tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63872736347169259882024-03-13T03:11:12.330-07:00Two Ls and a YBrief Thoughts on Museums, Social Media, Fundraising, Philanthropy, Life, the Universe and EverythingAllyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-26381548914615529452010-05-30T08:51:00.000-07:002010-05-30T08:53:40.742-07:00What I Learned from Staffing a Booth in the AAM Expo Hall1. It is a real trade-off; on the one hand, you meet and have the excuse to chat with all sorts of fascinating people! On the other hand, you miss out on a lot of amazing sessions and experiences.<br /><br />2. Take advantage of the Exhibitors' Lounge.<br /><br />3. Get in line first for the food and try to eat quickly while the delegates are in line so you will be ready for them by the time they have their food (and you have finished eating yours).<br /><br />4. Have lots of bling/schwag to give away.<br /><br />5. Gimmicks are good for drawing people in, but you need substance to keep them there talking to you.<br /><br />6. Homemade chocolate chip cookies help.<br /><br />7. Make sure you give yourself time to wander around the rest of the Expo Hall at some point.<br /><br />8. Try to make it to at least one session and one General Session if at all possible.<br /><br />9. Keep on top of who you have met--make notes about them so that you will remember what you talked about when you get home and are looking blankly at a large pile of business cards you have collected.<br /><br />10. Be prepared for a back-up plan when the Internet connection doesn't work very well.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-4417211813225770862010-05-29T14:25:00.000-07:002010-05-29T14:33:21.204-07:00What I Learned from Attending AAM 2010*(* Especially since it was in my hometown.)<br /><br />1. Go to the evening events. Sure, I can go to <a href="http://molaa.org/" target="_blank">MoLAA</a> for free whenever I want, but for $40 I could have seen <a href="http://www.pochanostra.com/antes/jazz_pocha2/mainpages/bios.htm" target="_blank">Guillermo Gomez-Pena</a> perform a dialogue with artist <a href="http://www.ehrenberg.art.br/" target="_blank">Felipe Ehrenberg</a>.<br /><br />2. The conference is a great place to catch up with old friends from around the country--but be sure to meet new friends, too, possibly from around the world!<br /><br />3. Try to get more sleep. The days are long and tiring enough; staying up until 4AM really doesn't improve the experience.<br /><br />4. Go to the lunches. Again, yeah, I can pack a lunch from home and save some money, but I'll miss out on speakers and networking with colleagues.<br /><br />5. Offer to show colleagues and friends around the town/where the locals eat and drink before or after the conference--but not during the conference; no one has time for that.<br /><br />6. Baking homemade cookies for a booth in the Expo Hall is indeed a good idea--work that kitchen!<br /><br />7. Read all session and General Session descriptions carefully and keep your ears open for special possibly fun additions and events so that you don't miss hearing a Q&A with the <a href="http://www.broadfoundation.org/" target="_blank">richest billionaire/largest supporter of the arts/very controversial guy in town</a>.<br /><br />8. You really need more than 3 weeks to plan a successful flash mob. Also, you need technology that doesn't fail.<br /><br />9. Smart phones are really, really worth it at these conferences. Or, I guess an iPad would do, too.<br /><br />10. Forget about whatever it is you are supposed to be learning at the conference and go to the technology sessions and events (<a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23djump" target="_blank">#djump</a>, Muse Awards, etc.)--those folks know how to have FUN! Besides, we all need to learn about technology.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Fun Fact: I spent $131 on parking during the conference! (But that still doesn't equal one night in the conference hotels...)</span><br /><br /><br />I guess I learned some actual stuff from the sessions, too, but that will come in other posts.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-69428566157687883572010-05-24T23:17:00.000-07:002010-05-24T23:30:45.893-07:00Pinky and YOUR Brain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CM8QZetlnqg/S_tuhazoFuI/AAAAAAAAAEE/ql0AGaKdOA4/s1600/Picture+1.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CM8QZetlnqg/S_tuhazoFuI/AAAAAAAAAEE/ql0AGaKdOA4/s320/Picture+1.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475091292409566946" /></a><br />Today I did something a tad out of the ordinary; I was interviewed by two cats. Not just any two cats, mind you, I was interviewed by Pinky and Kim, the cartoon cats from the Pinky Show. Haven't heard of the Pinky Show? It's a website that "gently pokes your brain with a stick," focusing on "information & ideas that have been misrepresented, suppressed, ignored, or otherwise excluded from mainstream discussion." These ideas include thoughts on museums, as seen in <a href="http://bit.ly/6gBt8" target="_blank">this video</a>. <br /><br />So what did Pinky and Kim interview me about? Why the future of museums, of course! And they didn't ask easy questions, either. No, the questions posed by this animated duo were astute and thought-provoking, probing issues such as the democratization of museums, where museums are headed and whether we are on the right track.<br /><br />I enjoyed my little chat with Pinky and Kim--and you can, too! Their booth is open to all <a href="http://aam10.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">#aam10</a> participants over in the <a href="http://www.futureofmuseums.org/" target="_blank">Center for the Future of Museums</a> area in the Expo Hall. So stop by and say hello, gaze into the future and share what you see with these charming little kitties--and the rest of the museum field!Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-71263183821284756542010-05-24T02:01:00.000-07:002010-05-24T02:49:04.868-07:00The Consultant Love Connection @ #AAM10All conference sessions should include costumes and feature game show theme music!<br /><br />Well, maybe not, but they sure did work for "Who Do You Call First?" a session dedicated to exploring the often confusing process of finding just the right consultant (or consultants) for a particular job. <br /><br />The session did a credible send-up of the old TV game show, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCH3w_LnmHE" target="_blank">The Dating Game</a>," making the content just campy enough to elicit giggles from the audience (and keep them awake in that last session time slot of the day!) but while still delivering a lot of serious and valuable content. Sure, the museum planner was referred to as an alchemist and the economist was a fortune teller (each wearing suitable garb for their roles), but what they had to say was worth hearing. <br /><br />Couched in terms of the structure of "Love Connection," one museum director (Heather Cochran, Museum Project Administrator for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) asked each consultant to answer the same set of questions to determine their eligibility. Questions included, "What would we do on a first date?" (the Magician/Architect said he would take her all over the world to look at museum buildings that worked--and those that didn't, while the Visitor Services/Detective said she would take the director to a place she already loved--her own museum--to learn more about each other and themselves) and "What was your worst date?" (the Alchemist/Museum Planner described a date who never listened to anything he had to say and had already made up their minds about everything before hand while the Artist/Exhibit Developer spoke of the opposite--a date who didn't know what they wanted at all). The Economist/Fortune Teller stated that, "the best dates have really, really big endowments."<br /><br />Amidst the double-entendres and the silliness, the specific roles and functions of each type of consultant were effectively explained and delineated for the audience, hopefully helping them to think about which type of assistance they might most need. Pointers were also given to prospective clients about how to be "better," more informed clients by doing a little preliminary research of their own, including benchmarking and developing a clear vision of what they hope to achieve. <br /><br />Cast:<br />The Client--Heather Cochran, <a href="http://www.oscars.org/" target="_blank">Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences</a><br />The EmCee--Mark Hayward, <a href="http://www.brcweb.com/" target="_blank">BRC Imagination Arts</a><br />Magician/Architect--David Greenbaum, <a href="http://www.smithgroup.com/" target="_blank">Smith Group</a><br />Midwife/Owner's Representative--Barbara Punt, <a href="http://www.puntconsulting.com/" target="_blank">Punt Consulting</a><br />Artist/Exhibit Developer--Kathy Gustafson-Hilton, <a href="http://www.hofl.org/" target="_blank">Hands On! Inc</a><br />Alchemist/Museum Master Planner--Guy Hermann, <a href="http://www.museuminsights.com/" target="_blank">Museum Insights</a><br />Detective/Visitor Services--Kathleen Tinworth, <a href="http://www.dmns.org/" target="_blank">Denver Museum of Nature and Science</a><br />Fortune Teller/Economist--Elaine Carmichael, <a href="http://www.economicstewardship.com/" target="_blank">Economic Stewardship, Inc.</a>Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-89924925406495784172010-03-03T23:37:00.000-08:002010-03-03T23:53:52.907-08:00Joblessness Results in Wyeth AppreciationPerhaps I should take heart in the fact that popular culture icons such as the <a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-november-11-2009/want-ads---grateful-dead-archivist">Daily Show</a> and now the Onion feel that museums are worth poking fun at. Perhaps. <br /><br />But sadly, while sure, it's easy to giggle about being an archivist for the Grateful Dead Archives, it's not a laughing matter that while museums may have seen a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704479404575087943590687492.html?mod=WSJ_ArtsEnt_LifestyleArtEnt_4">rise in attendance</a> this past year, that did not translate into money in the bank--or in the hands of museum employees. <br /><br />Still, the <a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/amvo/museum_attendance_up_during">Onion response</a> to why people were really visiting museums more is funny. <br /><br />Another funny article about museums--funny in the uh oh, not ha ha way--states that in the next few years <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10052/1036890-437.stm">curator, conservator and archivist jobs will all be increasing</a>, more so even than most other fields out there. