tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62673506174525685342024-03-05T09:25:33.076-08:00The OG Blog: Thoughts and News on Museums, Technology and PhilanthropyThe OG Blog is presented by the principals of Orinda Group, LLC, a museum planning, website design and exhibition development firm. This is where we share ideas, links and news about the museum world, exhibitions, technology and philanthropy.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-39502785041660836702008-09-18T12:17:00.003-07:002008-09-18T14:28:18.470-07:00WMA 2008: Live-Blogging Paul Doherty of the ExploratoriumThe Exploratorium is one of the first museums in Second Life to have simultaneous events in real and Second life. They also have "ride-able" exhibits in Second Life. Of course despite the fact that it is "virtual," you still can actually get motion sick.<br /><br />One of the big questions: even though there are controls you can exercise if you own your own space in Second Life, however, does that require a 24 hour presence moderating? Is it okay to let go and see what happens without controls or moderation? Where should the boundaries be--between taking a hands-off approach and letting people interact with your space as they will and structuring their experiences in order to ensure consistency and maintenance of the image that your museum has worked to establish?<br /><br />(It goes without saying that virtual worlds offer many opportunities for growth in the legal profession...)Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-69421958038002275182008-09-18T12:17:00.001-07:002008-09-18T13:27:39.800-07:00WMA 2008: Live-Blogging Jeff Clark of the Rasmuson FoundationAs with all aspects of marketing and programming, and one of the keys to a good branding strategy, when creating a presence in Second Life, you *must* integrate and coordinate it with your "real life" presence. One of the values of using Second Life as an extension of real world working life is "meeting people where they are."<br /><br />"Second Life is an incubator of creativity encouraging new levels of social networking and interaction."<br /><br />The Rasmuson Foundation Gallery of Alaskan Artists is definitely a front-runner/early adapter with a beautiful space in Second Life that is well integrated with their mission and their website and their physical presence.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-10772724661145798612008-09-18T12:17:00.000-07:002008-10-01T15:05:05.299-07:00WMA 2008: Alternative Spaces for Programs and Marketing in Second Life"If you are offended by flying genitalia, you probably should leave the room."<br /><br />[EDIT: I should have mentioned (and I do apologize) that our intrepid guide through this virtual space--and the source of that memorable quote--was <a href="http://svc.sl.net.marvulous.co.uk/resident/Springs%20Coronet/">Springs Coronet</a>, aka Melissa Rosengard, Museum Consultant (and serious advocate) and former Executive Director of the <a href="http://www.westmuse.org/">Western Museums Association</a>.]<br /><br />All giggling aside, MMOGs are now becoming so well-recognized and acknowledged that AAM is now in the process of developing their own MMOG through the Center for the Future of Museums in conjunction with the Institute for the Future. The game will be "Superstruct." Email superstruct@iftf.org by Sept 22, 2008 in order to join Oct. 6, 2008.<br /><br />Perhaps one reason why museums are becoming interested in virtual reality MMOGs--or should be--is that content creation allows for economy to develop. Virtual fundraising is even more in its nascency than the virtual worlds themselves, but even so philanthropists, foundations and economists have been expressing an interest in the philanthropic value of virtual worlds for at least a couple of years. <br /><br />There actually two overlapping economies: the real economy in which the game designers make money and then the economies within the games. There is a $15 billion annual goods market.<br /><br />eMarketer predicts the number of teen Internet users visiting virtual worlds will jump to 20 million in 2011.<br /><br />Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Verizon are all conducting job fairs and interviews in Second Life. For-profit and nonprofit organizations are holding meetings in Second Life (often on "Conference Island"). Classes are held in Second Life. This is why it is important to maintain boundaries and retain a certain degree of professionalism--unless you have an "alt" avatar as well (that cannot be traced back to you).<br /><br />Perhaps one of the most interesting uses for museum purposes is illustrated by the Van Gogh Museum in Second Life, which is not affiliated with the real life Van Gogh Museum, where you can actually enter the paintings and explore those spaces.<br /><br />The social value of these alternative realities have given rise to whole new research disciplines and research specialists, including ludologists and narratologists. What's more, these realities are a valuable outlet for those with disabilities, for example providing the opportunity for a wheelchair-bound man to dance with his wife.