New Media Expo - Internet Art Gallery

The world's most accessible art gallery has opened on the Internet.

Up only since the end of March, Kaleidoscope Media makes it possible for any of the 20 million users on the Internet to browse the work of aspiring artists.

Artists need not be Internet users to get on the system, says Peter Markiewicz, one of two principals in the company. They need only bring in images or samples of their art, which can include paintings, videos, sculpture, literature, poetry or music, and Kaleidoscope will put the information into its on-line gallery.

"We want to have traditional artists on here," so Kaleidoscope will digitize the work of artists who may be unfamiliar with computers and the Internet.

In addition to their art, participants are encouraged to submit photos of themselves, biographical information, past and future exhibits or installations, press clippings, and other information.

The key to Kaleidoscope's presence on the Internet is new software, NCSA Mosaic, part of World Wide Web. The software provides a graphical interface for the Internet, permitting the display of graphic images on Windows PCs, Macintoshes, and Unix terminals. The software became available last fall, and Markiewicz, a genetic engineer by profession who handles the technical side of the gallery, began working with it immediately.

Markiewicz' partner, Jeannie Novak, is a musician who inspired the project and designed Kaleidoscope's gallery. The gallery contains various rooms, including: the Art Studio for display of still or video images and announcements of upcoming installations; Center Stage, where they can advertise clips from performance videos, or publicize live shows; the Music Kiosk, where musicians and record labels can showcase excerpts from their music; the Newsstand, where small presses can create virtual newspapers; a Reading Room for showcasing literary arts; and Renaissance Faire for personalized jewelry and clothing, interior design, made-to-order art and music and other art which requires audience or purchaser decisions.

Artists pay about $50 a month to be in the gallery, which presently features the work of about 20 artists. Kaleidoscope may also ask for a proportion of any sales resulting from the display of work in the gallery, similar to financial deals with regular art galleries.

Modem speeds are a significant limitation for Internet users, especially when viewing video or listening to sound. Users must typically download the files before running them, Markiewicz noted.

As network bandwidth increases and higher speed and ISDN (integrated services digital network) modems become available, however, access to the gallery's offerings will improve, Markiewicz said.

Gallery viewers who want to order art or speak to the artists can use the telephone or fax, or leave electronic-mail messages with Kaleidoscope. The gallery is a member of CIX [Editors' Note: We use a CIX Internet provider.], a commercial Internet exchange, and can take orders online.

Markiewicz said the gallery can serve artists in a number of ways. Well-known artists gain instant worldwide access to their work over the Internet. Lesser-known artists gain exposure they would not otherwise gain from a small gallery which required in-person visits. Artists with unusual or specialized arts, such as a jazz harpist, can use the Internet's large user base to find a sufficient number of patrons.

(Paul De Groot/19940419)