Podcasting NYC's Museum of Modern Art

I was listening to Public Radio this weekend when I heard a story about Art Mobs, a group that is recording its own audio tours of the MoMA in NYC, and making them available as free podcasts. The podcasts contain much of the same factual information available in the official MoMA audio tours, though in a much more relaxed, less stodgy tone. The members of Art Mobs said their goals were to make their guides more "lively" than the official guides. Also, the podcasts are more like a conversation, as they feature two people discussing the paintings, as opposed to the single voice on the official guides.

Sound like fun? You can produce your own MoMA tour if you'd like, and in fact Art Mobs encourages you to do so. Upload your masterpiece to the Art Mobs site (they even provide access to a member's iDisk public folder) and they'll consider it for inclusion in their feed. Not in New York? No problem. Simply view the museum's collection online and record as you view.

It's a neat idea, and another example of podcasting's ever-expanding usefulness. For more information, check out this Art Mob story on Rocketboom.