<br /><br />Although there are many, many MMOGs in existence, many have already folded and many, many more will in the future. Eventually these worlds/games will consolidate until a few have risen to the top.<br /><br />The data is not great right now, but there are currently 30-60 million active MMOG users (this includes 10 million in WoW and 15 million in Second Life). These numbers are all little tricky to decipher because there are some users who play everyday and others who login once a year, however, these numbers are all for people who are actively engaged in the MMOGs. On average, there are 42,000 people logging in to Second Life at any given point in time.<br /><br />Who's in Second Life?<br />Harvard Law School<br />Mormon Church<br />H&R Block<br />NASA<br />Ben and Jerry's<br />Amnesty Int'l<br />Illinois Alliance Library System<br />Major League Baseball<br />Exploratorium<br />Rasmuson Foundation of Alaskan Artists<br />State Library of Kansas<br /><br />What's in the future? Multiverse Places makes use of FaceBook and strives towards interoperability.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-34961021972517403712008-05-22T19:11:00.000-07:002008-05-22T19:14:21.896-07:00AAM Conference Session: Expanding the HiveWhile the panelists of "Expanding the Hive: Blogs as Engines of Community Formation"--including blogger extraordinaire <a href="http://www.brooklhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifynmuseum.org/community/blogosphere/bloggers/author/bernsteins/">Shelley Bernstein</a> from the <a href="http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/">Brooklyn Museum</a>--all agreed that blogging was a viable tool for community building, they had some important distinctions to make between blogs that will succeed at this function and blogs that will not. Perhaps the most crucial distinction centers around the manner of communication used in a blog--is it a uni-directional monologue or is it an inclusive dialogue? The point of the panelists was that dialogue blogging was more likely to inspire comments, resulting in community formation. Blogs should not be newsletters. If you do re-purpose news and press releases for your blog, be sure to personalize the item so that it will be a post that inspires dialogue rather than just provides information.<br /><br />What are some of the most comment-inspiring blog posts you have seen? What made them worth commenting on? Do you agree with the panelists that blogs can be useful as community building tools? Is it desirable that blogs be used in this manner?Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-21999690168600844602008-05-13T22:12:00.000-07:002008-05-13T22:34:27.669-07:00AAM 2008 Conference Session: Lobbying in the Lead"Lobbying in the Lead: New Ideas for Strategic Fundraising" focused heavily on an update on federal <a href="http://earmarks.omb.gov/earmarks_definition.html">earmarks</a>. Currently, earmarks are fairly controversial and there is a movement to declare a moratorium on them, but so far that has not happened and in fact earmarks still seem to be somewhat necessary in order to get appropriations passed. They have, however, been greatly reduced--by about 43%. There are now about 11,600 earmarked projects, or $17.2 billion in earmarks out of $3 trillion budget. Roughly $7 billion of those earmarks are for defense, leaving a little over half of the earmarked funds for everything else. There is $18 million in earmarks in the IMLS budget, down from $40 million. <br /><br />In a nutshell, what all this means is that while earmarks are still an alternative for funding, they should be seen as supplemental rather than a staple.<br /><br />The good news is, however, that transparency rules now mean that museums can find out more quickly whether they get their earmarks and see who has sponsored various earmarks.<br /><br />In addition to earmarks, lobbyists are another alternative for museum fundraising. A couple of key points to remember when engaging a lobbyist are to use your other strategic partnerships and sponsorships to help strengthen your case for lobbying and that lobbyist fees are generally $70,000-$350,000 annually and lobbyists are generally paid on a quarterly basis.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-85573524994783480472008-05-13T21:29:00.000-07:002008-05-13T22:07:10.943-07:00AAM 2008 Conference Session: Corporation and Museum PartnershipsTo say that I have been preaching corporate partnerships for museums as a form of revenue generation would be a bit strong, but not too far off the mark. So I was excited to attend the "Corporation and Museum Partnerships: Understanding and Meeting Each Other's Needs" session, which offered these basic, yet important key points for helping museums to understand the needs of corporations.<br /><br />-- Museums must understand how corporations work in order to successfully ask for support.<br />-- Museums should be strategic in their requests; demonstrate how their needs fit the needs of the corporations.