Art is expensive and, in many cases, it can be difficult to find space in your home for it. After a while, you may become tired of looking at the same piece of art. You’ve already spent a fair amount of money on the piece so you don’t want to get rid of it either. Luckily, because of modern technology, there is a new, free choice available to you.
Artkick is a free iOS and Android app that lets you utilize your TV to stream a variety of art or photos rather than just sitting there blank. Users can choose from over ¼ million images, separated by category for ease of browsing and selection. From van Gogh’s Starry Night, to NASA’s Hubble images of deep space, to Ansel Adams landscapes and modern contemporary photography – Artkick has a selection that appeals to every taste! Maybe you’d prefer to see your favorite family pictures scrolling across the television; Artkiick can do that too! The app can easily pull all of your favorite photos from Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Picasa, SmugMug and Dropbox.
So what do you need to do? To use Artkick follow these steps:
- Download the Artkick mobile app from either app store. As I mentioned before, it’s free! You can download the mobile app from the iOS App store or the Android Google Play store. Think of this as your intelligent remote control. Now, you need to link it to your TV.
- Connect your TV to the internet in one of two ways:
- (1) directly if you own one of the supported brands of SmartTVs (specifically Sharp, Sony, LG, and Samsung TVs). If you have a smart TV from one of the previously mentioned brands, you can download the Artkick TV app from your TV’s app store directly.
- (2) indirectly if your TV is not among the currently supported SmartTV brands using a small external device that can easily connect your TV to your wireless network. Google’s Chromecast ($35) or Roku’s Streaming Stick ($50) are great options.
- When you start the Artkick app on your tablet or phone for the first time, you must set up a user account to stream images to your TV. A valid email address is all that is required.
- Once you’ve set up a user account, the app will walk you through the process of linking the TV to your phone or tablet. Again, think of your phone or tablet as your remote control.
It’s as simple as that. Your otherwise blank TV is now the conversational piece at your next dinner party!
Find out more about Artkick by visiting their website. Then, make sure you “like” them on Facebook, then follow them on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest as well.
ArtKick is sponsoring an amazing giveaway! They would like to give one lucky reader a brand new Roku Streaming Stick & a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
This giveaway is open to residents of the US only who are 18 years of age or older, unless prohibited by law. The giveaway will end at 11:59pm EDT on August 18th, 2014 and a winner will be drawn randomly from all eligible entries received. Enter using the Giveaway Tools entry form below. Good luck!
Disclosures: The participating bloggers have not been compensated for sharing this giveaway. Thrifty Nifty Mommy, Viva Veltoro and the participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment. Prize fulfillment is the responsibility of ArtKick. This giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest. For questions about this giveaway, please email thriftyniftymommy {at} yahoo.com.
Melly says
August 10, 2014 at 10:49 pmI learned that the whole thing can be controlled from my Android, and the app is free!
Debbie Welchert says
August 4, 2014 at 6:31 amI learned that you can control Artkick from your SmartDevice and it’s a beautiful way to connect with art too!