Spent a fascinating day today in San Antonio at a MIDEA Workshop on Social Media. MIDEA is an acronym for the Marcus Institute for Digital Education and the Arts. In terms of full disclosure, I’m the lead blogger for the MIDEA blog, so I’m writing this both as an employee and a participant. The workshop brought together more than 50 museum professionals from across the country, but with a predominant number of delegates from Texas museums. The Marcus Foundation has consistently supported art education in Texas and has now branched out and is supporting this organization which is designed to serve arts-related institutions across the nation and across the world. Friends Peter Samis and Susan Chun were also in attendance, Peter with his inevitable wise words on almost every topic (I love Peter) and Susan gave a terrific presentation on strategic planning for social media in museums.
Larry Johnson, the CEO of NMC had invited me to kick-off the workshop and I so I offered the group some reflections upon the history of museums in United States, common aphorisms, and audience satisfaction. And much to my delight Rachel Smith was visually recording the session and posted the following photograph condensing what I said into the image below. Thanks Rachel.
The best thing about the day was listening to the presentations and ideas and commentaries of the really bright young people who are working in museums today. They are transforming the landscape and we (who are bowed at the shoulders, with creaky bones and joints) should take advantage of their enthusiasms and allow them to show us museums and audiences through their eyes much more often. A big shout out to Lillian from the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. You rock girl!
And…swallowing my words….
Lo many moons ago in this blog I declared my intention (in musical parody) never to tweet. But today, June 30, 2010, I take it all back. I’m tweeting–but sparingly–one tweet a day, an object from a museum somewhere in the world. You can follow me on twitter as @hwitchey.
July 1st, 2010 12:47
Dear Dr. Witchey,
I’ve been following your blog for at least a year, thank you. Now I see that you’ll be on Twitter. Please considering Tweeting and blogging about the marvelous museum, where I work: the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum in Milan, Italy. One of Europe’s most important and well-preserved historic house museums, it is a ‘time capsule’ of traditional Neo-Renaissance taste of an aristocratic Milanese family, collectors of Italian Renaissance art and furniture, at the end of the 19th century. We’re on FB and in Twitter (due to Twitter’s limited name length, we’re: BaVaMuseum). I’ll sign up to follow you, please consider following us, too! Thanks for this opportunity to bring “my” museum to you and to your readers, best regards, Star Meyer, Ph.D.
July 1st, 2010 09:47
Dear Star,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I will certainly check out the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum online. Let’s keep in touch and I’d love to see the actual museum next time I’m in Milan.
Holly
July 1st, 2010 11:22
Dear Holly,
Thank you for helping the MIDEA kiddos grow! Without the foundational work that you, Peter, Susan and other trailblazers have done, young museum professionals wouldn’t have the rich base of theory and practice on which to develop digital museum initiatives. Meeting you and working with you for two days is a dream come true. I am inspired by the challenging conversations and broad possibilities the workshop offered to us all. I look forward to your tweets on the Bagatti Valsecchi museum and more. Thanks again!
sincerely,
Lillian Lewis