<br />-- When competition for money is fierce and the economy is tough, it is crucial to engage in strategic partnerships that will result in strong marketing opportunities. Marketing on the other hand is not considered "tangible value" according to the law.<br />-- The <a href="http://www.soxlaw.com/">Sarbanes-Oxley Act</a> mandates (among other things) that public companies be able to demonstrate to shareholders how corporate donations benefit the company's bottom-line.<br />-- However, corporations recognize that philanthropy does contribute to a healthy economy, thereby contributing to the bottom-line. <br />-- In the past, corporate sponsorships and donations were considered separate activities, but that seems to be changing. <br />-- Museums must be willing to adjust the "fixed menu" of benefits available to corporations--they are not interested in more fancy dinners.<br />-- Offer the corporate name in the name of an event sponsored by the corporation, because unless the name is part of the event itself, the media will often neglect to mention who is sponsoring the event.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-84202654798761663532008-05-13T20:23:00.000-07:002008-05-13T20:56:31.810-07:00AAM 2008 Conference Session: Networks and the Changing Natural History MuseumA question posed to the audience at the "Networks and the Changing Natural History Museum: Expansion or Extinction?" session was truly revealing: all of the grants written by audience members in the past year involved collaboration in some form or another.<br /><br />This is revealing for two reasons: first, it is consistent with reports that granting agencies are more and more interested in and likely to fund collaborative grants. But second, it is indicative of a shift that the panel was highlighting, that we are now in a "networking economy" in which museums must become hubs in national and international learning networks.<br /><br />In this regard, the session was very similar in premise to the "Re-Imagining the Museum" session at <a href="http://www.calmuseums.org/">CAM</a> that I blogged about <a href="http://orindagroup.blogspot.com/2008/03/cam-2008-session-re-imagining-museum-in_07.html">here</a> and <a href="http://orindagroup.blogspot.com/2008/03/cam-2008-session-re-imagining-museum-in.html">here</a>. <br /><br />The AAM session pointed specifically at two critical points. The use of the Internet is definitely a part of the shift from individual museum to hub in a vast network, but that the Internet is only a tool rather than a means in and of itself, and that there are other factors that are just important to the shift. In fact, perhaps one of the most integral factors in successfully navigating this transition is a complete re-evaluation and often rewriting of the museum's mission statement.<br /><br />Both of these points make a lot of sense in terms leading museums into this new "network economy" (my new favorite buzzword--I'll be looking more into this in the near future), described by the panel as "global, intangible and interlinked--in other words, the opposite of museums."<br /><br />What fascinates and excites me the most about both of these sessions is that they really are describing a huge change in the very nature of what (natural history) museums do and are all about. Fifty years from now, will we even be able to recognize the institutions called museums? Will what we currently conceive of as museums be an historic and obsolete entity relegated to the annals of history? Is anyone else excited about this potential shift?Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-5309885741845449082008-05-13T20:19:00.000-07:002008-05-13T20:23:40.200-07:00AAM 2008Well, the conference may be over, but I am only just now finding the time to settle down and post about the sessions I attended--and, of course, my own session as well. But first, I'd like to point everyone to the <a href="http://www.aamannualmeeting.blogspot.com/">official blog of the 2008 AAM annual conference</a>. I have to say, between having an official conference blog, offering handouts via the web and the sheer number of sessions devoted to technology, it is clear that AAM is serious about the "new media" revolution. Kudos!Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-63186808930068088112008-05-13T11:39:00.000-07:002008-05-13T12:11:05.053-07:00Lost HeroRobert Rauschenberg, the visionary, multi-faceted artist known for his assemblages and for always pushing the limits of artistic genres, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/arts/design/14rauschenberg.html">died yesterday</a>. He has inspired other great artists such as Jasper Johns and composer John Cage--and he is one of my personal favorite artists. The world has suffered a great loss.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-29799903638096415412008-04-28T13:33:00.000-07:002008-04-28T14:05:32.827-07:00Live Blogging from AAM: Recommended Social Media from the "Can and Should Small Museums be Leaders in Technology?" SessionTechnologies that the panelists recommend small museums use in order to be leaders in new technology:<br /><br />Podcasting--Make use of already existing content--podcast your lecture series. Try to use software and hardware that can be used for other things as well, even when the tools are free. Be aware, however, that podcasts take up a fair amount of server space, so you may need to purchase more space.