Progressive art collection now available virtually
The Progressive Art Collection, which contains over 10,000 contemporary pieces of artwork including sculptures, paintings, photography and new media, promotes company culture by encouraging the pursuit of innovation and change.
Each year thousands of employees – and their friends and families, engage with the collection through tours, seminars, artist talks, exhibitions, and team activities. However, due to the COVID pandemic and the majority of the workforce away from the office, employees haven’t been able to view the collection that the company’s Corporate Art Department continues to maintain.
Now, utilizing augmented reality (AR) technology, a new iPhone app has been created allowing the public to scan a QR code, download the app, and view and learn about the curated selection of artwork and exhibitions from the collection. Not only does the app allow viewing, but users can place favorite artworks on any surface (virtually) – including a home office or wall.
“We’re excited to release this Progressive Art Collection app,” said Corporate Art Curator Scott Westover. “The pandemic has created uncertainty on many levels and this app allows Progressive employees to recapture our office culture from their homes. Additionally, their friends and family can now experience the collection with their iPhones, and get the opportunity to explore, engage and appreciate all the pieces in the collection.”
Available for download by searching the App Store for “Progressive Art App,” the app provides users the chance to browse through a wide variety of selected artwork located in Progressive buildings from all over the country, read commentary about current and past exhibitions, link to artist websites, and save specific artworks as favorites and share them with friends. The “View in Your Room” feature uses the phone’s camera lens to place a piece of artwork anywhere a user chooses, as it will appear in life-size 3D. Additionally, by using AR technology, users are able to do what they’ve never been allowed to do on-site or in a museum – virtually touch and move artworks anywhere in their home.
Development of the app was done completely in-house with the company’s creative teams and IT department collaborating on the project, and soon the app will be available for Android users.
