From Closed Silos to Collaborative Networks: Digital Impacts on Museums

Peter SamisAssociate CuratorInterpretive MediaSan Francisco Museum of Modern Art

DISH 2011 Rotterdam, NL December 7, 2011

Let’s DISH:

“Rapid digitisation is the defining trend in today’s society. The public expects their institutions to be as active on the Internet as they are.”

“How do you equip yourself for these new roles, that demand new functions and new competencies in your organisation?”

-from the DISH 2011 Call for Entries

And equally importantly:

How do we use the digital as an agent of change in how we relate to our publics?

Multiplying modes, venues, voices…

1984

Early digital storytelling tool…

The Conversation began a while ago…

And it has expanded & accelerated ever since.

We conducted an un-scientific survey.

• Museum director• Web Editor• Exhibit Developer• IT Systems Analyst• Curator• Marketing & Communications Officer• Education• New Media Initiatives• Visitor Services• Publications Associate

Attendees at the Museum Computer Network conference:

Question: Do you see digital publishing platforms changing the organization’s structure?

• Pool of content creators has increased dramatically.

• New kinds of workflows, less hierarchies.• New functional organisation, new positions,

new relationships between departments (more intensive collaboration, publication planning on a longer term, trend of digital content co-production).

• The way we conceive of transmitting information has changed.

• The need for dedicated digital content staff is apparent and overdue.

• and…

“Not sure it will happen, but

there is a lot of pressure.”

Question: Do you see digital publishing platforms changing the organization’s structure?

Question: If multiple departments self-publish, what are the impacts, if any, on institutional voice?

• It is appropriately diverse.

• Quality of content & writing is impacted…• Not sure I believe in ‘institutional voice’. I don’t

think this is important anymore. So I think the impact is that this concept itself is going away.

• Subject matter is often at odds with institutional goals.

• What institutional voice? (That was a joke.)

Question: Do you see digital media as a democratizing force in your organization? If so, how?

• Yes, digital media is less controlled by curators and is deeper rooted in the organization.

• It certainly broadens the pool of people who get to be custodians of the Museum’s mission…

• Yes, relatively young, junior staff are taking on more responsibility for being the institution’s voice and our audiences are also part of our brand now.

• Yes, in that younger staff members who are not part of the curatorial staff have a way to contribute stories and content via the blog or social media, whereas 10 years ago these staff would have had no voice.

Case Studies

2005: Building renovated/technology refresh. 2007: Website relaunch.2009: IMA Lab founded. 2010: Website re-relaunch, with a difference: Designed & built in-house.

A partial Timeline

2010: New Division of Research, Technology, & Engagement under Rob Stein

What do these things have in common?

An emphasis onResearch.

An emphasis onResearch.

Objective #3 in their new Strategic Plan: Establish the IMA as a research leader among its peers in the areas of art history, conservation science, information science, and visitor studies.

An emphasis onResearch.

• Commit to long-term evaluation & the analysis of results as part of routine planning processes

Goal #4:• Become an organization

where models for evaluation are conceived, implemented, and shared

The Education Dept. has been renamed Audience Engagement.

“We’re in the process of defining what that means.”

–Rob Stein

But it will be data-driven.

“It’s not digital

strategy;

it’s just strategy.”–Rob Stein

Emphasis on Conversational Engagement:

• Free-choice learning• Intrinsic motivation• Critical thinking• Epiphanies

How do you measure an epiphany?

Wrestling with the Perceived Authority of the museum in the minds of the visitors.

“Authoritative”

= we have expertise and are willing to share it

Authoritarian

= demanding respect without earning it

TatePhoto by chaoticzee, Creative Commons license

4 physical sites & 19 million unique web visitors/year

“Broadcasting the Museum”

Leonardo Live in 40 cinemas around the country

“We need to be where the people are.” –Jane Burton Director, Tate Media

“Be everywhere all the time—and ideally, free to everyone.” Sponsored & commissioned—not internally funded.

• Legacy Trust• Bloomberg• SkyTV• Channel 4• BBC

Additional revenue through Tate Enterprise, digital catalogues, freemium apps & games

• Even BP

“The Artist is core.”

• The Physical• The Virtual• The Artist

Curators are becoming more active collaborators.

“Their voices are present in the debate along with the artists, along with other cultural commentators, along with museum visitors and experts in their own fields.”

In the Gallery • On the telly • Online • In the App space • At the cinema • In people’s lives, everywhere

Two more early adopters changing stripes:

“If you want to be relevant right now, you have a conversation.” -Allegra Burnette, MoMA

“If you want to be relevant right now, you have a conversation.”

“If you want to be relevant right now, you have a conversation.”

Meanwhile, at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the museum as newspaper.

Also a Video Channel:

And a Re-org:

Now for something completely different:

• Education & New Media report to new chief

• New Journalist-Editor mentors curators

• Builds their comfort contributing to Web

• Online voices multiplied

http://www.changecycle.com

© Oakland Museum of California & Gail Anderson

Thank you.