MIAMI, FLA.- The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU announces a new partnership with Alienware and Killer Networking as Presenting Sponsors for The Art of Video Games exhibition in Miami (on view Jan. 23 - April 17). This is the public’s final opportunity to experience the exhibition, with Miami serving as the final leg of its national tour which originated at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. and included showings in New York, Seattle, Phoenix, Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee.

“We at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum are honored to partner with Alienware and Killer Networking for The Art of Video Games exhibition,” says the Director of the Museum, Dr. Jordana Pomeroy.

“As Presenting Sponsors, their generous support continues a legacy of engagement with Florida International University and has enabled us to feature an exhibition at the Frost Art Museum that exemplifies how creativity shapes and drives technology,” adds Dr. Pomeroy.

“By teaming up with Florida International University’s Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum for The Art of Video Games exhibition as Presenting Sponsors, we have another great opportunity to be active in the community that is at the heart of Alienware,” said Frank Azor, General Manager of Alienware. “It was almost 20 years ago that Alienware started in Miami and even though we’ve evolved to a global community of gamers it’s great to have this incredible exhibit conclude in the South Florida community that’s been so instrumental in our success.”

The Art of Video Games is one of the first major exhibitions to explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking graphics, creative storytelling and player interactivity. The exhibition features some of the most influential artists and designers across five eras of game development, from early pioneers to contemporary designers. Video games use player participation to tell stories and engage audiences. In the same way as film, animation and performance, video games are a compelling and influential form of narrative art.

Alienware and Killer Networking are actively involved with the Miami presentation of this exhibition, including through a showcase of their most impactful and innovative solutions that have been a shaping force in the history of PC gaming.

Alienware has long been a leader in the PC gaming space with a nearly 20-year track record of gamers developing solutions for gamers.

Some of the most iconic gaming PCs in history bare the Alienware logo and many will be on display in a separate installation during the run of the exhibition.

Similarly, Killer Networking has set the standard for consistent and reliable connectivity, a well-earned reputation bestowed by countless gamers and a valued component to many Alienware solutions.

Video games are a prevalent and increasingly expressive medium within modern society. In the forty years since the introduction of the first home video game, the field has attracted exceptional artistic talent. An amalgam of traditional art forms - painting, writing, sculpture, music, storytelling, cinematography - video games offer artists a previously unprecedented method of communicating with and engaging audiences.

New technologies allow designers to create increasingly interactive and sophisticated game environments while staying grounded in traditional game types. Five featured games, one from each era, are available in the exhibition galleries for visitors to play for a few minutes, to gain some feel for the interactivity. The playable games (Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst and Flower) show how players interact with the virtual worlds, highlighting innovative new techniques that set the standard for many subsequent games.

The Smithsonian American Museum invited the public to help select the video games in this exhibition. A pool of 240 games was selected by the exhibition’s guest curator, Chris Melissinos and an advisory group consisting of game developers, designers, industry pioneers and journalists. More than 3.7 million votes were cast by 119,000 people in 175 countries.