The Smithsonian American Art Museum is asking the public to help it choose which titles will appear in its first-ever Art of Video Games exhibit.
Back in December 2009, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, part of the Smithsonian Institution, announced plans for an exhibition entitled The Art of Video Games, the first-ever attempt to “examine comprehensively the evolution of videogames themselves as an artistic medium.” And while the exhibit is still more than a year away from launch, the museum is asking for help from the public to determine which games should be included in the display.
“I want this exhibition to include the collective voice of the videogame world, which is not limited to the developers, designers and artists but also the game players,” said curator Chris Melissinos. “It is important to me that when gamers visit the exhibition, they find the experiences that most matter to them.”
The voting process is simple. Log in to artofvideogames.org (registration is required but it’s the simplest sign-up process you’ll ever see), then pick an era and have at it. The site just opened today and at the time of writing it was a bit wonky, so if you run into grief at any point, give it awhile and try again later. You don’t have to vote on everything and you can make multiple trips to the site to complete your entries, but be aware that once you’ve cast a ballot it can’t be changed, so choose wisely!
Voting on the Art of Video Games exhibition will remain open until April 7. The results will be made public in May, while the exhibit itself opens in Washington D.C. on March 16, 2012.
