San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Is Texting People Art on Demand

People are getting creative inspiration via SMS from the art musum in the Bay Area.

July 13, 2017 5:00 am

High-end art can now available on the go.

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art recently debuted “Send Me,” a text messenger service that sends people a piece of art based on their preferences. It’s offering Americans access to prized works on demand while they’re on the go.

SFMOMA's 'Send Me' project
The San Francisco Museum of Art is texting people works from its collection. (RCL)

People can use the SFMOMA service by texting 572-51 “Send Me” followed by a certain word, color, or emoji. In return, the chatbot sends a related artwork and caption. For example, text “send me the ocean” and it may reply with Anne W. Brigman’s “Tranquility” from 1929.

According to TIME, the “Send Me” project is a way sharing 34,678 pieces of art that’s stored at SFMOMA instead of the 5 percent the museum can display at one time. The service proved so popular that during its test run, telecom carriers banned the original number assuming it was spam.

Each text message sparks a specific search through a database of SFMOMA’s digitized collection, responding with a unique request. If somebody asks for a landscape, one of 791 will be chosen just for them. That landscape painting might already be on display in the museum, or that person may be the only one to see it until its finally exhibited years later.

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