A recent rise in appreciation of street art – as seen in
film, in
art books, and even on
museum walls – has encouraged connoisseurs to seek worthwhile works outside of traditional galleries and exhibitions. Because few are likely to stumble upon an authentic
Banksy mural in their everyday life, a crop of new apps has emerged to help users uncover works of public art in their respective cities.
Street Art London: With the
Summer Olympics mere months away, London is finalizing
preparations for an impending influx of athletes, tourists, and press. For summer travelers who seek a diversion outside of the
stadiums, the
Street Art London app for iPhone offers a comprehensive map of the metropolis’s vibrant outdoor art scene. This virtual guide features more than 280 urban art installations, including works by renowned graffiti artists like
Banksy,
Obey,
Pablo Delgado, and
Eine. The app’s Map Mode, which uses GPS functionality to plot and track users’ locations in relation to street art sites, is sure to prove particularly useful among visitors who are unfamiliar with the
Tube.
Arts for Transit: The
Arts for Transit (AFT) program was introduced to NYC in the 1980s as a way to bring a bit of culture into the city’s high-traffic mass transit system. Installations for subway and commuter rail stations were curated to showcase both
well-known artists and contemporary up-and-comers. Unearthing these underground murals, mosaics, and sculptures is now easier than ever with the
Arts for Transit app, which lets rail-riders search the AFT collection by artist or subway line. Detailed directions guide users to their installation of choice, and corresponding podcasts offer detailed background about hundreds of works, helping hectic commutes to better resemble a civilized gallery tour.
Public Art PDX: As the
much-spoofed epicenter of
90s nostalgia and
rigorous locavorism, Portland is a modern mecca for creative hipster types—and fittingly boasts a flourishing public art program. The
Public Art PDX app helps Portlanders navigate the city’s impressive public art collection, which numbers more than 400 works, including murals, sculptures and statues, photos, and architectural integrations. Installations are depicted on a map alongside information about the works and artists. The app has helped to cement Portland’s status as an artists’ haven, as did a recent
mock manifesto by Etsy which proposes that the artsy-craftsy company “acquire” the city and install “dozens of LEED-certified, solar-powered arts-and-crafts studios.”
