CyArk

Interpretation Education Program:Our work seeks to expand access to cultural heritage through virtual experiences that reduce the geographic and financial barriers to visiting these places and learning their stories. CyArks work to support equitable access to cultural heritage continued in 2023 through several programs and projects. Program work included: Bears Ears National Monument, Utah:In 2023 CyArk traveled to Bears Ears National Monument to document the Monarch Cave and River House Sites. This documentation is part of a collaboration between the BLM Monticello Field Office at Bear Ears to produce virtual tours of three ancestral sites part of Comb Ridge. CyArk will be working with descendant communities to create tours of these sites that amplify the diversity of descendant communities histories and connection with the landscape and promote respectful engagement with cultural heritage at Bears Ears National Monument. Sacred Places Exhibition, Indiana USA:CyArk partnered with The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis in the development of their Sacred Places exhibition, which opened September 2023. The exhibition focuses on six main sacred places, each representing different faiths. CyArk worked with The Childrens Museum to conduct expeditions to Mikv Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, Curacao, the Church of St. George in Madaba, Jordan, The Great Mosque of Djenn, Mali, Patan Durbar Square, Nepal, Rapa Nui, and Wat Arun Temple, Thailand. CyArk assisted in facilitating relationships with local community members to share their perspectives as part of the exhibition. Casa Barrientos, El Salvador:CyArk partnered with City Government of Izalco to provide storytelling and 3D documentation training to community members to create a 3D guided tour of Casa Barrientos. Participating partners received digital storytelling equipment to document locations and record interviews. The project resulted in the creation of a guided virtual tour of the site based on a 3D model combined with video recordings and interviews. This 3D experience allows you to explore this historic home and learn about the project that stabilized and protected this site for future generations. This work was completed under the Community Heritage Exchange Initiative supported by the Cultural Heritage Center of the US State Department. Jabal Moussa, Lebanon:CyArk partnered with The Association for the Protection of Jabal Moussa to provide storytelling training to site managers, and local community members to create a 3D guided tour of the Byut site. Participating partners received digital storytelling equipment to document locations and record interviews. The project resulted in an immersive journey through the Byut Site part of the Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve in Lebanon on the Tapestry platform. This work was completed under the Community Heritage Exchange Initiative supported by the Cultural Heritage Center of the US State Department. United States and Mexico: A Powerful Past, a Shared Future, Mexico:The digital exhibition United States and Mexico: A Powerful Past, a Shared Future allows virtual exploration of the art located in the Ambassadors residence in Mexico City. These works represent a visual narrative that delves into the lengthy relationship between the United States and Mexico - a shared history of struggle and hope. The U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Mexico and volunteers closely collaborated with Art in Embassies, Dr. Gilberto Cárdenas, the Televisa Foundation Collection and Archive, FEMSA Collection, Mexic-Arte Museum, Talley Dunn Gallery, Galerie Myrtis, and Dr. Isaac Masri to curate an exhibition that embodies the fight for civil and human rights, indigenous representation, and visions for the future. This Tapestry tour was created by CyArk with support from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy:In September 2022, CyArk, in collaboration with the Comune di Bagnoregio, carried out a digital documentation project at Civita di Bagnoregio. In 2023, CyArk released a Tapestry experience of the site including interviews with experts and community members as part of our program on Climate Change Program which focuses on the impact of climate change on iconic heritage sites. The aim of the program is to educate and inform the general public on the urgency of climate change and its effects on heritage. Qassiarsuk, Greenland:In June 2023, CyArk traveled to Southern Greenland to conduct a 3D documentation of Kujataa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its sub-arctic farming landscape. The focus of the documentation was on capturing the heritage components of Sissarluttoq and Qassiarsuk. The collected data served as the basis for a Tapestry tour, specifically highlighting Qassiarsuka subarctic settlement with a history spanning a thousand years. Chosen by Norse settlers as the starting point for their New World settlement, Qassiarsuk continues to be farmed by Inuit communities. The success of the project was made possible through the support of Iron Mountain and collaboration with site management and the Greenland National Museum. Chumash Painted Cave, CA USA:Alaxuluxen, the Chumash name for the Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park, a small cave located in present day Santa Barbara that remains an important touchstone to Chumash culture and heritage. The walls of the cave are covered in Chumash paintings highlighting the significance of this place for Chumash people historically and today. With support from the California State Parks Foundation Park Improvement Grant, CyArk has collaborated with CA State Parks and Chumash elder Ernestine Ygnacio-De Soto to utilize existing 3D data of the cave captured by CyArk in 2015 to create a freely accessible virtual Tapestry experience. Today, the cave paintings are protected by a metal gate to combat many decades of vandalism. The educational Tapestry experience provides virtual access to this portion of the cave and opportunities for a broad audience to learn about and connect with Chumash history and heritage.

