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Texas Tech University System Public Art Program Launches ArTTrek App

The Public Art Program app, ArTTrek, is available for download on IOS or Android devices.

April 24, 2018 | Contact: Scott Lacefield

The Texas Tech University System Public Art Program today (April 24) announced its new app, ArTTrek, that can be downloaded to IOS or Android mobile devices. The app provides information about the program’s collection, the ability to create maps guiding users to different artworks on TTU System campuses and much more.

Made possible by generous funding from The CH Foundation, ArTTrek allows users to discover nearby art with geofence technology that directs users to art pieces using their location and Google maps through walking, biking and driving directions.

Emily WilkinsonEmily Wilkinson

The app allows users to utilize social media to post photos and comment on art pieces through Facebook while learning more about the pieces through videos of the artists speaking about their respective pieces.

“ArTTrek is a great tool to explore public art on any of the TTU System campuses, serving as your own personal tour guide,” Public Art Director Emily Wilkinson said. “With more public art being added to the TTU System, this app will help you learn about new pieces as they are unveiled, as well as discover pieces you may not have known were part of the Public Art Collection. We hope the community will use this free app as a way to learn and explore the Public Art Collection, as well as a motivator to visit new areas of campus. I am so grateful to The CH Foundation for their role in bringing this critical need for our public art to fruition.”

The TTU System Public Art Program was established by the Board of Regents in 1998 to enrich campus environments and extend the educational mission at all four system universities – Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Angelo State University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. Through the program, public artworks are funded using one percent of the estimated total cost of each new major capital project. Since then, more than 100 items created by leading artists have been added to the TTU System’s multiple campuses.

The app provides tour lists that allow users to explore the collection by different themes as the user can “favorite” pieces and create their own lists for tours. The app also includes a game that provides clues that hint at the next piece in the user’s journey. The app will keep score and allow users to compete with others.

The TTU System Public Art Program has been named one of the top 10 university public art collections in the U.S. by Public Art Review, the leading journal in the field of public art.

 

About the Texas Tech University System 

Established in 1996, the Texas Tech University System is one of the top public university systems in the state of Texas and nation, consisting of four universities—Texas Tech UniversityTexas Tech University Health Sciences CenterAngelo State University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso.

Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, the TTU System is a $2 billion enterprise focused on advancing higher education, health care, research and outreach with approximately 20,000 employees, nearly 53,000 students, more than 330,000 alumni and an endowment over $1.2 billion.

In its short history, the TTU System has grown tremendously and is nationally acclaimed, operating on 17 campuses statewide and internationally. Under the dynamic leadership of Chancellor Robert Duncan, the TTU System has set forth a bold vision of excellence, collaboration and innovation and continues to prove that from here, it’s possible.