NOTICE OF INTENT: Augmented Reality Diorama Project

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Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum dioramas, created in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), are a major attraction for visitors and are well-known and admired for their amazing attention to detail by past generations of visitors. Although they are well loved by the public, there are many details that are historically inaccurate and demeaning to modern day Pueblo people. According to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the dioramas are historic and cannot be physically altered. In spring 2017, Ball State University, through its Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts (IDIA) approached the park to discuss the possibilities of experimenting with augmented reality technology in the park. Their vision includes adding layers of augmented reality to the existing historic dioramas. The objective of this Agreement is for IDIA to design and create an augmented reality application to enhance the visitor experience, address historic inaccuracies, and provide interpretation of the historic dioramas in the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum (Museum). In addition to enhancing the visitor experience in the Museum, IDIA Lab will also create a web presence with text and images to provide greater public access to Museum exhibits and associated cultural sites within Mesa Verde National Park.

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