Columbus artist Bo Bartlett has agreed to license a selection of his paintings for Samsung’s Frame TV Art Store, a move that will allow owners of the popular smart TV to display Bartlett’s work digitally in their homes. The agreement, arranged through the Artists Rights Society of New York, makes roughly 20 Bartlett images available as part of the rotating art collection on Samsung’s device.
Local art moving into living rooms
Bartlett, who rose to prominence as a leading figure in American realism and helped establish the Bo Bartlett Center at Columbus State University’s RiverPark campus, said he agreed to the licensing request quickly. In a message exchange with the Artists Rights Society, he approved the selection
"without hesitation."
The arrangement brings another level of visibility to Bartlett’s large-scale narrative paintings, many of which are rooted in scenes from his childhood and adult life in Columbus. The Bo Bartlett Center, an 18,500-square-foot gallery and learning space opened in 2018, has served as a local hub for exhibitions and arts education; the Samsung placement offers an additional, digital channel for encountering his images.
How the Frame TV Art Store works
Samsung’s Frame TV uses an Art Mode that replaces a blank screen with artwork when the television is not actively in use. Frame TV owners can access the Samsung Art Store from the TV’s home screen, provided the device is connected to Wi-Fi and the owner is signed into a Samsung account.
- Only Samsung Frame TVs are eligible to display Art Store works.
- The Art Store offers a rotating stream of pieces; each image appears for several minutes before rotating to the next.
- Subscribers have access to more than 3,000 works, including those licensed from living artists through organizations such as the Artists Rights Society.
Samsung describes the monthly rotation as a curated stream that cycles through selected works. For subscribers, the Art Store supplies both classic and contemporary artworks that users can choose to display. Bartlett’s inclusion places a Columbus-born artist alongside an international roster available to consumers nationwide.
Numbers at a glance
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Bartlett pieces in the Art Store | 20 |
| Total works available (Art Store) | 3,000+ |
| Rotation display | 30 pieces per month; each shown for 5 minutes |
Local and cultural implications
For Columbus residents, Bartlett’s licensing deal with Samsung reinforces the city’s cultural profile. The Bo Bartlett Center already draws visitors to RiverPark for exhibitions and educational programming. Having Bartlett’s work appear on widely used consumer electronics could expand public familiarity with his themes—family, memory and the American landscape—that frequently center on Columbus settings.
Art experts and museum directors often note that digital licensing can broaden an artist’s audience while also providing new revenue streams. For local arts organizations, such national exposure may translate into increased visitation, educational partnerships and potential donors who discover Bartlett’s work through the Frame TV platform.
For consumers who want Bartlett on their screens, the steps are straightforward: the TV must be a Samsung Frame model, connected to Wi‑Fi, and signed into a Samsung account. From the TV’s home screen, users select the Art Store and can navigate seasonal rotations, curated collections and individual works to display.
The arrangement was brokered by the Artists Rights Society, which handles licensing for artists’ reproductions. Bartlett’s cooperation underscores the continuing role of local creators in national cultural marketplaces and provides a digital avenue for experiencing the work of a Columbus native whose paintings have long been anchored in the region he calls home.