<br /><br />Blogging--However, blogs are not always well indexed on Google. (Instead they use social tagging and keywords...) As with podcasting, make use of content you already have on hand. Blog your press releases, blog whatever you already have to type up for your museum. There are still issues of transparency and content control with blogs. Is it always appropriate to offer such a free and unmoderated form of discussion? Or do some museums address such controversial subject matter that blogging would be inappropriate? Remember: blogging is not about being a broadcast medium; it is about dialogue and interactivity. Remember, too, that if you don't take part in blogging or photo-sharing and so on, others will do it for you.<br /><br />Social Networking--George recommends MySpace. The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas will conduct an experiment similar to the one conducted by the Brooklyn Museum: they will hold an event but post a different time for the event on MySpace to see how many people get their museum information from MySpace. George advises against Facebook because in the past they did not support organizations, however, this has changed. What's more, while MySpace has been the primary social networking site for younger people, this is changing. Just as Friendster fell out of favor, MySpace is now following that same pattern while Facebook is rising and offers philanthropic opportunities. LinkedIn is good for professional networking but not for audience outreach.<br /><br />Virtual Worlds and SecondLife--I agree with George that SecondLife "isn't there yet" in terms of getting museums up onto the site. Generally only larger museums or people from outside of the museum world have experimented in SecondLife. The Van Gogh museum in Second Life doesn't appear to be affiliated with the actual Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Again, if you don't do it, someone else very may well. The barriers to entry are high and the learning curve steep with SecondLife, but this is really just the first wave of its kind. However, if you want to get involved, contact your local new media department at a university and they can help you.<br /><br />Photo and Video Sharing--Yahoo! owns Flickr and indexes the photos really quicklymeans that your photos will be found through Yahoo! searches relatively soon after posting them. This makes Flickr a valuable marketing tool, but you must fill in all titles and keywords for each photo. Flickr can be used with mashups as a cost-saving device--you can also use Flickr as your online image database for things like online exhibitions, however, beware of using it as your actual database; these sites will change, or change their terms of use or go out of business and so on.<br /><br />There is a penalty for not participating in web 2.0--you will become less and less visible in Google and Yahoo! searches if you are not engaged in these ways.<br /><br />Be aware that if your museum is part of a government, many or all of these social media sites may be blocked, prohibiting the use of these technologies through third-party sites.<br /><br />And beyond all else, while the technology is fun, be sure to only use strategies and sites that really fit with your mission and vision and make the best, most appropriate use of your assets and resources. Find young people to implement these technologis for you.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-15906214069640738082008-04-28T13:14:00.000-07:002008-04-28T13:24:32.878-07:00Live Blogging from AAM: Can and Should Small Museums be Leaders in Technology?The question being posed by the panelists at the "Can and Should Small Museums be Leaders in Technology?" session is not whether or not new technologies should be used to connect to new audiences but rather, should small museums blaze the trail, paving the way in use of new technologies. <br /><br />Arguments in favor of being leaders seem to hinge around the fact that online technologies offer marketing and outreach opportunities for free and because they cannot afford not to pioneer new technologies, despite the fact that the technologies are rapidly changing and today's best solutions may not even be applicable next year.<br /><br />The moderator has just paraphrased George Laughead's comments as, "If you're not doing this, you're stupid."<br /><br />Another way to look at it the arguments in favor of leading the way in new technologies is simply put as this: "Why not?"Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-65720352481465064762008-04-27T17:58:00.000-07:002008-04-27T18:20:08.682-07:00AAM 2008Well, here I am in Denver, CO for the 2008 annual <a href="http://www.aam-us.org/">AAM</a> conference where I will be chairing a session on--you guessed it--revenue generation strategies, entitled <span style="font-style:italic;">Leading the Way in Revenue Generation Strategies for Museums</span>. <br /><br />My co-presenters will be Kua Patten of the <a href="http://www.exploratorium.edu/cmp/">Center for Museum Partnerships</a> at the <a href="http://www.ehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifxploratorium.edu/">Exploratorium</a>, Kathy Sklar of the <a href="http://americanhistory.si.edu/">National Museum of American History</a> at the <a href="http://www.si.edu/">Smithsonian</a> and Stephanie Turnham of the <a href="http://www.bellcountytx.com/Museum/">Bell County Museum</a>.