ARTstor,
a new learning resource that has been brought to EPCC, will allow
students to access an online database of over 500,000 images.
ARTstor,
pronounced art-store, is an online database which offers students
the opportunity to view architecture, paintings, photography, sculptures,
graphic designs, anthropological objects, archeological finds and
much more.
This online database is available to all faculty and students of EPCC.
It can be accessed from any computer, anywhere with a student ID number.
"It is not a static website," said Jessica Walker, an ARTstor
spokesperson. "You can print, save, create collections of your
favorite images, and use them in a slide format for presentations,"
said Jessica. Each image contains information such as: the creator,
date, origin and description.
For those interested in Archeology, the ARTstor has images of cave
drawings and artifacts from the caves in Dunhuang, China. They are
famous for their Buddhist art, which the Chinese government periodically
closes to the public.
Some drawings date as far back as 400 AD and are almost impossible
to see in real life. ARTstor is also presenting its first quick time
virtual 
reality
(QTVR) tour of one of the cave chambers.
The
digital library includes a group of images from On the Fabric of the
Human Body, written by Andreas Vesalius in 1543. This book led the
way by being one of the first textbooks on the human anatomy.
"This collection will be a benefit to those interested in the
medical field or sciences," said Walker.
ARTstor is currently used in colleges all over the country including
UT Austin, UCLA,Harvard University and The University of Notre Dame.
"If you are not able to travel and see these images in real life,
ARTstor is a humongous resource," said Ron Clark, an EPCC art
instructor.
The first ARTstor workshop, presented by Clark, will be held at the
Valle Verde Campus in room C420, on Wednesday, March 8, at 2:30p.m.
This workshop is being held to introduce faculty to ARTstor and to
explain the tools and software that comes with it.
"Since it is an introduction and is new to the college, this
workshop is intended just for faculty," said Clark. "There
will be more workshops, we just haven't set any dates yet," said
Clark.
