Since 2002, NMC has brought hundreds of technologists, educators, college and university faculty, museum professionals and corporate representatives together to examine how emerging technologies impact informal and formal learning in the K-12, higher education and museum sectors.  The findings are discussed openly and then freely shared through the resulting reports.

I eagerly read the Horizon Report: 2010 Museum Edition and immediately shared it with my co-workers. It was exciting because the report provided scholarly substantiation for many of the technology-based initiatives the Education Department was trying to establish and served as validation for the forward-thinking programs already in progress.

When the call for Advisory Board members for the 2011 report went out, I gave it a shot. So much time passed between applying and notification that I assumed it just wasn’t in the cards for me. Needless to say, I was thrilled to receive an invitation to serve.

Contributing to the 2011 Museum Edition of the Horizon Report was an unforgettable experience and I’m honored to be part of the collaborative community that has arisen from ten years of helping educators “facilitate global collaboration and encourage smarter discovery and dissemination of emerging learning approaches.”

I’ll try to tweet as much as I’m able but you can follow the conversation on #NMChz. Britt Watwood provided a quick wrap-up of tonight’s opening session (I’m still in awe of how David Sibbet’s visual mapping brought our conversation to life.)

Like many others, I’ve been following Damien Hirst’s Gagosian Gallery worldwide takeover.  The idea of a wealthy living artist is fascinating enough but reactions to the fact that Hirst only laid hands on a fraction of his infamous and extremely high-priced Spot Paintings, leaving the detailed work to a crew of assistants, is best described as apoplectic. Hirst is not the first nor will he be the last artist to collaboratively create work so I’m still trying to figure out what the big deal is.  Is the outcry pure haterade or just a smokescreen for the larger issues surrounding inequity in the global art market? The jury’s still out on that one but thank goodness Hennessy Youngman’s around to provide some perspective.

Detail from "Cattle Roundup" by Thomas Stell, Jr., 1940

 Highlighting nonprofit organizations and individuals doing stellar work!

• It’s been a long road but the Black Archives of Mid-America finally has a permanent space in Kansas City, Missouri’s historic 18th & Vine District. Slated for a June 2012 opening, the collection of objects (previously relegated to storage bins and boxes) relating to the history of African-Americans in the region is vast and worthy of being seen by all.
• The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits recently launched Nonprofit Insurance Advisors, a service that assists in securing coverage for nonprofit organizations that is reasonable in cost and tailored to the specific insurance requirements of the sector. The needs of small and mid-sized nonprofits can definitely get lost in the crowd, so this effort is commendable.
• ArtsFwd, created by arts and cultural collaborative EmcArts, is a one-stop shop for viewing and showcasing innovative nonprofit programs and initiatives. Featuring a blog, case studies, podcasts and resources, the heavy emphasis on user input ensures a constantly-evolving space.

1. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City, MO)
2. Denver Museum of Nature and Science (Denver, CO)
3. La Esquina (Kansas City, MO)
4. Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum (Independence, MO)
5. Mulvane Art Museum (Topeka, KS)
6. Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center (Kansas City, MO)
7. Ernie Miller Nature Center (Olathe, KS)
8. Houston Museum of Natural Science (Houston, TX)
9. Children’s Museum of Houston (Houston, TX)
10. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Houston, TX)
11. Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (Kansas City, MO)
12. Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum (Abilene, KS)
13. Smoky Hill Museum (Salina, KS)
14. Coronado Heights Park (Lindsborg, KS)
15. Höglund Dugout (Lindsborg, KS)
16. Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago, IL)
17. Milwaukee Public Museum (Milwaukee, WI)
18. Milwaukee Art Museum (Milwaukee, WI)
19. Saint Louis Art Museum (St. Louis, MO)
20. Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)
21. Saint Louis Science Center (St. Louis, MO)
22. Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art (Overland Park, KS)
23. Science City at Union Station (Kansas City, MO)

Many of these places I visited more than once this year and many I’d love to visit again. Trips to Colorado (Denver, Trinidad) and Texas (Killeen, Austin) are planned for early 2012 so any museum suggestions are appreciated!