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that this prediction is largely based on the rise in museum attendance in past years. Huh. What about the fact that a lot of museum professionals are nearing retirement age? One would assume that that would play a factor as well. <br /><br />But what the article does not take into consideration is that, while attendance was going up, staff were being laid off and positions vacated through regular attrition were not getting refilled. <br /><br />So what will the future really hold for museums? A continuation of the upward trend in attendance? Will that trend eventually manifest in real dollars? Will positions continue to sit vacant? Or will the Bureau of Labor Statistics be right and there will suddenly be a long-awaited boom in museum job openings? Only time will tell.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-75707564701563990922010-02-24T20:47:00.001-08:002010-02-24T22:35:20.153-08:00Miscellany for the MassesOkay, the <a href="http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/tabs.html">tabs</a> are getting out of control--again--so it's time to write a blog post! Not necessarily a coherent or cohesive one, mostly just a post to remind myself of some of the cool, thought-provoking items that I have been meaning to think about for the last little while.<br /><br />First off, wish I'd known about the <a href="http://www.refresheverything.com/how-it-works">Pepsi Refresh Project</a> sooner than 4 days before it ends. Probably would have if I'd been paying better attention. Ah well. While it is most likely too late to submit an idea for funding, it is not to late to vote! So go. Check it out and vote for a cool idea that needs some funding.<br /><br />I don't doubt that in the not-too distant future I, too, will be able to <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/you-too-can-soon-be-like-tom-cruise-in-minority-report/">be like Tom Cruise in "Minority Report"</a>(minus the being framed for a crime I haven't committed yet part, I hope). In some ways, I think this is what some iPhone apps and possibly the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/surface/">Microsoft Surface</a> are trying to achieve. But what I want to know is: so what? Other than no longer requiring proficiency with a mouse for computer-based interactives in museums (and many systems have already managed to do away with the mouse), what real substantive changes and value will this technology be bringing to museum visitor experiences? How will this significant change in interface affect the kinds of content that we can offer?<br /><br />I will be the first to admit that performance artist <a href="http://www.skny.com/artists/marina-abramovi/">Marina Abramovic</a>'s $460 <a href="http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/artifacts-pillow-talk/">Energy Blanket</a> sounds pretty off-the-wall--and yet I really, really dig it. But then again, I am a fan of usable art. That's why I was a subscriber to <a href="http://www.thethingquarterly.com/">The Thing</a>. <br /><br />I love <a href="http://flavorwire.com/68819/exclusive-k-i-s-s-i-n-g-in-the-museum">this</a> for so many reasons. A) I like the idea of recreating art--especially when it involves elaborate photo shoots in museums (so long as they are done safely...) B) Flavorpill is a great group that let's folks know about fun, cool happenings C) I'm a sap and I like the idea of love in museums.<br /><br />Still need to digest/think about <a href="http://www.kevinpfefferle.com/2009/02/09/museum-social-media-categories/">this one</a> a little more. Sure, it sounds very reasonable that there exist three basic types of social media for museums: content-sharing; internal (ie <a href="http://basecamphq.com/">Basecamp</a> or <a href="https://www.yammer.com/">yammer</a> for project management) and social networking (Facebook etc)--except that it also sounds rather simplistic. I remember a couple years ago when I was trying to categorize types of online philanthropy and came up with a whole bunch! So, for example, where *does* development/online giving fall into these three categories? Anyway, like I said, needs more thinking.<br /><br />To file under my growing list of "democratic" exhibitions, there is the <a href="http://www.psfk.com/2010/01/everyones-a-curator-at-the-museum-of-the-bohemian.html">Museum of the Bohemian</a>. One of these blog posts I should really share that growing list.<br /><br />Oooh, this is a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704094304575029213465545830.html?mod=WSJ_Leisure+%26+Arts_LEAD">fun little article</a>: museums--known, loved and praised for authenticity and authoritative imparting of knowledge--basing exhibits on *not* knowing--on guesswork and on objects that may be the real dealio or may not be. Cool. <br /><br /><a href="http://adage.com/bigtent/post?article_id=141849">This</a> is aimed at marketers, but it is very relevant for museums. The five future trends listed here are: 1. the changing demographics of the US 2. the necessity of understanding culture beyond ethnicity to remain relevant 3. gaming, gaming, gaming 4. micro--micro-actions, micro-loans, micro-donations, micro-support, etc. 5. a revival of humanist spirit. Not sure about that last one, but I feel pretty confident that the other 4 are right on, so who knows?<br /><br />The fact that <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/home_garden/stories/2010/01/31/WOMEN.ART_ART_01-31-10_H1_RRGDRBV.html?sid=101">Virginia Homes is marketing their homes directly and specifically at women</a>--almost exclusively--is fascinating to me for a couple of reasons. 1. This points to a serious shift in both our nation's demographics and division of labor--clearly, women have been breaking through the glass ceiling because they are the primary home-buyers now. 2. What, if anything, does this mean for museums--both in terms of visitorship (and appealing to audiences) and in terms of staffing? We are already heavily populated by women in the museum field--even at executive levels. Are men a dying breed in our field? 3. I think it's amusing that they call themselves Virginia Homes and call themselves the first home designers for women--weren't Virginia Slims the first cigarettes designed for women?<br /><br />Not surprising, in fact, to me <a href="http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=283600002">this</a> almost doesn't count as news, but it is still sad to hear conclusively that yes, the economy has been hurting us, continues to hurt us and is forcing nonprofits to close or merge.<br /><br />Two points of interest for me in <a href="http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Recovery-after-annus-horribilis/20186">this article</a>. First is that, despite the fact that many of the larger museums that lost a lot of principal in their endowments in 2009 have regained that money, they are not returning their budgets to pre-economic downturn levels and are instead continuing to budget conservatively. Is this economic prudence, or is this an instance of management taking advantage of the fact that they were able to make their employees do more with less--less staff, less funding, less pay? Second is that I find it very interesting that, while its colleagues were suffering, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco had a good year--largely thanks to John Buchanan and his love of traveling blockbuster exhibitions--in this case, King Tut. Once again I find myself asking: are blockbusters the savior to museum financial woes?<br /><br />Okay, those tabs are closed now. I know I got some of them from the <a href="http://www.futureofmuseums.org/">Center for the Future of Museums</a> and I suspect that at least one or two came from <a href="http://www.wolfconsulting.us/">Art Wolf</a> as well. Can't remember where the others came from, but thank you to all for sharing these with me and making me stop and think a moment.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-59339096145849832412010-02-19T14:00:00.000-08:002010-02-19T15:40:49.120-08:00Design for the Other 90%A few years ago, I attended a brilliant exhibit at the <a href="http://www.cooperhewitt.org/">Cooper-Hewitt</a> in New York entitled, Design for the Other 90%. I'll let the exhibit tell its own premise:<br /><blockquote>Of the world’s total population of 6.5 billion, 5.8 billion people, or 90%, have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted; in fact, nearly half do not have regular access to food, clean water, or shelter. Design for the Other 90% explores a growing movement among designers to design low-cost solutions for this “other 90%.”</blockquote> People have been asking, what can and are museums doing in a practical manner to help with large-scale problems that people face everyday, such as unemployment, economic recession, disaster relief? Well, it seems like the Cooper-Hewitt has already taken a big step in that direction. I initially wanted to point them out to ask, "Why aren't museums doing more exhibits like this today?" But instead what I discovered was that Design for the Other 90% is not just an exhibit that happened five years ago; it is a movement. Please check out the <a href="http://other90.cooperhewitt.org/">website</a> for resources, events, blog posts, tweets, connecting with like-minded individuals interested in helping others and more.<br /><br />But what I would also like to point out, thanks to a whole long list of resources I acquired from a presentation by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Lightman">Alex Lightman</a> at last weekend's <a href="http://2010.bilconference.com/">BIL conference</a>, is that the Cooper-Hewitt does not need to be acting on its own in this quest to bring awareness to design for "the other 90%." Amazing new technologies and resources are being developed everyday--why not highlight some in your own museum? They are usually inexpensive and they can be life-changing--or, more importantly, life-saving. And the Cooper-Hewitt has already demonstrated how your museum does not need to be technology or science-based in order to showcase these wonderful inventions.<br /><br />Here are a whole bunch innovations to check out:<br /><br />Remember the days of door-to-door encyclopedia salesmen? Yeah, those days are gone. Now you can have pretty much all of wikipedia in your pocket--without Internet access. For $99 you (or your whole town, if you want to share) can have the <a href="http://thewikireader.com/">WikiReader</a> for access to information about oodles of stuff.<br /><br />Health care workers in remote locales can now turn their cell phones into microscopes to aid with disease monitoring and diagnosis thanks to the <a href="http://blumcenter.berkeley.edu/global-poverty-initiatives/mobile-phones-rural-health/remote-disease-diagnosis">CellScope</a>.<br /><br />Or how about using <a href="http://www.dfa.org/">little tabs of paper</a> for diagnostic purposes?<br /><br />Or a pocket PCR device for testing pathogens or food safety, like the <a href="http://lava-amp.com/">Lava Amp</a>?<br /><br />Speaking of diagnosis, the <a href="http://www.books.mcgraw-hill.com/medical/diagnosaurus/index.html">Diagnosaurus 2.0</a> is freeware for your pda that aids with making informed health care decisions.<br /><br />Having trouble communicating that diagnosis? Maybe you need <a href="http://www.future-apps.net/iSpeak/iSpeak.html">iSpeak</a>, the $2 translation app for your smart phone.