University Galleries Partners with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Hawk+

The Montclair State University Galleries has partnered with the University’s School of Communication and Media and Bloomberg Philanthropies to enrich the visitor experience online and on campus.

Gallery exhibitions are now available in a new digital guide on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app created by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Bloomberg Connects app, available for download from Google Play or the App Store, makes the University Galleries accessible for both on-site or off-site visits through photo, audio and video features that offer insights into past and current exhibitions from artists, curators, professors, students and more.

In addition, University Galleries’ content will be housed in a newly developed “Arts” category on the School of Communication and Media’s free digital streaming platform, Hawk+. The new vertical will showcase the Galleries’ past and current programming. Viewers can watch content including short exhibition trailers, performances, tours, artist talks and readings to add a new dimension to University Galleries programming.

This digital expansion is in line with the University Galleries’ mission to present diverse and inclusive exhibitions and programs creating connections that unite the campus experience with local and global communities.

These partnerships take the hands-on learning experiences offered by the University Galleries and bring them into a virtual space. Students will have the opportunity to interview exhibiting artists, capture footage at events at exhibitions, and collaborate with the University Galleries’ student educators to produce short documentaries and other promotional materials.

“Making art accessible doesn’t mean only for those who have the privilege of viewing it in-person, but for anyone who may be interested in art and our community,” says Galleries Director Megan C. Austin. “We want to meet people where they are through technology offerings across media, language and time. Those components are critical to the future of the art world.”

The release of the University Galleries on Bloomberg Connects and Hawk+ coincides with the recent openings of their spring exhibitions: Caroline Garcia’s Dancing on Axes and Spears on view in the Segal Gallery until April 21, and Case Studies 2: Justin Cloud – The Garden on view in the Kasser Theater lobby until July 31. Both exhibitions are curated by Curator and Exhibition Coordinator Jesse Bandler Firestone.

“Expanding the Galleries’ inclusivity efforts has been a top priority,” says Engagement and Outreach Coordinator Alyssa Leslie Villasenõr. “We’ve developed audio descriptions to make artwork accessible to visually impaired audiences, but anyone can listen to these descriptions to learn new insights about the art we present. We’ve also translated our exhibition materials into Spanish and plan on increasing the number of languages we make available. Working with faculty, staff and other partners on projects connecting us to in-person and virtual audiences has been a privilege.”

For more information on the University Galleries, visit montclair.edu/galleries. To subscribe to Hawk+, visit hawkplus.tv.

The Bloomberg Connects app is available for download from Google Play or the App Store.