Digital Objects: My Parent’s Artwork

I added five pieces of art around my parent’s house that I grew up with. They relate to each other because they were all picked out with a specific theme in mind: water and the aspects associated with my mom's life growing up on Anna Maria Island. My parents love paintings, especially of anything marine related. My mom grew up on Anna Maria Island and her artwork contains themes of boats, docks, and reflections on the water. The piece with the ducks painted on wood was made by my great grandfather, who had a very close bond with my mom. She loves his artwork and has several pieces. His paintings do not fit in with their Anna Maria/Cortez scenic theme, but they have a special place in her heart. The colorful alligator has the most interesting story. When I was a toddler, my parents feared that I would fall off the dock in our backyard (we lived on a canal), and she told me a story about how an alligator lived under the doc and would eat me if I went into the water. After a few years of that trauma, the story was adapted into “Billy the alligator” being my protector, friend, and pet. My mom has a strange sense of humor. 

White Dock Over Water: http://lis5590.create.fsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/White-Dock-Over-Water.docx 

Ripples in the Water: http://lis5590.create.fsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Ripples-in-the-Water.docx

Rainbow Alligator: http://lis5590.create.fsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Rainbow-Alligator.docx

House in the Water: http://lis5590.create.fsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/House-In-Water.docx

Ducks on Wooden Canvas: http://lis5590.create.fsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Ducks-On-Wood-Canvas-1.docx


The metadata fields I used were the Creator and Description for Dublincore, Abstract for the Bibliographic Ontology, and Primary Topic and Based Near for Friend of a Friend. I was trying to find what would fit best with my items. Some options are catered to more academic centered material, and those would not fit into my images.


I chose these fields because I thought they fit best with my items. Some of the options were more centered around academic work, such as papers or novels, which would not have worked for my paintings as they are not a part of a book or collection. I wanted my descriptors to be simple and straightforward so viewers can understand general information. My parent’s artwork is from local artists in the Anna Maria Island and Cortez area. I want the metadata to ensure that viewers have a simple understanding of what the artwork is, where it’s from, and why it would be important to people like my parents. 


I had a hard time finding out what to choose as my objects. There are so many options to choose from and I became overwhelmed by that. I figured I would take some stress away by narrowing it down to objects in my house. The paintings are something that I see everyday, multiple times a day. I grew up with them on the walls. When it comes to picking a metadata field, certain items can be hard to categorize because there can be many ways to describe it, and the same item may fall into different categories. I could have discussed the colors of the water or the particular style of wood that is used, but decided to focus on general scenery of Anna Maria and Cortez.
Many options are also similar so I am not sure if the impact would make a big difference if I decided to choose another descriptive option. 


Like most technologies, there are pros and cons depending on multiple factors, such as specific situations, personal beliefs and values, and the needs of the community. Every situation is going to be different, and whether digital exhibits have good or bad implications for their museums, that is up for the individual to decide. Some will hold views that technology is ruining our society and that it takes business away from museums. Others believe that it benefits those who may not have the means to afford travel and can still have the experience, even if it may be different. I see money and people not wanting things to change as a challenge for museums to implement digital technologies. Some people are old school and enjoy little to no technology. Despite this, digital technology allows for more accessible services to those who may not be able to visit in person or for those who may have a specific type of disability and these technologies would be helpful for them to participate. Society will always progress and it is important for people and institutions to adapt to change with the times, or they may no longer exist.