Museum 2.0

MARCH 3, 2010

As many of you know, I've been working for the past year+ on a book about visitor participation in museums, libraries, science centers, and art galleries. The Participatory Museum is a practical guide to visitor participation. The Participatory Museum is an attempt at providing such a resource. Tweet about it.

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Participatory Museum Vietnam Netherlands 30

Museum 2.0

FEBRUARY 1, 2012

Last week, Douglas McLellan of artsJournal ran a multi-vocal forum on the relationship between arts organizations and audiences, asking: In this age of self expression and information overload, do our artists and arts organizations need to lead more or learn to follow their communities more? Here are three of my favorites.

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Arts Museum Artist Tucson 45

Museum 2.0

MARCH 13, 2013

Visitor-contributed photos surround a collection piece in Carnegie Museum of Art's Oh Snap! It can be incredibly difficult to design a participatory project that involves online and onsite visitor engagement. In this guest post, Jeffrey shares the story behind their big hit with a visitor co-created exhibition.

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Authoring Open Experiment Museum 53

Museum 2.0

OCTOBER 24, 2012

To that end, our exhibitions are full of participatory elements. Visitors can comment on how we can improve or what they would like to see. Riding the art couch through downtown Santa Cruz with two visitors and a dog while blasting the Jackson 5 was one of the highlights of my year. Happening Couch. The magic isn't by design.

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Platform Open Museum Participatory 41

Museum 2.0

APRIL 21, 2011

I'm reaching the end of my consulting days, with just one more day on the road before I dedicate myself to Santa Cruz and The Museum of Art & History. On Monday, April 25, I'll be participating in an online video chat with Andrew Taylor and James Undercofler to explore new business models for arts organizations.

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Arts Model Wisconsin Business 26

Museum 2.0

APRIL 7, 2009

Which of these descriptions exemplifies participatory museum practice? The exhibit opens. Museum staff create an exhibit by a traditional internal design process, but the exhibit, once open, invites visitors to contribute their own stories and participation. In the first case, you are making the design process participatory.

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Participatory Design Difference Museum 27

Museum 2.0

APRIL 15, 2015

"The arts are future-making." I wrote this down when Deborah Cullinan said it at a meeting of arts leaders about a year ago. Deborah''s vision for the arts leading the way to stronger future inspired me. Deborah''s vision for the arts leading the way to stronger future inspired me. They were open books.

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San Francisco Arts Design Marketing 20

Museum 2.0

JANUARY 4, 2010

It's rare that a participatory museum project is more than a one-shot affair. I hope you'll share your thoughts in the comments. Wikipedia Loves Art, Take One The first version of Wikipedia Loves Art first took place in February 2009. Wikipedia Loves Art, Take Two In June of 2009, Dutch Wikimedians tried again.

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Wikipedia Arts Museum Images 40

Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

NOVEMBER 19, 2006

I "met" Arin Crumley of Four-Eyed Monsters when he commented on a video of on mine over at YouTube. When I visited his site, I noticed that he had some widgets, including a message comment line. He created the above "open source documentary" on Net Neutrality called Humanity Lobotomy.

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Open Source Open Widget Remix 50

Museum 2.0

JANUARY 11, 2012

I can't say that any one experience--working on a collage with other visitors, swinging on a hammock, discovering a participatory display for pocket artifacts in the bathroom--directly contributed to increased attendance and giving. They all have in concert, and they build on each other.

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Audience Museum Participatory History 47

Museum 2.0

DECEMBER 28, 2011

We've been offering a host of participatory and interactive experiences at the Museum of Art & History this season. I loved Jasper Visser's list of 30 "do's" for designing participatory projects earlier this month. Please share yours in the comments. I keep visitor comments in my office. Get a good eraser.

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Design Participatory Learning Instruction 45

Museum 2.0

AUGUST 9, 2011

It's a little living room in a lobby area that invites people to lounge on comfortable chairs, leaf through magazines and books related to art and Santa Cruz history, and generally hang out. The area that houses the Creativity Lounge also shows art. Teenagers are curling up with art magazines. People love petting zoos.".

