In the 1990s, Microsoft founder Bill Gates created a 22-foot-long “video wall” in his Seattle lakefront home. Gates spent many millions of dollars of his own money to create the world’s largest digital art library. The library contained thousands of digitized images of fine art and classic photos.
There was only one problem. The technology of the day wasn’t ready for Gates’ vision. His efforts were largely unrecognized outside of his personal home.
However, in 2014 with the proliferation of smartphones, Internet-connected (“smart”) TVs, and streaming players such as Roku, Bill’s vision can now be realized. Using this technology, Artkick makes his vision possible — for anyone.
What Netflix did for movies and Pandora did for music, Artkick has done for art and photos. Artkick brings endless image streaming to anyone with a smart TV. The images you love can appear on your screen easily and instantly.
And it’s free.
So how can you get Bill Gates’ art collection in your home?
To get started, it takes just three easy steps:
- First, download the Artkick app to your smartphone or tablet.
- Next, connect a streaming player to your TV (or use your computer screen instead of a smart TV).
- Finally, start Artkick on your smartphone or tablet, create an account, and follow the instructions to connect your smart TV (or computer).
That’s it. You’re ready to build your free art collection. Discover art, import photos and share your excitement with friends and family.
Just as you can make song playlists on music apps, you can create Viewlists on Artkick. Search for art by categories. Choose a particular artist, from Andy Warhol to Van Gogh. Explore art genres, such as Renaissance, abstract or modern. You can also look for historical photos or images that would appeal to children. Search for images in museums throughout the world, from NASA and from the Library of Congress. You can also import personal photos from Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Picasa and SmugMug.
Artkick organizes your chosen images, formats them, and then makes your art collection available for your Viewlist. Display just one piece of art, or create a slide show of rotating images. It’s up to you. As with social media and song lists, you can share your Viewlists with friends and family.
Information about the art is available on your smartphone or tablet, so you can learn more about the images you see. It’s a wonderful way to discover and learn more about art, while enjoying images in your home that inspire you every day.