The current definition of “museum” has been very formalized but history tells us that museums originated in private homes as displays of undefinable collections of oddities.  The Bunny Museum located in the Pasadena, California home of Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski continues this tradition.  I’m fascinated by this place! Museum snobs may sneer but the Metropolitan Museum of Art hasn’t been immortalized on Funny or Die.

The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone.  Inspired by The Art Institute of Chicago’s Thorne Miniature Rooms, this story draws upon the magical quality of the painstakingly rendered period rooms and wonders what would happen if you were small enough to explore each one.

The Calder Game by Blue Balliett.  A young boy named Calder visiting England with his father discovers  a previously unknown Alexander Calder sculpture in a tiny town off the beaten path.  When both Calder and the artwork suddenly vanish the mystery deepens.

Masterpiece by Elise Broach.  What could possibly happen when an eleven-year-old boy makes friends with an artistic beetle living under his family’s kitchen sink? If you guessed plagiarism, an art swindle at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and a missing Albrecht Dürer drawing you are correct.

Having been part of a museum web development team I know how challenging it is to accomplish a website redesign.  Making seismic shifts in the virtual realm mirrors the effort in the physical as museums–particularly larger institutions–tend to be bureaucratic monoliths that dig in their collective heels at even the thought of change, much less its actual execution.

Museum leaders have begrudgingly accepted that websites and social media are a necessary evil but it is evident that many believe the purpose should be purely advertorial and the conversation primarily one-way: “Let us tell you what we’re doing and how amazing we are and why we’re the experts. Now give us your money.” And to make matters worse, only certain staffers are typically allowed to contribute to that discourse, providing an even more limited viewpoint.

As Museum Nerd noted in a great post about the website launch, the Walker Art Center has completely upended those antiquated practices, proving that shedding an insular, myopic and top down leadership model results in creativity, innovation and engagement.

Museum leaders take heed: it’s time to step your game up.

See also: Seb Chan’s interview, “The Museum Website as a Newspaper” for background info on the development process.

• Kevin Byrne is just about halfway through his stint as the newest 24/7 resident of Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.  I visited the museum the day before he moved in and was immediately gripped with envy over the cool stuff that he was about to experience.  Follow Kevin’s exploits here.
• The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park, Kansas provided a welcome respite from my National Novel Writing Month grind with a great presentation by artist Brad Kahlhamer as part of the museum’s Jerome Nerman Lecture Series.  Still viewed as the new kid on the block of the Kansas City museum scene, it has already become one of my favorite places to creatively recharge.
• The Brooklyn Museum opens “HIDE/SEEK: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture” on November 18, 2011, the noticeable difference being the inclusion of “A Fire in My Belly” by David Wojnarowicz which was removed from the exhibition’s run at the National Portrait Gallery after decidedly dubious religious protests.

Recently, upon reviewing my museum groups on LinkedIn, I saw this question: Do you have nice (and funny) ways to remember the rules of behavior in the museum for young visitors?  It’s a great question and it reminded me of a post I wrote about how museums can effectively communicate rules and/or policies to visitors without coming across as stodgy, fun-killing ogres.

Some of responses did not offer much in the way of “nice (and funny)” but focused on the negative aspects of managing young visitors in any configuration, virtual fists shaking in the air.   I have interacted with thousands of children in museum settings so I have sympathy for the associated challenges, but there are easier ways to influence positive behavior besides stern looks and banishment.  One of my favorite methods is through video which can be fun, engaging and save you a lot of breath repeating rules ad nauseam.

Here’s how the Milwaukee Museum of Art does it (bonus points for using a dragon!):

Like many of you, I am following Occupy Wall Street (OWS) with great interest.  Finding “fair and balanced” coverage has been challenging (unless somebody’s wilding out), and the desire to compare this happening to protests of the past is somewhat reflexive, with much literal and virtual ink dedicated to what Occupy Wall Street wants.  The answer, from its website: “We are our demands. #OWS is conversation, organization, and action focused on ending the tyranny of the 1%.”  This leaderless movement/protest/uprising that began as a rebuke of the miniscule portion of the United States population that controls 40% of its wealth has now branched out to encompass a multitude of issues including immigration, education and housing reform.

protest as art form

Art has played a central role since the beginning.  Protest signs double as reactionary artwork and artists continually contribute both personal (pictured above) and physical testimony, although this has not been without controversy.  OWS’ Art and Culture Group meets weekly to discuss art issues related to the protests, and recently actions include supporting Sotheby’s art handlers’ increasingly tense negotiations with the art auction powerhouse.

