A digital art piece depicting trippy graphics.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

For whatever reason, there’s always a resistance to modernity in the art world. We continually praise da Vinci, van Gogh, Shakespeare, and Mozart as if time itself was an indicator of how good a piece of artwork is. Just because something is “new” doesn’t mean it’s not worthy of artistic merit. One needn’t look further than the Austin Museum of Digital Art (AMODA) to see the incredible fine art that’s being created today.

Digital technology hasn’t been around for very long, so it’s no surprise that there aren’t many well-known artists in this sphere yet. As a society, we usually wait about 50 years after someone’s death to appreciate their work. But why not change that norm?

Founded in 1997, AMODA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to, “engage the public and artists in the creation, understanding, and appreciation of digital art.” AMODA defines digital art as any work that is created using digital technology in one of three ways: as part of the creative process, as the finished piece, or as the subject of a piece.

Artistic works aren’t solely limited to visual pieces either; the museum showcases a variety of art forms, including music. The museum even has a performance series where live shows are performed at venues throughout Austin, TX such as concert halls, auditoriums, and theaters.

There is also a digital showcase for visual artists. Much like the performance series, this showcase travels to multiple venues throughout Austin. Locations are ultra-hip, high-traffic locales such as nightclubs, bars, and art galleries.

The best part about AMODA is that anyone can submit their digital art, regardless of whether or not they reside in Texas. The organization is always looking for volunteers as well.

At Cultivating Culture, we predict that new-art is going to become an international movement. What better way to get in on the action than to get involved with AMODA?