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/gates-award-global-health/Pages/2008-aravind-eye-care-system.aspx">Aravind Eye Care System</a> in India has adapted <a href="http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu/wiki/Wireless#WiLDNet:_Network_protocol_design_for_WiFi_based_long_distance_networks">WilDNet</a> (wifi over long distance) technology so that health care workers in remote locales can consult with experts in large hospitals to diagnose and treat vision.<br /><br />Everyone's seen those images of women carrying ridiculously large water containers on their heads. Doesn't look all that comfortable, does it? The <a href="http://www.hipporoller.org/">hipporoller</a> allows for the smooth transportation of 4-5 times the amount of water that can be carried on one's head, greatly reducing time (and effort) spent in fetching water. <br /><br />Another invention that seems aimed towards the plight of women, non-pneumatic anti-shock garments, such as the <a href="http://www.lifewraps.org/lifewrap.htm">LifeWrap</a>, can help keep women stabilized who are suffering from obstetric hemorrhaging.<br /><br />The <a href="http://darfurstoves.org/">Darfur Stove</a> reduces the need for firewood for cook fires by 72%. That saves time and effort spent on collecting firewood and promotes more environmentally sound and sustainable practices.<br /><br />And while we're talking about fuel, heat and light, why not use an <a href="http://www.google.com/products?q=LED+lanterns&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=DRJ_S4yRHYyYsgP5ic38Cw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDUQrQQwAw">LED lantern</a> rather than a kerosene one. They are cheap, they last a long time, they don't rely on fossil fuels and they are less polluting.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mariahpower.com/">Windspires</a> are also a great source of energy generation, without taking up as much space as a windmill. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.weareacasa.com/">Acasa</a>, a product of <a href="http://singularityu.org/">Singularity University</a>, is developing an automated process for house construction called contour crafting, which would allow for more rapid re-building following major disasters. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEZ30K5dBWU">M-pesa</a> is a service offered through Safaricom that allows for branchless banking through your mobile phone. Note: the link is to a youtube ad for m-pesa.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kiva.org/">Kiva</a> may be the king of microfinance for global entrepreneurs, but <a href="http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/">Rising Voices</a> focuses instead on global social media pioneers, offering a micro-grant competition to help jump-start social media projects in remote areas.<br /><br />But for those Kiva entrepreneurs, when it's time to really soar in your new business and you need marketing and branding materials that are professional looking but don't cost a fortune, you can turn to <a href="http://www.crowdspring.com/">crowdspring</a>, where over 50,000 graphic designers are waiting to bid on your project.<br /><br />Another way to make use of crowdsourcing for the global community is by crowdsourcing crisis information through <a href="http://www.ushahidi.com/">Ushahidi</a>. <br /><br />Thank you again to Alex Lightman for sharing all of these wonderful inventions with the BIL crowd. I re-shared pretty much all of the ones he presented to us, with the exception of those already being displayed by the Other 90%. For an overview of my thoughts on the BIL conference, please check <a href="http://westmuse.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/bil-and-the-future/">here on the WestMuse blog</a>.<br /><br />And don't worry, if after reading all these and clicking on all the links you still feel like there are a lot of problems left to be solved, many more inventions that still need to happen, well, there's always <a href="http://www.innocentive.com/">Innocentive</a> to help make those happen in the future.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-14849754155409729322010-02-05T16:28:00.000-08:002010-02-05T16:32:43.068-08:00Super Bowl Smack TalkThe Renoir seemed a little "sentimental?" The chalice was a bit like a "tschochke?" Holy crap, these art museum directors can talk some smack!<br /><br />Listen to the directors of the <a href="http://www.imamuseum.org/">Indianapolis Museum of Art</a> and the <a href="http://www.noma.org/">New Orleans Museum of Art</a> talking trash about each other's collections <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123126946">on NPR</a> as they make a little "friendly" Super Bowl wager with art from their collections as the stakes.<br /><br />For some background on the bet (and more choice smacktalk soundbites that would make <a href="http://www.jimrome.com/">Jim Rome</a> proud), check out <a href="http://www.artsjournal.com/man/2010/01/art_museum_director_super_bowl.html">this blog post</a>.<br /><br />Also, it would seem that when not using his collection for gambling, IMA director Maxwell Anderson has been pretty busy; his museum is about to launch a new website. I was sent this invitation to view it, which I will now <a href="http://www.imamuseum.org/new/">share with you</a>!Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-73100088478831429352010-02-05T16:11:00.000-08:002010-02-05T16:18:05.555-08:00DSC + DPS = HopeOne year ago, I was battling single-digit temperatures and icy winds in Motor City as I worked on the installation of an exhibit at the <a href="http://www.detroitsciencecenter.org/">Detroit Science Center</a>. I can tell you, in the middle of winter Downtown Detroit is a wasteland. It felt like the crew and I, stationed right in the heart of downtown at the Holiday Inn Express, were the only ones alive in that deserted place. In September, we returned to deinstall the show and, while the temperatures were kinder, the landscape was nearly as empty, except for when the Tigers played. <br /><br />So I was saddened, but not surprised, to read that <a href="http://www.detnews.com/article/20091216/METRO01/912160374/Nearly-half-of-Detroit-s-workers-are-unemployed">the actual unemployment figure for Detroit is actually probably pretty close to 50%</a>. I truly believe it.<br /><br />Which made me all the more excited when I read <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20100130/NEWS01/1300336/1322/Detroit-Childrens-Museum-is-to-teach-entertain-kids-once-again">this article</a>, forwarded on to me by the <a href="http://www.futureofmuseums.org/">CFM</a> Dispatch from the Future, about a new partnership between the <a href="http://www.detroitsciencecenter.org/">DSC</a> and <a href="http://www.detroit.k12.mi.us/">Detroit Public Schools</a> to re-open the Detroit Children's Museum.<br /><br />The Detroit Children's Museum, administered by DPS, had closed about a year ago due to funding cuts. But the new partnership with the DSC will allow the Museum to re-open--and with increased access to funding and exhibit and programming opportunities.<br /><br />What makes me so excited about this brief little article? Hope. Informal education has been shown to play an important role in helping children to develop critical skills and improve their ability to learn academic subjects such as science. Informal educational experiences, such as the ones offered by children's museums around the country, are a great way to stimulate children's curiosity, imaginations and critical thinking skills. In short, the opportunities that this new partnership will open up to the children of Detroit are invaluable. <br /><br />What this means to me is that, although Detroit is facing dire times right now, there is still hope for its children; a commitment is being made to jump-start their educations and their lives, thereby offering hope to the whole community.<br /><br />Thanks, DSC, for taking on this important mission.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-64006320876659946542010-01-28T17:20:00.000-08:002010-01-28T22:10:52.989-08:00Falling on Our Faces or Handling Change (and Criticism) with Grace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CM8QZetlnqg/S2J74P62-2I/AAAAAAAAAD8/7r1b0fa6FTs/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CM8QZetlnqg/S2J74P62-2I/AAAAAAAAAD8/7r1b0fa6FTs/s320/Picture+1.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432040306838535010" /></a><br />Lately I have been watching past seasons of a show I had never before seen: "<a href="http://www.cwtv.com/shows/americas-next-top-model">America's Next Top Model</a>." No, this blog has not turned into a true confessions site and it is still about museums. <br /><br />ANTM is similar to a lot of reality contest shows in that it presents the contestants with challenges and subsequent notes and advice from a panel of judges. That's pretty much standard workshopping technique. But one thing I have noticed in watching roughly 40 episodes in a row is that the success of the contestants rests pretty heavily on how well they are able to digest and incorporate the panel's critique and recommendations--even when sometimes their advice sounds contradictory. <br /><br />Another thing I have noticed is that learning from and incorporating the panel's recommendations is exactly where most contestants fail. Some just outright ignore the advice, smiling and nodding in front of the judges and then doing nothing at all to change their behavior in the next challenge. Others, freak out and go so far in the opposite direction from what they had been doing that they've gone too far and still get negative critiques. And some simply get so confused and bewildered by all the different elements that they have to keep in mind while doing something that they thought was so easy and natural that they have complete melt downs or simply stop trying.<br /><br />I guess what I am getting at is that improvement and navigating the tricky landscape of constructive criticism are hard work--harder for some than others, but hard for everyone--and I'm not just talking about would-be models, here; I am talking about museums.<br /><br />Museums are at a critical moment in their history, poised for potential greatness in a new era or doomed to failure as they disappear into obscurity and irrelevance. It is possible, but unlikely, that museums will simply continue on with business as usual neither excelling nor failing--the market place is just too brutal right now to allow for middle of the road nonprofits. No, we will either be witnessing wonderful success or extreme failure. <br /><br />With so much riding on their fates, museums are eagerly listening to the reactions from their "panel"--the public, the critics, the funders, their boards. And they are hearing a lot of messages--not just in closed meetings but in loud articles and op-ed pieces in such noted publications as the New York Times and such visible media sources as CBS news. <br /><br />So what kind of feedback are museums receiving lately and how are they handling it--are they incorporating it gracefully or falling on their faces?<br /><br />I will let you judge for yourself by pointing out a number of wonderful conversations and informative articles and interviews, most of which have already been posted or pointed out by others, but just in case you have somehow missed them, now is your chance to get caught up! (A complete list of materials cited follows my remarks.