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Museum Arts History Columbus 51

Museum 2.0

MARCH 14, 2017

This is the second installation in a series of posts on the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH)'s development of Abbott Square , a new creative community plaza in downtown Santa Cruz. The MAH fundamentally has two jobs: we bring art and history out into our community, and we invite our community in. We want to break out.

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Public Museum Arts History 27

Museum 2.0

SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

Originally posted in April of 2011, just before I hung up my consulting hat for my current job at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. Feel free to add your own questions and answers in the comments! Are there certain kinds of institutions that are more well-suited for participatory techniques than others? The Museum 2.0

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Museum Question Participatory Evaluation 45

Museum 2.0

FEBRUARY 9, 2010

Recently, I was giving a presentation about participatory techniques at an art museum, when a staff member raised her hand and asked, "Did you have to look really hard to find examples from art museums? Aren't art museums less open to participation than other kinds of museums?" I was surprised by her question.

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Museum Difference Participatory History 29

Museum 2.0

JANUARY 16, 2013

Then again, Saturday was hardly normal at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. This past weekend, in conjunction with our exhibition about Ze Frank's current participatory project, A Show , we hosted " Ze Frank Weekend "--a quickie summer camp of workshops, activities, presentations, and lots of hugging.

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Reflection Community Museum Participatory 43

Museum 2.0

DECEMBER 23, 2014

They were “preaching the museum gospel” in NYC via alternative tours at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. We interacted with the art and with each other through dynamic photo challenges, kinesthetic activities, and conversations. I imagine that there are a lot more presumed barriers to break down at an art museum than a science museum.

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Museum Interview New York Interaction 55

Museum 2.0

APRIL 25, 2011

Feel free to add your own questions and answers in the comments! Granted, I live in an increasingly narrow world of people who are exploring these topics and want me to work with them, but I still learn a lot from the questions and struggles I hear from colleagues and people who comment on the blog. The Museum 2.0 Yes and no.

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Question Participatory Museum Evaluation 49

Museum 2.0

MAY 21, 2014

I''ve now been the executive director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History for three years. I''m open to any questions you want to share in the comments. Participatory work can be very labor-intensive. We have prioritized opening up to as many partners as possible through collaborative structures that scale.

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Museum Director History Teen 49

Museum 2.0

JULY 31, 2013

You''re in for a treat, with upcoming posts on creativity, collections management, elitism, science play, permanent participatory galleries, partnering with underserved teens, magic vests, and more. I have always approached blogging as an open invitation to "wander along with me" in a learning space driven by curiosity.

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Museum Participatory Reflection Conference 35

Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

AUGUST 18, 2005

Home About Me Subscribe Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology Thoughtful and sometimes snarky perspectives on nonprofit technology IP Tidbits August 18, 2005 Here are a few tidbits I’ve come across in the Intellectual Property arena in the past few days. This is very cool. It’s definitely a thing to watch. Be Helpful.

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Open Source Vlog License PowerPoint 100

Museum 2.0

DECEMBER 19, 2012

We're looking for an Exhibitions Manager to join our team here at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. What opportunities might that open up for participatory and community projects that evolve over time in the space? What if we slowed down and changed some spaces less frequently--like once a year?

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Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

APRIL 21, 2015

The big shift that leaders have to make is to be more comfortable with openness. As the book points out, while fast, frequent, and informal makes it all sound easy, there is an art to it. Sharing has to help spread authenticity, emotion, and point of view. It levels the playing field for all followers to respond.

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Digital Strategy Chapter Advice 50

Museum 2.0

MAY 2, 2012

Today is my one-year anniversary as the executive director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. We went through a dramatic financial turnaround and redefined our relationship with our community through a series of experimental participatory projects and new programmatic approaches. It is incredibly rewarding work.

