Funding Models for Museum Technology ProjectsJANE ALEXANDER, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ARTDOUGLAS HEGLEY, DIRECTOR OF MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY, MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ARTAGNES STAUBER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA, LACMALAURA MANN, PRINCIPAL, FRANKLY, GREEN + WEBB

#mcn2016

INTRODUCTIONS

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Introductions

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Jane AlexanderChief Information/Digital Officer, Cleveland Museum of Art @janecalexander

Douglas HegleyDirector of Media and Technology, Mia@dhegley

Agnes StauberCreative Director of Digital Media, LACMA@agnesstauber

Laura MannPrincipal, Frankly, Green + Webb@lhmann

WHY ARE WE HERE?

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Current Funding Models

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Funding Model● Extended

timeline● Specific

deliverables● Risk averse● Project-based● New projects

Technology● Rapid change● Iteration● Failure ● Process-

oriented● Ongoing

maintenance and sustainability

HORROR STORIES Digital projects that spurred the need for better funding models

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Mia - Two Examples

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1. Inherited: Grant-funded project eVolvellea. Lacked clear goals “How did this

get funded?”b. “Innovation” implied, but no

measure of impact

2. Grant applications without digital staff involveda. Sudden demand for technical

resourcesb. With no funding available

Image Source: Image Source: http://www.acting-man.com/blog/media/2016/06/HL_Mencken.jpg

Beta Gallery: Turning an Obsolete Grant into an Opportunity

LACMA

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Multimedia Tour 2009Irvine Foundation

● Grant written for production in Flash for Blackberry

● iPhone emerged halfway through grant

● Production had to re-start, grant deadlines had to be kept, funds ran out for maintenance and content production

APPLYING what was learned to

improve funding approaches

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Cleveland Museum of Art

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Initial Funding for Gallery One

• $10 million donation from the Maltz Family

Foundation, with $3 million towards

interactives, hardware, and fabrication and

design • Tiny NEH grant

• Included Studio Play, Gallery One proper,

ArtLens app, Collections Wall

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• 39% increase in attendance the year after opening

• 31% increase in families visiting

• Testbed for museum-wide digital strategy

• Focused national and international attention on CMA’s collection

Gallery One Successes

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But funding for sustainability and scalability are still a challenge

● Starting from scratch while fitting into current institutional capabilities

● Initial funding didn’t account for the next steps

“Didn’t we already do a website?”

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Technology Funding • Plan for unexpected/rapid change • 3-year rolling technology budget• Project funding preferences

-Outside funding/grants: for evaluation, interpretation, media

• -Corporation partnerships-Fyxxxx budget assignment -Digital Initiatives set-aside fund (need an endowment)

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Mia

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There is no “digital strategy” at Mia

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“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong”H. L. Mencken

Image Source: http://www.acting-man.com/blog/media/2016/06/HL_Mencken.jpg

Potential Pitfalls of a Digital Strategy

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● Confirms digital as separate, in a silo - someone else’s job● Confirms digital as “extra” or “not core to mission”● Sounds really, really expensive● Implies that digital must have it’s own, separate funding● Implies that digital is only a series of projects - a checklist

Image Source: https://nic4bags.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/investingfeaturedaccutechblog.png?w=700

Strategy with a capital S

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Of course, back in 2011 ...“The “nursing home of museum technology”

- Anonymous staff-person

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Interactive Learning Stations

Vision● Create an industry-leading model● Focus on audience engagement● Clear interpretative strategy● Meaningful content to inspire and delight museum audiences● Innovation, agility and experimentation● Leading to sustainable practice

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TDX

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FundingFour key components - at least IMHO

1. “Gravitas” - the weight of your bearing, experience and network

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Source: http://www.alexkstevens.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/gravitas.jpg

FundingFour key components - at least IMHO

1. “Gravitas”2. Passion - do you believe in the initiative?

Can you sell it with energy and eloquence?

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FundingFour key components - at least IMHO

1. “Gravitas”2. Passion 3. Partnership - with Development, with Funders

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FundingFour key components - at least IMHO

1. “Gravitas”2. Passion 3. Partnership 4. Don’t ask for money … ask for

advice

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Sailing

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“The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, the realist adjusts the sails” - William Arthur Ward

Image Source: http://www.ettridgewindturbine.com/sailboat_with_spinnaker_1.JPG

Running (with the wind) Tacking (“against” the wind)

Image Source: http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/imagenes_ciencia2/conscioussociopol193_01.jpg

LACMA

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Art + Technology Lab

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Art + Tech Lab today

lacma.org/lab

Annina Ruest

Sponsors as Advisors

John Craig Freeman working with DAQURI

Contribution to program funding

+ in-kind support of artist projects

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

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CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART

How Integrating Digital/Technology into

the Museum-Wide Strategic Plan Changes

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Aligning with Other Departments

• Part of the Executive Team • Establishing that Tech/Digital

innovation is dynamic and ever-changing

• Development person assigned to each department

• Lead the cross-collaborative Steering Committee

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Relationship with Your Development Team

• Assigned, dedicated Development Officer

• Translate “tech talk” into donor interests

• Potential donors • Advocating for Tech/Digital next

to Curatorial, Education, Interpretation, Exhibitions

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Funding Goals and Creating a Funding Menu

• Outlines technology priorities and projects• Support is not just for public-facing innovation: also back-end projects,

e-commerce, business, website, applications, interactives• Always being revised, shared with Development Officer and the board • Seek funders to endow positions (chairs)

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Relationship with the Board • The board understands their role• Board member on the Advisory

Committee • Advisory Committee for technology:

good or bad? • Galvanizing board members with an

interest in technology • Value of a board member for

advocacy and expertise in tech

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Collaborating with Other Museums • Stop recreating the wheel

• Spreading costs by creating and sharing with each other

• Increase visitor understanding of public-facing technology across different museums

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Visibility Matters: Using Community/National Events

Mia

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What she said ...

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Wish List

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Wish List, part two● Clear path from funded to operational● Shiny may not be important● Strong collaboration, please

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Source: https://d13yacurqjgara.cloudfront.net/users/53712/screenshots/964040/untitled-1.gif

Takeaways

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1. Plan for rapid change

2. Alignmenta. Org strategyb.Fundersc. Internal team

3. Path from funded to operational

4. Create a funding menu5. Seek endowment 6. Collaborate with other institutions7. Focus on outcomes/impact not the shiny object

Q&A

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Thank You@lhmann@janecalexander@agnesstauber@dhegley

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