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Collections</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Deaccessioning</span> <br />The issue of deaccessioning in order to keep the doors has open has been rearing its ugly head quite a bit lately. Some--including wealthy collectors and would-be donors--are incensed that museums typically only display between 1 and 5% of their collections at any given point in time. "Why not sell off part of the collection since no one sees those pieces anyway?" they ask. <br /><br />Head of AAM's <a href="http://www.futureofmuseums.org/">Center for the Future of Museums</a> gave an initial response to that query when posed to her during a forum discussion on <a href="http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R200912290900">NPR</a>. "That would be like selling one of your children in order to support the others," is essentially a direct quote. But she later rethought her answer on the CFM blog, revisiting the question of why not sell--resulting in a <a href="http://futureofmuseums.blogspot.com/2010/01/challenging-assumptions-why-not-sell.html">fascinating discussion</a>. The State of New York has decided to put the kibosh on such questions. Legislators met earlier in the month <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/arts/design/15deaccession.html">in hopes of making it illegal for museums to sell their collections to pay for operating costs</a>. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Borrowing vs Donations or Purchases</span><br />Meanwhile, getting back to those rich and influential collectors and would-be donors, they are still <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122619567">very concerned</a> about the idea of their collections going to museums--and then just sitting in the basement collecting dust. Of course, we all know that once they go sit in the basement, they will be looked after with tender loving care and that in some cases, tucked away in archival housing is the safest place for those collections to be--but that is besides the point. Donors donate their collections in order for their possessions to be seen by and shared with the public. So more and more are taking the <a href="http://broadartfoundation.org/">Eli Broad</a> approach of either lending to museums on a long-term basis with the stipulation that the works must be on display, or else simply creating their own museums. This new approach leads to new issues as well, including the questions of curatorial control and whether or not vanity museums would further burden an already over-taxed museum market and philanthropic sector.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Exhibits</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Curators vs Democratic Exhibits vs Donor-Driven Exhibits</span><br />Let's look at that question of curatorial control for a moment. According to AAM's "<a href="http://www.aam-us.org/museumresources/ethics/bus_support.cfm">Standards regarding developing and managing business and individual donor support</a>," museums must maintain curatorial control. A quote from Erik Ledbetter, AAM's director of ethics, these guidelines seek to "<a href=" http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122619567">make sure the museum keeps authority over the content of exhibition</a>" in order to avoid conflicts of interest. Elizabeth Merritt explained further (on my Facbook page) that the "idea being that you shouldn't offer people "pay to play" when it comes to exhibit development." In other words, curatorial control is lost, or at least jeopardized, in such a way as to potentially create a conflict of interest when donors get to determine what hangs in the galleries.<br /><br />Elizabeth went to clarify on my FB page that this is different from the democratization efforts that some museums are playing with in the exhibit development process, that "crowdsourcing" exhibit development is a way to enhance the exhibit development process, even if it means giving up a certain amount of curatorial control. To that end, there have been several great and successful curatorial crowdsourcing efforts that were featured in an article in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/arts/design/20museum.html">New York Times</a>. The idea behind these efforts is that, through the power of the Internet, the masses can be called upon to grow online collections, curate those collections and fill in the gaps where curators can't or don't have time. Michael Edson, new-media director at the Smithsonian, describes the process as "distributive knowledge creation." Pascale Bastide, founder of the Museum of Afghan Civilization, states that through this process "Curators are starting to realize that they can be challenged by the audience." <br /><br />But curatorial control still plays an important role, even within the process of "distributive knowledge creation." Jake Barton, lead designer for <a href="http://makehistory.national911memorial.org/">Make History</a>, one of the websites that employs crowdsourcing exhibit development and collection generation, recommends that constraints be used--that structure be imposed in order to create a shared narrative. One way that this can be done is by supplying themes for the would-be curators to respond to. <br /><br />Caroline Rossiter, an arts writer based in Paris, <a href="http://thefastertimes.com/visualarts/2010/01/27/museums-of-the-future-crowdsourcing-storms-the-ivory-tower/">agrees with Barton</a>: "Far from making curators and editors of information redundant, the ever growing tide of user-generated content makes the curatorial role even more important." She does allow, however, as that history "appears to be less and less easy to mold in the digital age," and she can foresee a time when we all serve as curators of our own virtual exhibitions. <br /><br />Nina Simon, museum participatory experience expert and founder of the Museum 2.0 blog <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/arts/design/20museum.html">sums it up nicely</a>: "There's a difference between having power and having expertise. Museums will always have the expertise, but they may have to be willing to share the power."<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Interactives vs Traditional</span><br />Part and parcel with "crowdsourcing" exhibit development is the strive to develop exhibits that are more participatory. This often means including interactive experiences and technology that can mimic the kinds of information technology and sharing that visitors are increasingly familiar with in the rest of their lives. But columnist Charles J. Adams of readingeagle.com <a href="http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=187524">cautions against the overuse of these exhibit strategies</a>. He describes walking through museums in which the "real thing" is being completely ignored in favor of the touch screens describing the actual specimens and objects nearby. This is somewhat counter-intuitive given that a poll done by CBS [see the end of <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6107645n">this video</a>] found that 80% of visitors would rather go see the "real thing" even if images and information were available online. But perhaps this is a generational discrepancy--the CBS voters were most likely adults, whereas the visitors described by Adams were youths. This hints at another point to be covered a little further on: shifting demographics.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Permanent Collections vs Blockbusters and Traveling Exhibits</span><br />But amidst all of this talk about what will happen to museum permanent collections--whether they will be, should be or could be sold; whether or not in the future major collectors will continue to donate their artwork or rather just lend select pieces for display--James Leventhal reports in his <a href="http://westmuse.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/physician-heal-thyself/">blog post on the general state of museums</a> right now that the <a href="http://famsf.org/">Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco</a> are in the black--apparently at least in part thanks to the blockbuster traveling exhibit <a href="http://www.kingtut.org/home">Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs</a>. <br /><br />Is King Tut such a singularly impressive exhibit and topic that this is a fluke, or does this point towards a more universal truism, that blockbusters are the way to make money--money that can then in turn be used to support the permanent collections? The question has been posed to me several times in recent days regarding whether or not sites dedicated solely to the display of traveling blockbuster exhibitions could realistically be competition for more traditional museums with permanent collections and a more modest exhibition schedule? <br /><br />It is interesting to note that while the <a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/apr/10/vegas-say-goodbye-guggenheim/">Guggenheim/Hermitage Museum</a> in Las Vegas has closed, as has the Las Vegas Art Museum, the exhibition space in the <a href="http://www.luxor.com/">Luxor</a> devoted to <a href="http://www.prxi.com/">Premier Exhibition Inc.</a>'s <a href="http://www.rmstitanic.net/">Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition</a> and <a href="http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/">Bodies: The Exhibition</a> continues to thrive.<br /><br />What will and what must the museums of the future look like in terms of their exhibitions and use of permanent collections in order to maintain their missions while also remaining financially viable? <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sustainability</span><br />Which brings us to the topic of sustainability. Arthur C. Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute speaks directly and succinctly to the question of sustainability for the arts, given the <a href="http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=282200002">findings of the National Arts Index</a>, which revealed lower health and vitality for the arts in 2008: "We need to rethink a nonprofit arts sector that in many ways remains tethered to support models that have remained unchanged for a half century. Arts organizations need to find creative ways to engage their audiences, build on the public's growing interest in personal creation, and stimulate audience demand." <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Shifting Funding Priorities</span><br />It seems to me that there is something fundamentally unsustainable about the current nonprofit business structure. Admissions rarely come close to being able to single-handedly maintain museums and by-and-large the majority of museum budgets come from external funding sources. In a time when <a href="http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Will-US-museums-succeed-in-reinventing-themselves?