Tuesday, June 24, 2008
With one click, visitors to the University of Iowa web site are exposed to a world of expression—365 days a year. The Daily Palette is a virtual gallery of artists, writers, and musicians with Iowa ties. Through images, text, sound, and video, visitors can experience the work of a different artist each day—if only fleetingly. “It’s the idea of engaging people in creative appreciation at their place of work, at a moment when they’re engaged in other things,” says Jon Winet, project director and head of intermedia in the School of Art and Art History. “It’s easy to partake in. It doesn’t take the same level of commitment as say, planning a day at the museum.” In 2004, Winet proposed a web site that would feature a different Iowa-identified artist once a day for one year as part of a University-wide celebration of the arts and humanities. But the Palette had a longer life than Winet imagined. Since it first appeared on Aug. 23, 2004, the site has showcased more than 1,300 artists—as well as writers and musicians—and received more than 300,000 visits. The Palette is coordinated by dedicated graduate and undergraduate researchers. Collaborations with other University and Iowa organizations allowed the Palette to expand to include a wider range of media and create a statewide virtual community of artists. The site has also become part of the Iowa Gallery, a digital archive of artwork maintained by University of Iowa Libraries, which means that the collection is part of the permanent scholarship of the University. “It’s been a fantastic project to work on,” Winet says. “We know there are people who come to work, turn on their computers, and check the Daily Palette. That’s a great source of pride for all of us.”