<br /><br />This time around the session presentations will be relatively short so that we can try to better engage the audience and foster discussion but I still will have a brief powerpoint presentation, viewable <a href="http://orindagroup.com/testing/leadingtheway.pdf">here</a>.<br /><br />The session isn't until Wednesday, so in the meantime, there will hopefully be plenty of opportunities for live-blogging from interesting sessions. Be on the lookout for thoughts on sessions and session synopses coming soon!Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-28586612853354302322008-04-08T15:25:00.000-07:002008-04-08T15:34:51.224-07:00What Happened in Vegas Should be Told All Over the World!That old marketing slogan, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" goes right out the window once you move away from <a href="http://www.lasvegasmaps.com/stripmap.html">The Strip</a> and hit some of the museums in town. The <a href="http://www.co.clark.nv.us/museum/">Clark County Museum</a> for example (technically located in the suburb of Henderson), presents fun and important stories that should be shared with a larger audience. <br /><br />The main museum building consists of a timeline exhibit relating the history of Clark County from prehistoric times up until today through the use of dioramas, reconstructed period rooms and immersive areas such as the inside of a mine. Although this is a fairly standard approach to exhibitry for a history museum, there are two elements that really set the Southern Nevada Timeline apart from the rest. <br /><br />The first are the little touches of humor and irony sometimes thrown in by the Curator of Exhibits--a disarming honesty in the label copy such as the acknowledgment of the use of a particular exhibit technique to elicit a desired response from visitors, or the unexpected placement of an animal or object designed to surprise visitors. The second is the sheer number of antiques devoted to gaming. Seriously, where else will you find ivory-inlaid roulette wheels from the nineteenth century?<br /><br />But the main building is really only the tip of the iceberg. The real treats lie out on the grounds on the Ghost Town Trail and the Nature Trail and particularly on Heritage Street.<br /><br />Heritage Street looks like a suburban street off of the <a href="http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/st_info.html">Universal Studios backlot tour</a>, with six neat little houses (and one original motor inn cottage) lined up on either side of the street. <a href="http://www.leaveittobeaver.org/">Wally and the Beaver</a> could have grown up on this street. If they had, it would have been in the P.J. Goumond Heritage House, a 1950s Tudor revival home where a mannequin lounges on the couch in the front room, tie loosened and martini in hand following a hard day's work.<br /><br />Each of the historic houses on Heritage Street transplanted to the museum from someplace in southern Nevada has been refurbished according to their appropriate time period, bringing to life the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 50s. The attention to detail is exhaustive, as is the research on the time periods and the results are utterly transporting. <br /><br />The Clark County Museum really is a timeless sleeper--I was disappointed by the attendance during my visit. Again, where else will you find a vintage <a href="http://www.spartantrailer.com/">Spartan trailer</a> (made by the company owned by J. Paul Getty) in perfect condition, sitting next to a motor court cabin in this day and age?<br /><br />But maybe the problem is with the museum's pricing structure. In a town known for glitz, glamor and high rollers, it's not all that surprising that a museum--no matter how amazing--that charges only $1.50 would be ignored.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-21830879656284116962008-04-07T12:59:00.000-07:002008-04-07T14:30:17.618-07:00An Explosive Time off the StripThe wooden bench beneath me is uncomfortable. I note that there are no seat belts, no guard rails or other protective devices. "How bad can it be then?" I reason with myself. <br /><br />The walls look like concrete cinder blocks, as if we are in a bunker. In real life, we would have been out in the open in the dry and dusty desert, a vast and empty land that was about to become even dustier by an order of magnitude. <br /><br />The countdown begins. We don't have the protective sunglasses that we would have worn in real life; again, I ask myself, "Really, how bad can this be?" But I'm nervous just the same. I start to brace myself.<br /><br />A blinding flash and the bench shakes beneath me as the mushroom cloud appears in the distance on the screen. Smoke rushes at us on the screen and air blasts my face.