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Museum Director Participatory Culture 55

Museum 2.0

JULY 20, 2010

Last week, I gave a talk about participatory museum practice for a group of university students at UCSC. I immediately flashed to my work with art museums and staff members' concerns that older, traditional audiences will shy away from social engagement in the galleries.

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Teen Social Museum Participatory 49

Museum 2.0

DECEMBER 28, 2010

Every once in a while I come across a project I wish I could have included in The Participatory Museum. an exhibition produced with schoolchildren at the Wallace Collection in London, is a lovely example of co-creation that demonstrates the multiple benefits of inviting audience members to act as partners in arts organizations.

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Children Museum Create Project 46

Museum 2.0

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

The ideal candidate has a good grasp of our local artistic assets in Santa Cruz County, a knack for participatory placemaking, and enthusiasm about putting on a show. How do you know who you need before you open? If you are reading this via email and would like to share a comment, you can join the conversation here.

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Public Activities Active Activism 20

Museum 2.0

APRIL 16, 2008

I've written before about the inspiring work that the Brooklyn Museum of Art is doing with their community-focused efforts. Click is an exhibition process in three parts: The Museum solicited photographs from artists via an open call on their website, Facebook group, Flickr groups, and outreach to Brooklyn-based arts organizations.

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Museum Participatory Artist Arts 24

Museum 2.0

SEPTEMBER 22, 2009

What does the word "participatory" mean to you? The various definitions of participatory projects can lead to confusion and misunderstandings. Participation in science research is a good basis on which to develop a framework for participatory models because it is based on a consistent scientific process with many steps.

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Public Research Participatory Report 36

Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

APRIL 25, 2007

I would love to develop more indepth training workshop or webinar on this topic, geared more for nonprofits and participatory campaigns, perhaps incorporating the Creative Commons Open Content Game. Youth trying to learn new art mediums, they often incorrectly use copyrighted works.they create a derivative work.a

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Remix Mashup PowerPoint Classroom 50

Museum 2.0

JUNE 12, 2012

It made me think in ways that I haven't before about the relation of art--as expressive culture--to democracy. It is multi-disciplinary, incorporates diverse voices from our community, and provides interactive and participatory opportunities for visitor involvement. Note: you can view these photos of the exhibition on Flickr here.)

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Participatory Museum Blackboard Game 51

Museum 2.0

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

The chairs were cast-off art, reclaimed as art, available for people to take off the hooks and use. What kind of an art institution is this? It encourages process-driven performances and art projects. It takes the kind of risks that a university art gallery should take. They were there for artist talks.

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Process Share Philadelphia Arts 20

Museum 2.0

NOVEMBER 30, 2009

What happens when you combine reality TV tactics with a traditional art collection? This guest post, written by Philippa Tinsley, Collections Manager for the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum (UK), describes the innovative Top 40 exhibition they mounted in the summer of 2009.

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Museum 2.0

JUNE 1, 2010

You can join the conversation in the blog comments, or on the Museum 2.0 They are open long hours, and they are located within a short walk of home or the office (or preferably, both). I used to think museums and libraries should be third places, but this book opened my eyes to how far they are from being so. On the other hand.

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Place Discussion Culture Museum 41

Museum 2.0

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

On September 10, the Whitney Museum of American Art started offering a new membership called "Curate Your Own," in which members select one of five specialized "buckets" of benefits in addition to core admission and discount benefits. People want to experience art in quite individual ways. The "insiders" are another example.

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Interview Director Museum Arts 46

Museum 2.0

NOVEMBER 7, 2010

I also learned that the best money in museums for someone who's starting out is in art modeling. After a long day running around a science center, I would show up at the Worcester Art Museum in the evening and make $20 just to stand around and listen to a painting instructor talk about art.

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Museum Boston Participatory Job 52

Museum 2.0

AUGUST 25, 2009

Many institutions do this unintentionally--by providing post-its or comment books, pens or crayons. I encourage you to share your own rules and thoughts on this in the comments. Rabinowitz commented that "as a 40-year veteran of history museum interpretation, I can say that I never learned so much from and about visitors."

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Design Goal Difference Platform 31