%20/20030">funding priorities are shifting</a> and many funders are cutting back on their support due to their own financial difficulties, museums need to look at new ways to stay afloat--funding priorities may be changing, but as Brooks points out, the structure of support has not yet changed along with those priorities.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Shifting Demographics</span><br />Along with the National Arts Index findings, the NEA also recently released its 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts. As with the National Arts Index, the findings were not happy. Museum attendance is pretty much universally down. Sure, there are some pockets of museums that are thriving, but overall and across the board, museums are seeing a decline in visitorship. Gregory Rodriguez points out that <a href="http://westmuse.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/la-times-article-on-attendance-should-make-us-all-sit-up-and-take-note/">the demographics of museum visitors has not changed along with the shifting demographics of the population as a whole</a>. Several states, including California, are already "majority minority" in terms of population make-up, with many more states, including New York, on the verge of becoming "majority minority." But 90%+ of museum visitors are still Caucasian. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Inclusiveness</span><br />On January 27 the Center for the Future of Museums hosted a lecture webcast entitled <a href="http://www.futureofmuseums.org/events/lecture/rodriguez.cfm">"Towards A New Maintstream"</a> that included a video of a lecture given by Gregory Rodriguez on the topic of how to better address our shifting demographics. Also as part of the webcast was a sidebar for chatting during the lecture. A lot of time was spent in that sidebar talking about the value of including multi-lingual label copy and marketing in order to be more inclusive of a broader and more ethnically diverse audience. Rodriguez specifically addressed that idea in his lecture, however, urging museums to take a more expansive view of inclusion. His statements indicate that, up until now, museums attempts at inclusiveness have bordered on tokenism rather than true multiculturalism. He pointed out that second generation immigrants are fluent in English--there is no language barrier--but they still only feel welcome and invited by museums when there are events or exhibits specific to their culture. <br /><br />On December 29, 2009 KQED radio, an NPR station, hosted a forum on <a href="http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R200912290900">Museums in Recession</a>. There Rodriguez also explained how yes, Day of the Dead celebrations in museums were a great first step, but in order to be truly inclusive, museums must then follow-up with Latino communities, inviting them to other programs and exhibits that don't have anything to do with Latino heritage. Ethnicity must be "unpacked" Rodriguez says, explaining that museums need to start treating people as individuals, rather than as categories. <br /><br />But inclusiveness does not only relate to ethnicity. Hans-Dieter Sues, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Smithsonian reminds us that "<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/who-can-save-the-rom-this-time/article1440537/">You really have to offer something that addresses a variety of styles of learning</a>" as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Strategies for Staying Afloat</span><br />Reporter Sandra Hughes of CBS ends her <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6107645n">video article</a> with these words, "For the rest of us we can just hope that museums can find a way to stay afloat while we have fun with the art." So when all is said and done, with changing demographics and funding priorities, with furor over permanent collections and how to manage them and what it means--or what it should mean--to be and have curators, what can and will museums do to stay afloat? <br /><br />Mikku Wilenius of Allianz, a forecasting company in Europe, predicts that <a href="http://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/climate_change/top_climate_stories/wilenius_trends_2010_allianz_futurologist.html">the future will belong to companies that serve as aggregators of information</a>, such as Google or websites that can offer consumers different best-price offers. <br /><br />But let's think about this prediction in terms of museums: what would it look like for a museum to serve as an aggregator--or rather, would a museum simply be part of a network that formed an aggregator? An alliance such as the one just announced between five museums in Georgia might be a model for what that might look like. The High Museum of Art, the Albany Museum of Art, the Columbus Museum, the Telfair Museum of Art and the Georgia Museum of Art have <a href="http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=35793">joined together to form the Georgia Art Museum Partnership</a>, an initiative that will "allow for the sharing of resources and collections among museums in Georgia and the Southeast." <br /><br />What does that mean, practically speaking? Well, it could mean that visitors and members have access not just to the information, collections, programs, exhibits and expertise of one museum but all five. But what is especially interesting is that this partnership is actually much more internally focused than externally: the initiative in part will include workshops on topics such as fundraising, public relations, exhibit design and collaborations between curators and educators that will allow staff from all five institutions to "share ideas, receive feedback and relay successes." In essence, the initiative will start to build a network of shared resources with each of the five museums as a network hub. <br /><br />There is a precedent already for museums as nodes of a larger web rather than individual stand-alone institutions. <a href="www.naturalis.nl/english/index2.html">Naturalis</a>, the National Museum of Natural History in the Netherlands, <a href="http://orindagroup.blogspot.com/2008/03/cam-2008-session-re-imagining-museum-in_07.html">views itself as an integral part of an expanding network</a> that brings its building, collections and scientific research to the network as assets, rather than a center around which a network may or may not revolve. Natural history museums here in the States are recognizing the need and value of seeing themselves as nodes rather than individual entities as well. The <a href="http://www.biodiversitycollectionsindex.org/static/index.html">Biodiversity Collections Index</a> allows researchers access to specimens and collections around the world through a collaborative effort of museums and research facilities. As the BCI website states, "Research into biodiversity relies on the use of specimens. These specimens are held in reference collections around the world. BCI is a central index to these collections." <br /><br />Perhaps the best way for museums to stay relevant--and open--will be to take a page from the libraries and become better integrated and networked not just with our visitors, but with each other as well.<br /><br />Or not. Maybe it's still too soon to see, maybe any attempt at solving these grand issues will turn out to be nothing more than a desperate search for a panacea that isn't there--that is, that any of these approaches will turn out to be not as far-reaching as we hope. As Andras Szanto puts it in <a href="http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Will-US-museums-succeed-in-reinventing-themselves?%20/20030">his article</a>, "Digesting the full cultural implications of a once-in-a-generation event like the Great Recession will take years, even decades. In the meantime, museum leaders have an opportunity to frame new visions for the future." Let's just hope that our leaders will seize upon that opportunity.<br /><br />---------<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Sources</span><br /><a href="http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R200912290900">KQED Radio: Forum with Michael Krasny: Museums in Recession, Host Scott Shafer</a> (audio)<br /><br /><a href="http://futureofmuseums.blogspot.com/2010/01/challenging-assumptions-why-not-sell.html">Challenging Assumptions--Why Not Sell Collections? by Elizabeth Merritt</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/arts/design/15deaccession.html">Museums and Lawmakers Mull Sales of Art by Robin Pogrebin</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122619567">Can Collectors Have Their Art and Lend It, Too? by Kate Taylor</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/arts/design/20museum.html">Online, It's the Mouse that Runs the Museum by Alex Wright</a><br /><br /><a href="http://thefastertimes.com/visualarts/2010/01/27/museums-of-the-future-crowdsourcing-storms-the-ivory-tower/">Museums of the Future: Crowdsourcing Storms the Ivory Tower by Caroline Rossiter</a><br /><br /><a href="http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=187524">Travels with Charlie: Don't let the lure of technology spoil the joy of traveling by Charles J. Adams III</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6107645n">Bringing Art to the People by Sandra Hughes</a> (video)<br /><br /><a href="http://westmuse.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/physician-heal-thyself/">Happy New Year!: Physician, Heal Thyself by James Leventhal</a><br /><br /><a href="http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=282200002">National Arts Index Reveals Lower Health and Vitality of Arts Industries in 2008</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Will-US-museums-succeed-in-reinventing-themselves?%20/20030">Will US museums succeed in reinventing themselves? by Andras Szanto</a><br /><br /><a href="http://westmuse.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/la-times-article-on-attendance-should-make-us-all-sit-up-and-take-note/">LA Times Article on Attendance Should Make Us All Sit up and Take Note by Allyson Lazar</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.futureofmuseums.org/events/lecture/rodriguez.cfm">Towards a New Mainstream</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/who-can-save-the-rom-this-time/article1440537/">Who can save the ROM this time? by Chris Nuttall-Smith</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/climate_change/top_climate_stories/wilenius_trends_2010_allianz_futurologist.html">Future Trends of 2010 and Beyond</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=35793">Georgia Art Museums Collaborate to Share Resources and Collections Across the State</a><br /><br /><a href="http://orindagroup.blogspot.com/2008/03/cam-2008-session-re-imagining-museum-in_07.html">CAM 2008 Session: Re-imagining the Museum in the 21st Century, Museums as Nodes by Allyson Lazar</a>Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-72767679507320735802009-12-16T00:01:00.001-08:002009-12-16T00:32:41.155-08:00Thomas Hoving: In MemoriamThe fall quarter of my second year in grad school, I had the opportunity of a lifetime--I interned at the <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/">Metropolitan Museum of Art</a>. Sure this was one the world's largest and most renowned museums, but more importantly for me, it was the museum of my childhood. My grandparents lived a few blocks away and I grew up with family trips to the museum and playing in the <a href="http://www.centralparknyc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=virtualpark_thegreatlawn_ancientpg">Ancient Playground in Central Park</a> next to the Egyptian wing of the museum. Growing up, the Egyptian wing *was* the museum for me. Entering the hieroglyphic-walled tombs transported me back to the days of Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and as far as I was concerned, visiting the <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/the_temple_of_dendur/objectview.aspx?collID=10&OID=100004628">Temple of Dendur</a> was like actually leaving the US and traveling to Egypt. <br /><br />So when I was accepted for a fall internship doing double-duty in both the museum's development and registration departments, I could scarcely contain my joy. Every day as I went into work I would whisper to myself, "This is real, this real, this is real--I am really here!" Fridays, after work, I would often take advantage of the longer hours and roam the galleries, falling in love time after time with each trip through the building to the sounds of mezzanine piano bar.