<br /><br />I cringe.<br /><br />It wouldn't have mattered how many times I sat as an observer, I know I would have been terrified each and every time I witnessed an atmospheric atomic detonation. The lesson of the Ground Zero Theater at the <a href="http://www.atomictestingmuseum.org/">Atomic Testing Museum</a> has struck home solidly with me; mission accomplished. <br /><br />Although a thrilling and effective experience, the Ground Zero Theater is not the only highlight of this remarkable Museum. Through historic news reels, videos and memorabilia, the Atomic Age Gallery draws in visitors—particularly Baby Boomers—as it contextualizes atomic theory and atmospheric atomic testing. <br /><br />A nearby gallery illustrates how atomic testing was welcomed by the city of Las Vegas as both a tourist attraction and a means to make the burgeoning town seem more "legitimate."<br /><br />In the Innovators Gallery first-person stories are told from the contractors who ate lunch sitting on bomb casings, to the secretaries and security guards in charge of day-to-day operations at the <a href="http://www.nv.doe.gov/nts/tours.htm">Nevada Test Site</a>. This adds a wonderful human element to the exhibit, forcing visitors to realize that atomic testing is not just about nuclear physicists in white lab coats. <br /><br />The museum seems to peter out a bit towards the end, however. A lot of real estate is dedicated to technical explanations about and artifacts from the underground testing that replaced the atmospheric tests. Many people breeze through this gallery. Similarly, the gallery devoted to the various uses of the Nevada Test Site is far less compelling than the nearby Innovators Gallery where personal stories are featured instead. <br /><br />Perhaps the biggest disappointment is that the experiences of Generation X are virtually ignored. Despite the fact that Gen Xers grew up in the shadow of the bomb when the hands of the <a href="http://www.thebulletin.org/minutes-to-midnight/timeline.html">Doomsday Clock</a> pointed to two minutes to midnight and the made-for-TV movie, “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085404/">The Day After</a>” inspired nightmares for months, the museum is clearly designed with Baby Boomers in mind to the exclusion of other demographics. This is problematic both in terms of relevance and marketing to non-Baby Boomers and the museum’s own narrative. The final Today and Tomorrow Gallery feels rushed and tacked on. A piece of the Berlin Wall symbolizes the end of the Cold War—the impetus for atmospheric atomic testing—while a piece of the World Trade Center symbolizes the fact that there are still threats to democracy and American safety, justifying the need for continued testing.<br /><br />Frankly, though, a far more compelling motivation for continuing nuclear testing can be found in the testimony of one of the scientists from the Innovators Gallery. He believes that there should never be a time when no one can remember from firsthand experience the actual devastating impact of a nuclear explosion.<br /><br />Hopefully the museum will help to serve as solemn reminder as well.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-38597155649363721112008-03-20T16:45:00.000-07:002008-03-20T17:33:30.880-07:00The Getty and Disney<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqYhHGB1Cw7NjFGbx4sHocxzDHrEvpxys7z1PvYGjTAW3-IHuBZ_M_nS9IWRKv2C62H_cACKz9XOTuiGuThapVhinc-xtclKPBeqY52X5Fan4St4__pGLpN1xer4D6iTf5CsszSiVAQI/s1600-h/Getty-026.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqYhHGB1Cw7NjFGbx4sHocxzDHrEvpxys7z1PvYGjTAW3-IHuBZ_M_nS9IWRKv2C62H_cACKz9XOTuiGuThapVhinc-xtclKPBeqY52X5Fan4St4__pGLpN1xer4D6iTf5CsszSiVAQI/s320/Getty-026.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179979551509244738" /></a><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.getty.edu/">Getty</a> just may be for museums what <a href="http://www.disneyland.com/">Disneyland</a> is for theme parks. That statement is meant neither as an act of heresy nor as a slur but rather it is said with respect and awe. And this isn't about "edutainment" either; it's about the recognition that we live in an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experience_economy">experience and transformation-oriented economy</a> and making the most of that fact in order to be effective storytellers.<br /><br />Think about it: what separates Disneyland from regular amusement parks? Disneyland is about more than just rides and attractions, it's about paying attention to every last little detail in order to create an entire cohesive experience. Well, the Getty does that, too, making it more than just a museum in the sense of being a place where one can go to see art. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBN-lWrvt4nFmrmbkdobY9BThHtX8sX7Gv16t0Nn2G4u6japHS2Bh0MHPP0kvTKV6XfquGcK28pVdL0z1VWa5wm8Q3_YUtHqzGOvkRK3x7ls_9eLExrNP3m3UkfchzIZ2ug9faaq1JffE/s1600-h/Getty-003.