Art exhibition and provenance records are some of the most vital tools museum managers have for understanding and interpreting their collections. Yet for many institutions these records are the last record to be digitized. In response to changing technological capabilities and big data trends, researchers at CMOA have launched Art Tracks, a groundbreaking initiative to turn collection provenance into structured, machine readable data. In this interview David Newbury walks us through exactly what Art Tracks is, how it can help museums tell stories through data, and reveals some surprising discoveries the museum made as they delved deeper into their collection than ever before. If your museum is looking for new ways to find the stories hidden within your collection, Art Tracks may be the tool for you.

Art Tracks is a free, open source program available HERE for museums to download.