<br /><br />At some point early on during my internship, I learned that the man who had been director when I was young--and who was responsible for many of the things I loved about the museum--had written a book about his time as director. I made a trip to the museum bookstore, made use of my staff discount and began reading. The book was <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Making-Mummies-Dance-Inside-Metropolitan/dp/0671880756">Making the Mummies Dance</a></span>. The man was Thomas Hoving.<br /><br />I couldn't put the book down. Thomas Hoving's writing style was so unapologeticly daring and arrogant it was almost scandalous as he spoke candidly about turning the staid museum world on its ear. Blockbuster exhibitions, posh galas, the Temple of Dendur, the Euphronios krater--all of these were thanks to Hoving. Okay, maybe the krater wasn't a great judgment call, but am I grateful that I was able to see it up close and in person every day? You bet I was and am.<br /><br />Even though I was already working "behind-the-scenes" at the Met, Hoving's book made me feel even more like an insider, like I was gaining truly secret insights to how the place was run and to how the business of art and museums happened. My supervisor's cautioned me to take his book with a grain of salt, some were even vaguely dismissive. But I came to view Hoving as my unofficial guide and mentor to my new surroundings, offering me a view that I found somewhat thrilling and romantic.<br /><br />Of course, that is what the book was supposed to do and as the years went on I came to understand why those around me had cautioned me not to take Hoving's word as the be all and end all of either the museum world in general or the Met in particular. He tended towards the sensational over the sensible and his practices were not always best.<br /><br />But I still love <span style="font-style:italic;">Making the Mummies Dance</span> and there is no denying Hoving's impact on not just the Met but the whole museum field. As <a href="http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1947094,00.html">one obituary states</a>, "Did he democratize, glamorize or coarsen the museum experience? You already know the answer. He did all three." <br /><br />Mr. Hoving, you will be missed. Thank you for shaking things up and transforming the museum world.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-34022569967121581522009-12-15T23:43:00.000-08:002009-12-15T23:51:14.084-08:00What Ails Museums (and What Could Help)Recently there have been several articles and blog posts all talking about the same thing, but approaching it from different angles. The subject <span style="font-style:italic;">du jour</span>? The potential obsolescence of our profession--or to use one author's term, "fossilization,"--and how to prevent it. What are some of the key components of our mass destruction?<br /><br />-- Not responding to changing demographics<br />-- Ignoring technology<br />-- Holding fast to the notion of monolithic structures<br /><br />Gregory Rodriguez writes in his <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-rodriguez14-2009dec14,0,3020593.column">LA Times article</a> that, according to a study released by the NEA last Thursday, attendance has been steadily dropping in museums for the past few years, largely because museums are not responding to the changing demographics of the American population. While the majority of museum visitors continue to be white, by mid-century the American population is predicted to be half people of color. Rodriguez posits that focusing on wooing the rising educated, middle-class Latino population could go a long way to helping museums stay in business. (For more on this topic, see <a href="http://westmuse.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/la-times-article-on-attendance-should-make-us-all-sit-up-and-take-note/">this blog post</a>)<br /><br />Matt Matcuk of the Field Museum <a href="http://naisections.org/IM/2009/12/avoiding-fossilization/">talks about not changing demographics but rather rapidly advancing technologies</a>. Once again, however, the message seems to be the same: things are changing and museums are not keeping up. Matcuk poses three questions to help guide museums into effective ways of viewing and using new technology.<br /><br />1. <span style="font-style:italic;">Are we competing with new technologies, or integrating them?</span><br />"What we have to offer doesn't compete with technology and is not undone by it. The core of our attracting power--authentic objects, immersive experiences, personal interactions--will continue to serve us, and can only benefit by being explored <span style="font-style:italic;">through</span> today's technologies."<br /><br />2. <span style="font-style:italic;">Are we hastening our own irrelevance by thinking ourselves superior to contemporary electronic culture?</span><br />"Adapting how we use technology in response to our visitors' needs is only a compromise if we view education as an inherently top-down enterprise. But that attitude--"We know what's good for you, and we're going to give it to you"--is no longer tenable, if it ever was."<br /><br />3. <span style="font-style:italic;">Is technology the "demon rum" of the 21st century?</span><br />"New technologies are just like telephones, inviting neither invective nor adoration. They're just there--a part of our world. If places of informal learning focus on the technology itself rather than on the message, our efforts will appear as quaint as a mid-twentieth century car advertisement touting the miracle of the automatic transmission."<br /><br />Matcuk closes with these words of caution (or prediction):<br /><blockquote>In the end, places of informal learning are subject to the same dictum that rules the natural world. Environmental pressures will force us in one of two directions: evolution, or extinction.</blockquote><br /><br />Finally, Robin Pogrebin's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/12/arts/design/12build.html">December 11 article in the New York Times</a> suggests that perhaps there is one arena in which museums have been spending too much time "keeping up"--to our detriment. As Maxwell Anderson, director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art was quoted as saying, "There is a keeping-up-with-the-Joneses quality to museum building." But "keeping up with the Joneses" does not imply strategic planning and as a result, recently there has been a rash of major capital projects--new buildings and major expansions--in the museum and arts world that have been scaled down, are being rethought or have simply been abandoned, exposing institutions as over-stretched and sometimes suffering from poor management. <br /><br />The question remains, however, if we follow the advice explicit or implicit in each of these articles--become more relevant to rising demographics, approach technology as the tool that it is rather than either as the devil or a god and focus on the sustainability of our buildings rather than their eye-dazzling civic appeal--will that be enough to save us? What else do we need to be focusing on to maintain the health and vitality of not just our organizations but our field?<br /><br />Thoughts?Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-46870942650118668672009-05-08T10:11:00.000-07:002009-05-08T10:29:04.099-07:00SparkI finally sat down to watch the much talked about short, "Spark," that was highlighted at AAM last week. I did love it, as the film spoke very directly to what I love about museums: the exalting, cathedral-like spaces; the sense of wonder, awe and curiosity that they inspire. But what I found very interesting about the film was that there was a marked disconnect between the message of the film and all the discussions happening at the conference--formally and informally--about the future of museums.<br /><br />No one makes any mention whatsoever about how museums engage audiences outside of the museum walls. And considering many museum professionals believe that in the future, museums will have no walls (for example, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCztQUWpif8">this noted western museum professional</a>), I wonder how effective this film could really be as a marketing piece for persuading people that museums do indeed matter as the tag line at the end suggests. Is it, in effect, preaching to the choir? <br /><br />I absolutely agree with the film that museums are places to have enriching experiences, but I strongly feel that by only focusing on the experiences obtained within the walls of the museums, the filmmakers were really only looking at part of the picture. <br /><br />Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe all the museum futurists out there who are predicting and working towards greater social media engagement are wrong. Maybe when all is said and done, museums are about physical spaces and the experiences contained within those walls. Heck, I've already sort of <a href="http://twolsanday.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-do-audiences-want-to-use-museums.html">expressed that sentiment myself here on this blog</a>. <br /><br />Regardless, check out the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgrH6NwhrFk">film on YouTube</a> or embedded below. It is copyright the <a href="http://www.philaculture.org/">Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance</a> and produced in association with the <a href="http://www.aam-us.org/">American Association of Museums</a>. <br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OgrH6NwhrFk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OgrH6NwhrFk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-56397191607582706762009-05-07T01:15:00.000-07:002009-05-07T01:18:30.420-07:00AAM and Twitter Follow-UpIt was too easy to miss comments/tweets while actually at AAM, so I have just gone through all of the tweets tagged <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23aam09">#aam09</a> and <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23aam2009">#aam2009</a>. Yeah. Here's what I learned:<br /><br />Stats:<br />-- There were roughly 1350 tweets on #aam09.