talent round-up day

“The Round Up”, CC photo by Gordon Clitheroe

Highlighting nonprofit organizations and individuals doing stellar work!

• The Cleveland Museum of Art is set to debut Gallery One, an interactive multi-generational learning gallery. The presentation at the 2012 Museum Computer Network Conference primed me for this and I’m so glad it’s finally here. Road trip!
• Art folks were all abuzz when the Dallas Museum of Art coaxed Mark Leonard (formerly of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Getty Museum) out of retirement to become its new Chief Conservator. Now we know how they did it: the opportunity to build a department from scratch housed in an amazing public conservation studio that’s destined to grace the cover of Dwell magazine.
• The New Media Consortium recently released its 2012 Horizon Report: Museum Edition. I’m shamelessly plugging the report not only because I served on the Advisory Board but also because it’s a great resource on emerging technological trends that impact educational and interpretive efforts in museum settings. Download it (for free!) and start dreaming big.

this week’s keyword: new

Apologies for the delay in posts but it’s for a good reason. This is my first week as the Coordinator of Public Programs & Events at Kansas State University’s Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art.

I’ve been slowly transitioning into a new (to me and the museum) position, relocating to a new city, and trying to convince my die-hard Jayhawker brother to visit me in Wildcat Country.

My first official staff pic of the new banner installation! 

 

But there’s so much possibility here! I’ve always felt that university art museums chronically suffer from low visibility (whether that is intentional or not is the stuff of debate). The collaborative opportunities within the university and the surrounding community are very exciting! It definitely gets my interdisciplinary brain spinning. 🙂

Of course, there’s much to  learn but I’m ready for the challenge.

on view: art is for everyone

My previous museum job had a lot of public interaction. I met new people, geeked out over our favorite artworks, assisted students with choosing classes and helped people find their way to the parking garage. Most of the feedback I heard from visitors was positive, but it also became quickly apparent that many people were intimidated by art, annoyed by draconian codes of conduct, and generally felt unwelcome. It’s a huge issue for museums, as perception is reality, but not insurmountable. However, acknowledging it is a great start!

*Shameless promotion alert* I made this!