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBN-lWrvt4nFmrmbkdobY9BThHtX8sX7Gv16t0Nn2G4u6japHS2Bh0MHPP0kvTKV6XfquGcK28pVdL0z1VWa5wm8Q3_YUtHqzGOvkRK3x7ls_9eLExrNP3m3UkfchzIZ2ug9faaq1JffE/s320/Getty-003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179979770552576850" /></a><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.getty.edu/visit/">Getty Villa</a> creates an entire environment for visitors to explore and experience, resulting in as cohesive a story as ever could be told be Disney! I was up at the Getty Villa last weekend and the Getty/Disney comparison really struck me when I was in the bathroom. A most ignoble of places to make such a realization, but still, the fact that the Getty had included Italian tiles in the bathrooms with wood doors and trim reminiscent of the rest of the decor throughout the Villa made me realize that there wasn't a single aspect of the Getty Villa experience that did not speak to its setting or the collections. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA66HeLp0uS_CruBi_pr4zHSFjjSKQjBx4C-4QyIkSiX_lESFtzrDmPHFkn-jw9ZW73GC137evv_g8Ov3jrNZ1yNyU1CFPbeJ_djW0-VvqYKF9o4ltcYG4rfA3VmA2OIkZchi6y77hWqw/s1600-h/comparison.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA66HeLp0uS_CruBi_pr4zHSFjjSKQjBx4C-4QyIkSiX_lESFtzrDmPHFkn-jw9ZW73GC137evv_g8Ov3jrNZ1yNyU1CFPbeJ_djW0-VvqYKF9o4ltcYG4rfA3VmA2OIkZchi6y77hWqw/s320/comparison.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179981037567929186" /></a><br /><br />From the floors to the ceilings to the paint on the walls, every design element was clearly well thought out and intentional. For example, the walls in the Gods and Goddesses gallery are a pale sky blue, emphasizing the divine nature of the images in the room. Next door meanwhile in the Luxury Vessels gallery the walls are marble in a variety of deep, rich colors, heightening the sense of luxury and extravagance.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIME8odZuJ4H3eU_hBLxFAX_b8Kg5C0n4gVsNFbmags-uUQ3PPtfyC0nSJvU3z01yQl95udr2GhnCNc-1FPz4-Nbf1E47tInM-1UA0iwHC4HLU-D06e4rzEK0cW6czxhiStebLq_-pf1s/s1600-h/Getty-022.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIME8odZuJ4H3eU_hBLxFAX_b8Kg5C0n4gVsNFbmags-uUQ3PPtfyC0nSJvU3z01yQl95udr2GhnCNc-1FPz4-Nbf1E47tInM-1UA0iwHC4HLU-D06e4rzEK0cW6czxhiStebLq_-pf1s/s320/Getty-022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179981587323743090" /></a><br /><br />The Villa itself is a replica of the Villa Papyri, an ancient Roman home situated in the town of Herculaneum and belonging to Julius Caesar's father-in-law. The town and the villa were both buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, so architectural and design elements for the Getty Villa were also borrowed from other ancient Roman homes. Some of these elements include the <a href="http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/architecture/peristyle.htm">peristyle</a> with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trompe_l'oeil">trompe l'oeil</a> frescoes along the walls, as well as the out-lying gardens where olives, grapes, pomegranates, thyme and other herbs, fruits and plants that would have been found in a proper Roman garden thrive in the Southern California climate.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodhUSmcL_dWWmUDKWIOmo6-RlnD6nTPbUa2lVeNQ_h5gxJkmptcLJGBWaItZi8TyptUxzWf9RUpFpLK7PaTJH4-8asIUJmzAsHiMYZUdGpuKgNKsKuSpaIK668NPFw9ZgQz-kYR4LVI4/s1600-h/Getty-031.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodhUSmcL_dWWmUDKWIOmo6-RlnD6nTPbUa2lVeNQ_h5gxJkmptcLJGBWaItZi8TyptUxzWf9RUpFpLK7PaTJH4-8asIUJmzAsHiMYZUdGpuKgNKsKuSpaIK668NPFw9ZgQz-kYR4LVI4/s320/Getty-031.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179981973870799746" /></a><br /><br />The menu at the cafe makes use of Mediterranean flavors and themes and an outdoor amphitheater serves the dual role of hearkening back to antiquity while hosting performances and events.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwsZjNjkf-CvXsuKj9SWoUPa_E-WRbWkQ2JiGe8SkuTdF5PeKviPqmu2i277BbydoeXNHJ07nac2DQ7hgO6kyNlQSu7V9C87tMQyrieMYnyuSHQz_0MSQYeb7Hb1D28_uXbk6-VJjPh0/s1600-h/Getty-017.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwsZjNjkf-CvXsuKj9SWoUPa_E-WRbWkQ2JiGe8SkuTdF5PeKviPqmu2i277BbydoeXNHJ07nac2DQ7hgO6kyNlQSu7V9C87tMQyrieMYnyuSHQz_0MSQYeb7Hb1D28_uXbk6-VJjPh0/s320/Getty-017.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179982274518510482" /></a><br /><br />You can even literally immerse yourself in the art, life and times of antiquity in the Family Forum. Here you can decorate a kratyr (with erasable marker) or pose yourself to be an image on an ancient vessel. <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI17Uq738KU_kYWix9QMrDDx1ciGovDH_Lw2Ebwq6ajP2ATkmojbVn-czQ3QpcScBWRZtFdYGRmvdTn8_WYeKBhI0ccK8FsWZTh-tUV5DuSCGiy82kLtoUK-hNL8qUOtXt1lYIIn2FAEU/s1600-h/Getty-029.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI17Uq738KU_kYWix9QMrDDx1ciGovDH_Lw2Ebwq6ajP2ATkmojbVn-czQ3QpcScBWRZtFdYGRmvdTn8_WYeKBhI0ccK8FsWZTh-tUV5DuSCGiy82kLtoUK-hNL8qUOtXt1lYIIn2FAEU/s320/Getty-029.