Open Access Archive:We encourage our site partners and collaborators to provide open access to 3D data where possible but are aware that cultural sensitivities, security issues, and other concerns mean that this is not always possible or appropriate. Our work supports the broad re-use of 3D cultural heritage datasets for education, research, and non-commercial purposes through the OpenHeritage3D project.In 2023, CyArk partnered with the Cultural Heritage Engineering Iniative (CHEI) at Qualcomm Insitute, a division of Calit2, at University of California San Diego to pass on the day to day operations of OpenHeritage3D to CHEI. This collaboration has led to an increase in the available data sets to nearly 500. Datasets are composed of LiDAR scans, photogrammetric imagery, and other spatial data collected and are made available for reuse under a set of Creative Commons license types. In addition, CyArk and CHEI completed the activities on the National Endowment for the Humanities supported Expanding and Redesigning Open Heritage 3D project to undertake research on data users as well as potential contributors to the platform in order to better understand how the platform can continue to meet the needs of the field.

Conservation Management and Training Program:In 2023 CyArk worked across a number of digital documentation projects aimed at supporting the conservation of cultural heritage, including providing training in 3D documentation to institutions and individuals. Program work included: Endangered Wooden Architecture Program:The Endangered Wooden Architecture Programme is a grant-giving program that offers grants for the documentation of endangered wooden architecture. CyArk has worked with Oxford Brookes University since program inception to develop training materials, standardize equipment, and provide training to grantees. In 2023, CyArk conducted training workshops with grantees from Croatia and India.Preserving Ukrainian Legacy, Ukraine:CyArk launched a training program in partnership with Ukrainian NGO Archac, aimed at enhancing the 3D documentation skills of Ukrainian cultural heritage professionals. Conducted at Jagiellonian University in Poland, the training equipped participants from three museums with the skills to document over 180 historical artifacts, including a collection of shipwrecks, with results published on the OpenHeritage3D.org platform. 9/11 Museum and Memorial, New York USA:In November 2023, CyArk partnered with the 9/11 Museumand Memorial Conservation team to conduct a specialized 3D imaging workshop. The focus of this collaboration was to digitize a selection of significant artifacts, with the goal of meticulously documenting their current condition. Among the items digitized was the iconic FDNY Ladder 3, which played a pivotal role in the events of September 11th. These interactive 3D models will soon be made available to online visitors, ensuring that the history and stories of 9/11 are preserved and accessible for future generations. Heritage Documentation Training Grant Program:In 2023, CyArk launched a groundbreaking grant-giving program designed to empower individuals within the cultural heritage sector with new skills in digital documentation. This initiative aims to build capacity and promote the adoption of advanced digital techniques, crucial for preserving and sharing cultural heritage. The program selected 10 participants from around the world to take part in the virtual training session from a field of over 200 applicants.

El Kurru, Sudan:El Kurru, a small village located on the west bank of the Nile in Northern Sudan, is renowned for being the site of a royal cemetery established by the royal families of the Kushite Empire. In 2023, as part of the U.S. Community Heritage Exchange Initiative, CyArk embarked on a project to document and digitally preserve the heritage of this historically significant site. The initiative aimed to empower local community members with the skills to utilize cutting-edge 3D documentation technologies and to tell the stories of El Kurru in a way that resonates with both local and global audiences. CyArk hosted a series of 3D documentation and storytelling workshops in Sudan, specifically designed for the local community. These workshops introduced participants to advanced technologies like photogrammetry and LiDAR, enabling them to capture the intricate details of the Tomb of Tanwetamani, one of the most significant structures within the cemetery. The final outcome of this initiative was a virtual tour of El Kurru, published in both English and Arabic to maximize its reach. Shirk Ranch, Oregon USA:The Historic Shirk Ranch was home to David Shirk and his family beginning in the early 1880s. The establishment of Shirk Ranch was part of a border movement of ranchers and settlers into southeast Oregon, shaping ranching life that persists in the area today. The ranch illuminates how early settlers to eastern Oregeon relied on the landscape for their livelihood and day-to-day life. In 2022, CyArk digitally documented the ranch resulting in a photo realistic 3D model of the site. In 2023, working with the Bureau of Land Management at the Lakeview District Office in Oregon, CyArk utilized the 3D model to create a virtual Tapestry experience where virtual visitors can learn about David Shirk and the history of early ranching in southeast Oregon. Resonant: Exploring Indigenous Knowledge, Culture, and Climate through Place-based VR:CyArk began work on a multi-year project to amplify Hopi knowledge about cultural landscapes, sustainability, and climate change. Funded through the National Endowment for the Humanities Digital Projects for the Public grant, this project will develop an educational virtual reality (VR) experience and companion web experience allowing players to connect with Hopi heritage, history, and culture through the lens of a changing climate through two ancestral sites, Wupatki and Mesa Verde.