EGC Works Podcast #5: The Virtual Palmer Museum in Second Life
Penn State’s Palmer Museum of Art exists both in this world, and in a parallel universe. This isn’t surrealism meets science fiction, but the efforts of Palmer staff and the Educational Gaming Commons to create a “virtual” Palmer Museum in the virtual world Second Life.
A visitor in the virtual Second Life galleries
To listen to the podcast, click here.
The online Palmer Museum joins other art museums by creating a presence in Second Life. The virtual Palmer in many ways is just like the real one – you can view great works of art in both locations.
There are a few things that set the virtual Palmer apart. The Second Life Palmer Museum has no roof, so patrons can do what many people in the virtual world are known to do – fly into the space.
Dana Carlisle Kletchka, curator of education for the Palmer, said that exploring this sort of technology seemed the right thing for the museum to do, given its focus on education. Carlisle Kletchka noted that given that other Penn State entities such as World Campus have a presence on Penn State’s Second Life “isle.”
Art education abounds in Second Life. Students in the course AED 322 Visual Culture and Educational Technologies have created works of art on display in Second Life. This is in line with what many artists are doing in Second Life. For example, Carlisle Kletchka said the artist Cao Fei has created art in Second Life and even sold it for a nice sum.
Carlisle Kletchka said future goals for the virtual Palmer includes being able to have visitors come to the virtual auditorium and watch videos of previous speakers at the real Palmer. She said she also hopes to see the virtual Palmer become a communications tool to promote education, events, and art at the real Palmer.
One obstacle that the virtual Palmer has to overcome may be surprising, Carlisle Kletchka said. Despite young people being “digital natives” and used to technology, some are cautious about Second Life. However, she said, those who are used to Second Life are very appreciative of this online art education resource.
To find out more about the art of Second Life, Daily Buzz and EGC Works editor/producer Jamie Oberdick recently sat down with Carlisle Kletchka to discuss the virtual Palmer Museum. If you are interested in visiting the virtual Palmer Museum in Second Life, the coordinates are Penn State Isle, 207, 147, 28.
