Art exists in all forms and can be captured through all types of media – whether it’s found in still painting on canvas, a heartfelt moment in a photo, the lyrics of a song, or in the chords of a piano. But, with the Internet creating virtual bridges as a means to connect, artists across the globe have taken to this technological medium as another method of expressing themselves.

An exhibit at Fe Arts Gallery in Lawrenceville, Pa., is serving as a virtual Web meeting space for artists to exchange some of the most intimate details of their lives through projects that delve into connecting with others “across distance, both physical and metaphorical.” The virtual gallery space, aptly entitled “Getting Closer,” does just that.

"All of these artists are using technology as a medium to explore and consider what intimacy means now in this digital age, with all of this information and media that we have at our fingertips,” said curator Lindsay Howard, the mastermind behind the virtual showcase.

Much like aspiring musicians and dancers have taken to YouTube (News - Alert) as a platform to show off their skills, the exhibit has combined the artists’ projects into an ongoing display that contain engaging, creative and emotional works of art expressed through digital tools. One in particular emulates an artist’s past relationship with an ex-boyfriend, in which a half-dozen phones are put in the hands of complete strangers. Throughout a period of a month, the phone holders receive SMS texts from the artist, but little do they know, the texts are ones that had been sent to the artist by her ex during their relationship. It’s an experiment, of sorts, that asks, “If I were a different person, if I had responded to these original texts differently during our relationship, would we still be together?”

Of course, all of this is possible through technologies that efficiently transport data via the Internet. Much like you would do in a museum or exhibit hall, a virtual gallery through Web meeting technologies allows the user to spend any time desired reflecting and viewing works of art. And, unlike a physical exhibit space, there is no end to the number of viewers that are invited to connect with these artists and their projects through the Internet.

As music and art programs are shrinking in schools around the country, the Internet is keeping the arts alive. In this digital age, it is no secret that the Internet is fostering a social environment in which professionals of all kinds can exchange data, ideas and possessions, whether it be through a company Web meeting, a simple YouTube video, or, in this case, a virtual gallery.

Either way, it’s quite a pretty picture.

Tammy Wolf is a TMCnet copy editor. Previously she was assistant to the editor at The Darien Times, a weekly newspaper in Darien, Conn., where she edited submissions, did page layout and design and helped manage the newspaper's website. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jaclyn Allard