New App Allows Patrons To View Art Differently At AKG Museum

The AKG (formerly known as Albright-Knox Art Gallery) has a new audio experience that will allow you to experience their art in a whole new way.

Ever gone to an art museum and wondered what the heck you were looking at?  It's something that keeps a lot of people away from art museums.  But now, there's a new app that will help you to explore the museum in a whole new way.

Imagine going to an art museum and being able to get a private tour from the architect who helped to draw up plans for it. Maybe you are able to listen in on a conversation with Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas and his wife Patty.  It could happen with this new app and audio experience available at the AKG.

The new app allows you to take multiple journeys

The new app was developed with Art Processors and gives you the option to take seven separate journeys through the Buffalo AKG Art Museum at your own pace.  As you walk through the museum location-based prompts will allow you to get a deeper story about a piece of art or a piece of architecture that you might be looking at.

"Each of the seven journeys is designed to engage different audiences, including adults with children, educators, excursionists and tourists, art experts, individuals new to art and art history, researchers, and experience seekers." - Buffalo AKG Press Release

Who are the voices on the app?

As mentioned above, there are multiple journeys that you can take and each has it's own special voice (or set of voices).  They include AKG Leaders (Assistant Curator Andrea Alvarez, Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director Janne Sirén and Charles Balbach Chief Curator Cathleen Chaffee), artists (Julia Bottoms), a football hero (Thurman Thomas and his wife Patty), a comedian (Kevin Thomas, Jr.), an animal rescue expert, and architect Shohei Shigematsu himself.

How do you get it?

The app is free and it's available where you get apps.  It's available now for iPhone users and should be available in the next couple of weeks for Android users.  Just search for AKGo! to find it.

They do ask that people use headphones or ear buds to avoid from distracting others in the museum.  Headphones are available for purchase at the gift shop or visitor services desk.