CONTENT:
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is the Smithsonian's museum of modern and contemporary art. The online collections focus on the art of the past 25 years and feature more than 4,000 records.
AESTHETICS:
This well-designed site is attractive and user-friendly. A Java-enabled browser and Macromedia Flash 5 Player are needed for viewing some of the pages. Included is a very informative Help page for setting up your computer for the best viewing.
ORGANIZATION:
There are a number of navigation options at this site. Users may choose the navigation bar at the top of the page or the handy site map, or they may search the collections by keyword or featured artist.
REVIEW:
The online archives of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden give students of contemporary and modern art a great opportunity to view the collections and exhibits. The collections can be searched by artist or topic, and each record includes historical information about the piece and the artist. A Flash movie of the Hirshorn Story is available that includes a timeline and information about the architecture and Joseph H. Hirshhorn, the founding donor. A few sample pages from the educational packets can be downloaded. Students can visit Art Interactive to learn how artists have used different methods and materials to convey their ideas, or they can try their hand at making their own art online in Create a Sculpture.
