on a piece to zoom in and find basic record information (including title, date, maker, and material). The mosaic structure fuels curiosity; after all, half of the fun is the thrill of the unknown as users click around the database, unsure of what will be discovered. Perhaps readers will stumble upon bright prints like Child with Pretend Animal by Karel Appel or ornate textiles like the Adire eleko wrapper made by the Yoruba Cultural Group (Nigeria). Feeling overwhelmed by the volume of work? Filters at the top of the grid sort these pieces by medium (for example, drawing, print, or sculpture). For users who prefer a conventional browser experience, a search bar at the top of the database allows for keyword filtering. This tool is a subsection of WCMA's Digital Project, a Mellon Foundation-funded initiative to create open and accessible art resources.
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