<br />-- There were roughly 90 tweets on #aam2009, most of which were cross-posted on #aam09.<br />-- There were roughly 220 tweeters, most of whom only tweeted 3 times or less. <br />-- There were probably only about 20 or so people who really made use of Twitter during the conference and populated the conversation.<br /><br />Thoughts:<br />-- Twitter could easily replace blogging as the preferred method for sharing ideas about sessions at conferences. Why? Because it is not reliant on the availability of free wifi! No free wifi in the conference session rooms means an increased incentive to text and tweet instead, despite the fact that the 140 character limit makes sharing in a substantive manner difficult and that the Twitter interface can make it difficult to follow ideas in a coherent fashion and increases the likelihood of losing information. Also, it is quicker and easier to connect with others through Twitter than through blogs--read a tweet you like, follow that person!<br /><br />Trends from the AAM Conference:<br />-- Relatively few sessions were actually documented in a thorough or coherent manner via Twitter.<br />-- A few people were vocally following from home. It is unclear how many people were "lurking."<br />-- The number one top topic of conversation was the Muse Awards winners.<br />-- A lot of the tweets were about the host city, food or random facts/trivia from sessions or hallway conversations.<br />-- Vendors and session presenters used Twitter a fair amount to drum up business.<br />-- People promoted museums, exhibits and other fun places around the host city.<br />-- People made book recommendations.<br />-- Often sessions weren't tweeted, but instead links to notes and slides from sessions were tweeted.<br />-- I don't think any of the collections/registration sessions were documented through Twitter.<br /><br />Hot Ideas Being Tweeted:<br />-- Using technology to engage/reach audiences<br />-- Content creation<br />-- Curating conversations<br />-- Responsiveness to communities<br />-- Collaborations and community building<br />-- Predictions for the futureAllyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-76695521562092361262009-05-06T11:08:00.000-07:002009-05-06T11:20:12.729-07:00Voices of the Future InterviewLast week at the <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23aam09">AAM conference in Philadelphia</a>, our host, the <a href="http://www.aam-us.org/">American Association of Museums</a>, offered all sorts of new and experimental ways to engage. One was to record a Voices of the Future interview. Anyone who was interested was welcome to speak for a couple of minutes on their visions of the future for museums. All of the interviews are now available up on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/FutureofMuseums">YouTube</a>. Mine is embedded here. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i2Zh86sjCU0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/i2Zh86sjCU0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-91479713925261513802009-05-04T03:36:00.000-07:002009-05-04T04:09:21.549-07:00AAM and TwitterAs promised, below are my results from my impromptu and highly unscientific <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XQa1bSeBU_2btjqgsngYN7ng_3d_3d">survey on who was tweeting #aam09</a>.<br /><br />First, a little background.<br /><br />This is the first conference I have ever tweeted about. In fact, I think that tweeting at and about conferences is still relatively new. And, quite frankly, I am still in shock that Twitter has suddenly exploded in the way that it has--I left my account dormant for over a year because it just seemed, well, silly. So I was very curious to see how useful Twitter could be as a tool to share thoughts about a conference with colleagues both at the conference and those back at home. <br /><br />I quickly heard complaints, or at least less-than-positive commentary, from various sources: 1) that the quality of the tweets was relatively low, with little content on sessions or lessons learned and more about where people were eating 2) that mostly vendors were tweeting.<br /><br />The first comment, while disappointing, can be excused. Most people think of Twitter as a personal social space and so are more accustomed to tweeting about meals out and social activity than about the future of museums. Also, the 140 character limit that makes Twitter the micro-blogging site that it is creates an inherent barrier to real sharing of ideas.<br /><br />But the second comment really peaked my interest: was it true that mostly vendors were tweeting <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23aam09">#aam09</a>? Who were all these tweeters who were all a-twitter about the conference, food or otherwise?<br /><br />So I decided to try to find out!<br /><br />The results were less than stellar. Now, granted, as <a href="http://twitter.com/Lidja">@Lidja</a> pointed out to me, there were some big flaws with my survey. I had intended it to be quick and dirty, like a tweet, but she argued that it was too quick and dirty, so as to lack the ability to create meaningful responses. But I was really looking for just an easy way to see if it was mostly emerging museum professionals (EMPs) and/or vendors who were tweeting.<br /><br />Here are my results. 12 people responded. Then again, I only announced the survey on Twitter and it's easy enough to miss tweets unless you are online right when they happen.<br /><br />Question 1.<br />Are you...<br />10 an EMP (that answers that question, I guess, except that most of the people I was retweeting and replying to are definitely not EMPs...)<br />2 other (consultant; non-attendee)<br />1 a mid-career museum professional<br />1 a vendor<br />0 a senior/executive level museum professional<br />0 a volunteer<br />0 a board member<br /><br />Question 2.<br />Do you work in...<br />4 technology<br />3 collections<br />3 education<br />3 marketing<br />2 admin<br />2 visitor services<br />1 development<br />1 exhibits<br />1 programming<br />1 volunteer/docent management<br />1 I told you I was a vendor<br />1 Other (would if)<br />0 Finance<br />0 HR<br />0 Membership<br />0 Operations<br /><br />Question 3.<br />Do you currently work in a museum?<br />8 Yes!<br />2 No, but I wish I did.<br />2 No, and how many times do I have to tell you--I'm a vendor!<br /><br />Question 4.<br />Does your museum use Twitter?<br />5 Yes!<br />4 I don't work for a museum, but my company/organization uses Twitter.<br />2 No, but I sure do--tweet! tweet!<br />1 No, but it wants to.<br />0 What's Twitter?<br /><br />I don't have enough respondents for the results to be statistically significant--they could all be spurious and meaningless. But that doesn't mean that this exercise was a waste of time. For one thing, these results have posed all sorts of follow-up questions that I am now mulling over: How big are these museums? What disciplines do the museums represent--art? history? science? Why are they Twittering? Do they find Twitter useful? Would they recommend other museums and organizations sign up and start tweeting?<br /><br />So really, rather than having results for you, I only have more questions!Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-45915994008126065282009-05-02T21:36:00.000-07:002009-05-02T21:51:58.286-07:00How DO Audiences Want to Use Museums?Perhaps I am a bit of a hypocrite. Over on the <a href="http://westmuse.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/futurequest-a-players-perspective/">WestMuse blog</a>, I opined earlier that I didn't feel as connected as I would have liked to through the <a href="http://www.futureofmuseums.org/events/AAMAM09.cfm">FutureQuest</a> game here at AAM. But at this evening's event at the amazing <a href="http://www.museum.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology</a> I felt almost exactly the opposite. <br /><br />The evening was structured by a group activity--everyone was divided into teams for a scavenger hunt. I opted out, preferring instead to be able to explore on my own and at my leisure, not wanting all that much group involvement with my experience. I think what I really want is to connect with others <span style="font-style:italic;">about</span> museums, but when I am in a museum, I really only want to connect <span style="font-style:italic;">with the objects</span>.<br /><br />So now the question is, am I a relic in terms of how I want to use museums, or am I not alone in my sentiments? If the answer is the latter rather than the former, then <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Zh86sjCU0">I am quite wrong</a> about how audiences want to interact with museums...Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-84721398559620848182009-04-30T21:08:00.000-07:002009-04-30T21:39:30.989-07:00Almost-Live Blogging: Places and StoriesYou've probably heard a lot about community engagement through the Internet. I know I myself talk about it all. the. time. But I saw a fantastic example of exactly that today at the Places and Stories session here at AAM. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=1239">PhilaPlace</a> is a new initiative by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania that is being designed by <a href="http://www.whatscookin.com/html/">Night Kitchen</a>. Although PhilaPlace is not yet up and running, HSP has already begun working with the community prior to launch. PhilaPlace involves "co-constructed narratives" and "connecting stories to places across time." The website will include:<br />-- Interpretive information<br />-- MP3 player tours<br />-- Primary source documents<br />-- Audio and video clips<br />-- Photos<br />-- Layered maps (using Google maps as the base but then adding layers to see neighborhoods back in time)<br />-- Digital models (to show change over time consisting of static maps based on census information)<br />-- K-12 lessons<br />-- Visitor contributed stories<br /><br />Corresponding collaborative programming will include:<br />-- Public events (history fairs)<br />-- Workshops<br />-- Trolley tours (the whole program actually began this way)<br />-- Exhibits<br /><br />The goal of PhilaPlace is to use "reciprocal technology" and participatory technology to bring grassroots involvement to the digital realm. To this end, there will be a MyPhila--users will be able to save their favorite stories, create stories, make their own tours and upload those tours to Google maps. Filters can also be used to view the places. You can filter according to neighborhood, tour, or topic. It is also the hope that the map layers will become populated by visitor interaction. <br /><br />Challenges faced by PhilaPlace:<br />-- How to integrate multiple stories for the same place?