Supporting Digital Innovation

The Cleveland Museum of Art has been a global leader among museums in leveraging technology to make art more accessible to people everywhere. From the museum’s ArtLens Gallery and Open Access initiative, which made its collection free to use, reproduce, and modify, to the incorporation of digital elements in exhibitions and gallery installations such as Revealing Krishna: Journey to Cambodia’s Sacred Mountain, the CMA harnesses technology to offer visitors new and meaningful ways to learn about and engage with art. We are pleased to spotlight three recent gifts to the museum that support this essential work.

John Sauerland, a CMA trustee and chair of the museum’s Digital Innovation and Technology Advisory Committee, and his wife, Leanne, are long-time supporters of the museum’s technological work. Through the Sauerland Family Foundation, they have reaffirmed their commitment to the CMA and its digital initiatives with a leading gift that supports the reinstallation and reimagining of ArtLens Gallery, which reopens this summer. Their incredible gift brings new immersive experiences to the museum that enable visitors of all ages to build deeper connections with art while exploring the full life story of works in the CMA’s collection, including their creation, historical context, conservation, and provenance.

Leigh H. Carter, a CMA trustee and close friend of the museum for nearly 40 years, has committed essential funding for the incorporation of innovative technology in the CMA’s exhibitions. Exhibitions offer new ways for visitors to experience art, and digital components help audiences engage with complex concepts in clear, meaningful ways. Carter’s profound commitment helps advance a key museum priority and supports digital projects such as those found in recent exhibitions, including Filippino Lippi and Rome, illustrating the artist’s creative process; Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses, visualizing the movement of featured fashion pieces; and Pintoricchio Magnified: An Immersive Conservation Experience, examining conservation techniques and their significance to the preservation of art history.

Inspired by technology’s ability to make art accessible, Dean and Susan Trilling, both decades-long members of the CMA and the Print Club of Cleveland, have taken the magnanimous step of creating the museum’s first endowment for digital technology. Their generous gift provides vital support for the systems that shape each visitor’s experience online and in the galleries, helping draw new audiences to the museum and realizing the full potential of the CMA’s collection. The Trillings hope their gift also encourages others to give towards this critical area, strengthening the CMA’s position as one of the world’s most digitally advanced museums.