The Choctaw Art Walk
The Choctaw Art Walk blended tradition with next-gen technology, using AI and interactive elements to guide guests through a rich cultural experience.
The Choctaw Art Walk blended tradition with next-gen technology, using AI and interactive elements to guide guests through a rich cultural experience.
Native American artists are underrepresented in the art world. Of 2,000 special exhibitions across 18 major U.S. museums, only two featured Native American artists. Additionally, non-Native art often portrays Native people negatively.
Choctaw Casinos & Resorts addressed this by commissioning a new art collection for their 200,000-square-foot Durant expansion, celebrating Native heritage and contemporary culture.
The collection features works by over a dozen Native American artists and includes art spanning traditional media like painting and photography, as well as striking new ones — for instance, Steven Paul Judd’s thought-provoking sculpture entirely made from dice. The subjects of the art are equally varied, but all draw from the rich heritage of the Choctaw Nation.
Art by Steven Paul Judd
Painting by Diana Folsom
Painting by Jeremy Dylan Cavin
We created a series of videos titled True Colors: The Artists of Choctaw Nation, profiling the artists featured in the Art Walk exhibit. The videos provide an in-depth look at how each artist’s Native heritage inspires their work, and how their work provides a more positive, current perception of Native people.
To bring this one-of-a-kind collection the attention it deserved, we created the Choctaw Art Walk, a QR-code-driven experience that gets guests exploring the art using an interactive map, behind-the-scenes videos, unlockable rewards, and a Snap lens that lets them become art themselves.
Guest scan QR codes at the foot of artwork to enter the Choctaw Art Walk experience
Each QR code leads to behind-the-scenes content for an art piece in the collection
An interactive, 3D map guides guests to new paintings
Guests use our Snap lens to capture and share themselves in the unique art style of artists
Users can scan a QR placard at the foot of any artwork to begin the experience. This leads them to our mobile web app, a site that contains rich behind-the-scenes information about all of the art in the collection. Through video interviews, artist bios, and photos featuring the artistic process, guests can explore the rich inspiration and story behind each piece.
Through rapid prototyping and user testing, we optimized the Choctaw Art Walk mobile experience, ensuring the QR code interaction was smooth and intuitive for visitors of all ages.
Another major piece of the Art Walk is our Snap lens, an AR experience that recreates users in the style of select paintings from the collection using machine learning.
The Snap Lens utilized advanced machine learning models trained on thousands of artwork features, including texture mapping and brushstroke patterns. The system continuously adapts based on user interactions, providing a personalized AR experience that evolves with every engagement. This flexible tech framework ensures seamless integration with future exhibits and new commissioned artworks.
Our AR Snap Lens used machine learning to capture the intricate textures of the artwork, allowing visitors to see themselves as part of the art in real time. The system continuously adapts based on user interactions, providing a dynamic experience with each use.
By combining many of these models into a single Snap lens, we let users share the diverse range of the art with their friends.
Thousands of guests have used the lens, spending over a minute each in engagement. Use the Snapcode below to try the lens for yourself.
At the center of the web experience is an interactive 3D map of the expansion. Painstakingly designed, this map guides guests to nearby artwork and orients them within the resort. Tapping the dots on the map provides a glimpse of each piece.
We wanted guests to experience as much of the collection as possible. To encourage deeper visits, we created a prize module that keeps track of the paintings guests visit and rewards those who scan all the pieces with a free drink.
Hundreds of guests use the Choctaw Art Walk each month. It is an important, lasting part of Choctaw’s world-class Durant resort — but its work remains unfinished. Choctaw continues to commission pieces from Native artists, adding new art to their permanent collection. With each update, the Art Walk experience is prepared to bring Choctaw guests closer to the art, its creators, and the stories of the Choctaw Nation. The project was honored with the Mosaic Award from the American Advertising Awards. The Mosaic Awards honors companies and individuals who display their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through creative work, advocacy, and company-wide initiatives.
Collaborate with us to elevate cultural heritage through technology-driven experiences. Together, we can create immersive, award-winning exhibits that honor tradition while engaging modern audiences in unforgettable ways.
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