<br /><br />Technologies to be used:<br />-- <a href="http://www.collectiveaccess.org/">CollectiveAccess</a><br />-- <a href="http://maps.google.com/">Google Maps</a><br />-- <a href="http://code.google.com/">Google API</a><br /><br />Funding:<br />-- <a href="http://www.neh.gov/">NEH</a>/<a href="http://www.imls.gov/">IMLS</a><br />-- <a href="http://www.pcah.us/">Pew Center for Arts and Heritage</a><br />-- <a href="http://www.connellyfdn.org/">Connelly Foundation</a><br />-- (many more)<br /><br /><br />For more on this session, please see my post <a href="http://westmuse.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/aam-session-places-and-stories/">here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Places and Stories That Matter: Digital Experiments and Community Involvement</span><br />Minda Borun, Director of Research and Evaluation, <a href="http://www2.fi.edu/">Franklin Institute</a><br />Joan Saverino, Assistant Director for Education, <a href="http://www.hsp.org/">Historical Society of Pennsylvania</a><br />Matthew Fisher, President, <a href="http://www.whatscookin.com/html/">Night Kitchen</a><br />Marci Reaven, Managing Director, <a href="http://www.citylore.org/">City Lore</a>Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-11344956274589061912009-04-30T14:03:00.000-07:002009-04-30T21:36:32.657-07:00Almost-Live Blogging: Museum Technology and TrendsMuseum Technology and Trends on the Horizon<br /><br />For those of you not already familiar with the <a href="http://horizon.nmc.org/museum/Main_Page">Horizon Museum Report</a>, part of the New Media Consortium's Horizon Project and co-edited by Leonard Steinbach and Susan Chun, go check it out now!<br /><br />In a nutshell, the Report looks at six technologies that are likely to be adopted by museums in the near future (1 year or less), mid-range future (2-3 years) or longer-term future (4-5 years) as well as six trends to be aware of and six challenges to adopting these new technologies or participating in these trends. Each of the six lists was compiled by vote.<br /><br />Technologies on the Horizon:<br />Current-1 year<br />Collection Systems: Yes, automated collections management systems have been in place for a long time, but they continue to grow and develop in capabilities and sophistication. Continue to watch for more to come from them! Also, as Susan Chun mentioned, they are the hardest to implement and often the most expensive. <br /><br />Mobile Devices: Check out the Boston <a href="http://www.mfa.org/assyria/quest_how_it_works.html">MFA's mobile scavenger hunt: The Quest</a>!<br /><br /><br />2-3 years<br />Gelocation: Google Earth + Collections = <a href="http://www.ushmm.org/maps/">Mapping Initiatives</a><br /><br />Alternative Interaction Devices: <a href="http://www.digiwall.se/">DigiWall</a> in Sweden; new interactives on the floor at the <a href="http://www.calacademy.org/">California Academy of Sciences</a><br /><br /><br />4-5 years<br />Open Content: This is mostly projected as being so far out because it is often a major policy issue--museums are still very afraid of the loss of control that comes with opening up content--not to mention the intellectual property issues involved.<br /><br />Multi-Language Capabilities: Though Robert Lancefield pointed out that thanks to <a href="http://unicode.org/">Unicode</a> that capability is really already here. And Susan mentioned that this can also be achieved through crowd-sourcing.<br /><br />Technologies that did not make the list, mostly because they are just considered a "given" at this point:<br />-- User-generated content<br />-- Tagging<br />-- Mashups<br />-- Syndicated content<br />-- Digitally-native collection objects<br />-- Webware<br />-- Cloud computing (too far-out there for museums still) Robert thought it was a mistake to leave this one off the list. He argued that due to the scalability of cloud computing, even small museums can take advantage of aggregated capacity. Cited <a href="http://www.imamuseum.org/">IMA</a> and the <a href="http://jwa.org/">Jewish Women's Archive</a> as places successfully engaged in cloud computing.<br /><br /><br />Trends to Watch:<br />-- Tech-savvy audiences will demand more and richer online content from museums.<br />-- Open content is inevitable.<br />-- Increased and improved collections digitization.<br />-- Technology plans integrated into overall museum strategic plans (the <a href="http://www.getty.edu/">Getty</a> recently changed their mission to include Internet initiatives).<br />-- Addressing to what extent online engagement complements or enhances physical presence.<br />-- Increase in use of participatory tools.<br /><br />Critical Challenges: (Most of these related to infrastructure and policy.)<br />-- Adequate staffing/adequately trained staff<br />-- Budgeting for technology<br />-- Dedicating staff and funding to technology<br />-- Balancing core mission technology leading edge technologies/experimentation<br />-- Overcoming fears, esp. regarding open content<br />-- Copyright, intellectual property laws and other legal obstacles to open content.<br /><br />And Nik Honeysett added one more challenge, that he states is the biggest one: dissemination. Almost everyone in the room had a fairly advanced knowledge of the subject matter being discussed--everyone already had more than a cursory understanding of web 2.0 technologies. In fact, several of us were trying to live-blog (except that there was no free wifi) and one person was twittering. So essentially, Nik said he was "preaching to the choir." And he was. He urged those of us in the audience to go out and share information about the importance of these technologies with others, but left us with this question: "If we could reach them [all those who aren't already on board with new technologies] all, what would the message be and would anyone listen?" <br /><br />Eventually, everyone will have to listen or else be left behind by their constituents. And so, in the meantime, I say to all of "them," go check out the <a href="http://horizon.nmc.org/museum/Main_Page">Horizon Report</a>!<br /><br /><br />For a more specific look at one aspect of this report, see my blog over at <a href="http://westmuse.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/almost-live-blogging-museum-technologies-and-trends-session/">WestMuse</a>!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Museum Technologies and Trends on the Horizon: A Critical Review</span><br />-- Leonard Stenibach, Principal, Cultural Technology Strategies<br />-- Susan Chun, Founder and Project Lead, Steve.Museum<br />-- Rob Lancefield, Manager of Museum Information Services/Registrar of Collections, Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University; President, MCN<br />-- Nik Honeysett, Head of Administration, J. Paul Getty Museum; Chair, SPC Council of AAM; Chair, Media and Technology SPC, AAMAllyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-75768068862743291822009-04-30T13:53:00.000-07:002009-04-30T14:03:19.121-07:00Almost-Live Blogging at AAMWell, here I am at AAM. My intent was to live-blog the sessions I attend, but sadly, there is no free wifi in the session rooms! So I will be posting somewhat after the sessions... I am also tweeting about the conference. You can follow me: <a href="http://twitter.com/museum_flavor">@museum_flavor</a> and you can follow everyone tweeting about the conference by following <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search.atom?q=%23aam09">#aam09</a>. I will also be posting less personal thoughts on the sessions (and possibly more in depth) over at <a href="http://westmuse.wordpress.com/">WestMuse</a>, the new WMA blog. There is also the official <a href="http://09aamblog.wordpress.com/">AAM conference blog</a>. So for all those who can't actually be here in beautiful Philly, there are lots of ways to play along at home!Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-66490104522688487962009-04-06T22:37:00.000-07:002009-04-06T22:39:15.718-07:00Sending Good Thoughts to the FieldOh man, I have been <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-field-museum-06-apr06,0,580754.story">here</a>. A leak in the collections--particularly if there are organic collections that can really suffer and get moldy or destroyed by the water--is never any fun. Good luck, guys.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-51822097268878926002009-04-06T22:30:00.000-07:002009-04-06T22:36:46.834-07:00Visitorship vs Revenue...And on the other hand, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/05/AR2009040501481.html?hpid=topnews">this article</a> reminds me that an increase in visitorship does not necessarily translate into an increase in dollars. So what's a museum to do? Welcome staycationers with open arms, knowing that it won't result in more money now but hoping that it will lead to future memberships and donations? C'mon marketers, development and membership officers--on your toes? How are we going to take this boon of visitors and turn it into ongoing support for our museums?Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-26949789848961161712009-04-06T22:20:00.000-07:002009-04-06T22:26:29.322-07:00Increase Admissions by Decreasing Admission?I'm going to take <a href="http://kstp.com/news/stories/S866253.shtml?cat=1">this</a> as an one more point in favor of my argument that museums (and zoos) should *not* be raising admission prices right now--that they should be keeping them affordable (and preferably on par with or even less than the cost of a movie). The <a href="http://www.comozooconservatory.org/">Como Zoo</a> is seeing increased attendance because people can't afford to go away on vacation, so they are taking "<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/06/12/balance.staycation/index.html">staycations</a>." Also, because the Zoo accepts donations rather than charging an admission fee, people who are unemployed can afford to visit and take a break from their troubles.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-46263129544211197892009-04-06T22:15:00.000-07:002009-04-06T22:19:30.763-07:00Paying Attention to Collections CareFor years now I have been saying that what reality TV needs is a show about conservation emergencies. Like Conservation 911 or something like that. No one else has ever been all that enthusiastic about my idea--not even conservators and fellow collections staff. That's okay, though, because I feel like conservation and collections care are getting their due at least a little bit though thanks to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/arts/design/05kino.html?_r=2&ref=arts">this article in the NY Times</a> about the conservation needs and struggles throughout the museum world. Thanks, New York Times!Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387273634716925988.post-15572429636163551512009-04-06T21:59:00.000-07:002009-04-06T22:02:31.239-07:00Google and MuseumsPete over at New Curator posts a really good question: <a href="http://newcurator.com/2009/04/why-isnt-there-museumgooglecom/">why isn't there a museum.google.com?</a> Just think what could happen if Google applied their mad organizational skills to collections content management or their mapping capabilities to museum floorplans? you could chart your course throughout a museum and highlight all the objects you want to see along the way all thanks to Google! Neat ideas.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0