Berichterstattung

"The art collection at the Cleveland Clinic, which 3,500 works by leading contemporary artists from around the world, often reaches the standards one would expect of an art museum.

On Friday, the clinic acquired another museum-like distinction: It officially launched a self-guided audio tour of its collection.

The tour, produced by Acoustiguide, the for-profit firm that serves many museums, offers descriptions of 36 objects installed recently in the clinic's Miller Family Pavilion and Glickman Tower.

Visitors who ask at the main information desk in the Miller lobby will receive a map and a handheld audio device......visitors can hear recorded descriptions by speakers including Delos M. "toby" Cosgrove, CEO and president of the clinic; Joanne Cohen, director of the clinic's art program; and clinic curators Jennifer Finkel and Bellamy Printz................at one point, Grady Howard, supervisor of the red jacketed guides who help orient visitors, also gives his reaction to an artwork.

The recordings are available in Arabic and Spanish, the two leading foreign languages spoken at the clinic.

The self-guided audio tours are intended to provide a diversion for patients and family members, while also relieving pressure felt by the clinic to offer tours of the collection"