However, I raised an eyebrow this week when the OWS Arts and Culture Group backed newly formed Occupy Museums‘  manifesto:

The game is up: we see through the pyramid schemes of the temples of cultural elitism controlled by the 1%. No longer will we, the artists of the 99%, allow ourselves to be tricked into accepting a corrupt hierarchical system based on false scarcity and propaganda concerning absurd elevation of one individual genius over another human being for the monetary gain of the elitest [sic] of elite. For the past decade and more, artists and art lovers have been the victims of the intense commercialization and co-optation or art. We recognize that art is for everyone, across all classes and cultures and communities. We believe that the Occupy Wall Street Movement will awaken a consciousness that art can bring people together rather than divide them apart as the art world does in our current time…

what does it all mean?

A lot of this makes sense.  Museums are not viewed as snobby, self-appointed culture guardians by accident and much has been said about this perception.  There is definitely room for discussion about how museums are structured, staffed and funded (nationalization, anyone?) and kudos to Occupy Museums for taking advantage of this moment in time to jumpstart the conversation.  But focusing solely on museums (specifically, for now, the Museum of Modern Art, the Frick Collection and the New Museum) raised a few issues for me:

• A portion of museum boards, trustees and benefactors may be among the 1%, but their staffs are most certainly not.  The group should carefully avoid the perception that it wants to dismantle or weaken staffers’ places of employment.
• The majority of museums operate as nonprofit organizations (many offering free admission) and rely heavily on donations, loans, taxes and foundation support.  As much as it pains some to admit, the 1% plays a large role in that process and the off-shoot movement provides no framework for covering those contributions if eliminated.
• Museums increasingly serve as community centers, demystifying art with innovative programs that bridge the gap between historians and novices.  How will their efforts   to provide “art for everyone” be supported?

This offshoot movement should flex its burgeoning political muscle against other factors that drive the art market, such as Christie’s who recently unloaded 60 million dollars worth of contemporary art.  Is Occupy Museums making the case that museums are solely responsible for inflating the art market rather than prominent dealers and auction houses? Perhaps Occupy Museums could springboard from the OWS Art and Culture Group’s support of the Sotheby’s art handlers to address the unionization efforts of museum employees who are routinely denied workers protection and/or find themselves squeezed out of the industry due to lack of professional development and a living wage. Such action falls directly in line with its parent movement and would be well-received.

suffering not required, but let’s keep it real

I support artists being paid what they are worth (or their perceived worth) and do not  believe that you have to live in poverty in order to produce “great” art.  However, it must be noted that Occupy Museums’ chief architect, Noah Fischer, is a highly educated artist with an accomplished list of what I assume are hard-earned awards, publications, solo/group exhibitions and curations.  His prominence as Occupy Museum’s spokesperson is perplexing as OWS has relied heavily on a successful widely distributed leadership model.  To an outsider looking in, he appears to be a rising visual art star who will ultimately need  a little help from his friends .  But since he has put himself out there, I have to ask: Is Mr. Fischer willing to give up the accolades and perks that come with ascending the creative ladder for the sake of the movement?  If Occupy Museums wants to be taken seriously, the next action should be held at the Claire Oliver Gallery where Mr. Fischer’s 2008 work, Perfect Lantern, can be had for the rock-bottom price of $5,000 – $10,000.  I have to wonder if it’s possible to be “victims of the intense commercialization” while simultaneously reaping its benefits.

Despite what some claim, artists want recognition for their work and supporting themselves solely through its creation is the stuff of fevered dreams. Like it or not, any artist who sells at auction, is commissioned for work or is represented by a gallery becomes a cog in the art world machine.  Will artists in this new paradigm be forced to sacrifice compensation for their work? Who will decide how much, if anything, works should cost? Where will this work be created? If I donate money to an artist’s Kickstarter campaign, does that make me part of the ruling class?

If the aforementioned issues can be addressed and its focus well-defined, Occupy Museums has great potential.  There are many great conversations about this effort and I look forward to learning more.

What do you think? Is Occupy Museums right on time or missing the mark?