Music for The Eyes – Bill Pritchard

Awards:
Clients:
Location:	Electric Playhouse Albuquerque, NM
Date:	October 2022
Team:	Electric Playhouse Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Role:	Creative Technologist
Tech:

“This gave me an idea that I was very interested to follow later – the idea that music could be translated into something for the eye.”
Georgia O’Keeffe

The Prompt

The team walks through an early prototype of the experience.

In this interactive immersive art experience, we set out to explore the life and artwork of the renowned artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Our primary goals were to showcase the vastness of O’Keeffe’s subject matter beyond her iconic flower paintings, provide educational takeaways, and offer an engaging, fun, and immersive experience for the audience to explore and connect with O’Keeffe’s artistic journey.

The Process

Liz Neely, Curator of Digital Experience at Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, provides feedback on a visual experience.

To bring this project to life, we collaborated closely with the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, meeting weekly with their team to develop the narrative and vision for the immersive experience. With their valuable art direction, we delved into exploring the core aspects of O’Keeffe’s life and work that we wanted to highlight.

Guests mingle in the space inspired by O’Keeffe’s brief but influential visit to Hawaii.

Drawing inspiration from contemporary immersive art experiences, the O’Keeffe team toured a diverse selection of such exhibits, guiding the creative and narrative vision for our project. We addressed concerns related to educational takeaways and manipulations of original pieces by thoughtfully pairing each interactive and visual experience with unaltered, and annotated version of O’Keeffe’s original artwork. This approach allowed guests to compare and appreciate our interactive interpretations alongside the artist’s authentic creations.

We recognized the importance of providing context to a wide audience, so we meticulously designed each annotation and work in both English and Spanish, ensuring a meaningful and inclusive experience for all visitors.

The Product

The exhibition’s launch exceeded all expectations, becoming the most successful art show at Electric Playhouse to date. Visitors from various locations journeyed to immerse themselves in the world of Georgia O’Keeffe.

The experience commenced with a 13-minute orientation, cleverly divided into five captivating chapters, each focusing on a different phase of O’Keeffe’s life and artistic journey. Guests were taken on a remarkable exploration of her early work and life in New York, her time in West Texas, her iconic flower paintings, and lesser-known elements of her catalog, such as her transformative trip to Hawaii.

Throughout the exhibit, participants engaged in immersive storytelling and participatory interactions, offering a non-linear exploration that evoked a range of emotional responses, from quiet and reflective to active and playful.

The success of the exhibition can be attributed to its ability to fulfill multiple goals. Audiences found themselves captivated by the captivating life of Georgia O’Keeffe as an artist, gaining valuable insights into her inspirations, techniques, and the language of her art. This experience provided a profound and unforgettable journey, ultimately leaving visitors feeling empowered and inspired to express their own creativity.

With the interactive website offering additional information, sources, and annotations, the exhibit extended beyond the physical space, creating a lasting impact for those seeking to delve deeper into Georgia O’Keeffe’s artistic world.