Art Authority

Art Authority is a company specializing in the production of fine-art reproductions catering to both art museums and consumers. The company originated from an art education app initially developed for macOS and iOS. The app presents art pieces within a virtual museum interface. It is designed for university and K–12 education and available on the iPad and iPhone. Open Door Networks and Project A designed and managed the Art Authority app between 2010 and 2016, at which time the Art Authority company took it over.^[1]

The app includes a database of 100,000 works of art, over 1,500 artists, and over 1000 museums and other art locations, and is used by apps such as Art Channel on Apple TV.^[2] The app and database were also instrumental in creation of the Art Authority Museum on Apple Vision Pro. ^[3]

The app was upgraded for the retina display concurrently with the release of the 3rd-generation iPad.^[4] Exploring Art with Art Authority, an e-book companion to the app, was introduced on April 18, 2012.^[5]

A partnership with Bridgeman Art Library, which enabled users to order reproductions of works from the app, was announced on May 30, 2012. It was implemented as Prints on Demand on September 25, 2012.^[6]

Access to videos for many of the app's major works was added in December 2013.^[7]

Promotion and use

In 2010, Seton Hill University announced the use of Art Authority on iPads for art history classes.^[8] All full-time freshmen would receive an iPad beginning in the fall 2010 semester for a $500 fee, and other students could opt into the program. The intent was that the university's deal with Open Door Networks would provide exposure for the app’s developers, and a supplemental tool for educating art students.^[9] The app was used in a pilot program for Seton Hill's 20th Century Art course in the 2011 spring semester. It was met with positive reviews by students, according to assistant art professor Maureen Vissat.^[10]

Art Authority was one of seven applications shown by senior VP Phil Schiller in Apple's education-focused special event at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, on January 19, 2012.^[11]

Acquisitions

An art print of "Irises" by Vincent van Gogh

In August 2016, Art Authority announced that it had acquired the art website 1000museums.com,^[12] a website that sells archival reproduction prints. Subsequently, the website and product line were integrated into the app and the overarching company.^[13]

In April, 2023, the owners of Art Authority and 1000museums announced that they had acquired Museum Store Products (MSP). MSP provides products to museum stores such as notebooks, mugs, magnets, etc.^[14]