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179982768439749554" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />During my few hours of strolling through the exhibits and the grounds for a few hours noting how wonderfully every detail worked to recreate antiquity for me, I wandered into the Stories of the Trojan War gallery and noticed a copy of Homer's <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.html">Iliad</a></span> lying on a bench. Alone, I sat down and picked up the book, attached to a piece of Plexiglas that read, "Please do not remove from the gallery." <br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">Rage--Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles...</span></blockquote><br /><br />Surrounded by helmets, statues and other materials that if not actually used during the Trojan War could have been used then, suddenly these words carried a great deal more meaning for me than they ever did when I had to read <span style="font-style:italic;">The Iliad</span> back in college. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJHgdNRwcZqW11b76P2oiIXgJHTQaNtJ-bOo2234q79DmK4t86Gp-nwpr4m4zOjQRETE1wR71ZKzKGsYMMoCSaU7EceL9_v9n91iEXsditj83Rl0dObpsJ8PALs_3-XMIg-erbk7uGis/s1600-h/Getty-032.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJHgdNRwcZqW11b76P2oiIXgJHTQaNtJ-bOo2234q79DmK4t86Gp-nwpr4m4zOjQRETE1wR71ZKzKGsYMMoCSaU7EceL9_v9n91iEXsditj83Rl0dObpsJ8PALs_3-XMIg-erbk7uGis/s320/Getty-032.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179982493561842594" /></a><br />Feeling a quiet awe, I tiptoed up the grand staircase to the current special exhibit, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Color of Life</span>. Most people today have come to think of antiquity as being very monochromatic--with the exception of the orange and black vessels, most architecture and statuary is pretty much just white marble. But that was not always the case and with the help of scientific pigment analysis, recreations have been made of some artworks as they would have looked when they were contemporary. What a riot of color! Vivid oranges and bold blues, patterns everywhere and animated eyes instead of the blanks we are so accustomed to seeing. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTUp6aC2youLtzpBtx0fbs7nAhoFqA3xMS2oofq5Z3pMqrmBbyxPNaHdenzA5ivpxuoHQ7e_K8C0AL_U1abRAzsRg1OljXXZwraehhEVLnptUNH8BUD8_ZX4R_ovHJQeIE-dfMa3xVCw/s1600-h/Getty-005.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTUp6aC2youLtzpBtx0fbs7nAhoFqA3xMS2oofq5Z3pMqrmBbyxPNaHdenzA5ivpxuoHQ7e_K8C0AL_U1abRAzsRg1OljXXZwraehhEVLnptUNH8BUD8_ZX4R_ovHJQeIE-dfMa3xVCw/s320/Getty-005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179986436341820354" /></a><br /><br />My reading of the <span style="font-style:italic;">Iliad</span> in the Trojan War room and the <span style="font-style:italic;">Color of Life</span> exhibit both compounded the already-complete experience established for me by the grounds, architecture and design of the Getty Villa. But what made my time at this <a href="http://agentsofchange.typepad.com/weblog/2006/06/the_transformat.html">"transformation" destination</a> even better than a trip to Disneyland was the sense of authenticity. Yes, the Villa itself is a replica but ultimately that is just window dressing, a prop to set the stage for the real stuff--the artifacts that I saw in the exhibits: the gods and goddesses, the Trojan War era armor, the statues of the muses and Herakles, and the vases and statues with minute traces of pigment still visible to the naked eye.<br /><br />All photos by Allyson Lazar 2008Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-22368204801622792332008-03-20T12:08:00.000-07:002008-03-20T12:15:12.302-07:00CAM 2008 Session: New and Alternate Funding Streams for Museums, Maintaining Membership Revenues without a BuildingCandace Pendergrass, Director of Membership and Public Information at the <a href="http://www.fresnomet.org/">Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art and Science</a> was saddled with a tough question when her museum decided to close the building for renovation and expansion: what to do about the membership program? <br /><br />Rather than freezing all memberships during construction she decided to keep on with the membership program--but that meant that she needed to find new benefits to membership since members couldn't visit the museum at all during construction, let alone for free. Candace and her team recognized that in order to minimize membership loss during construction they would need to be creative in adding value to memberships, they would need to stay in touch with their members and they would need to create easy ways for members to provide the museum with additional help.<br /><br />Creating Added Value<br />Local businesses were approached and if they already had discount programs in place, they were asked if they would apply those discount programs to museum members. This resulted in the Club 1555 Discount Program for museum members.<br /><br />The museum became a <a href="http://affiliations.si.edu/">Smithsonian affiliate</a>. This meant that museum members now enjoyed all the benefits of being members of the Smithsonian as well.<br /><br />The museum engaged in several reciprocal membership agreements through the <a href="http://www.astc.org/members/passlist.htm">Association of Science and Technology Centers</a> (ASTC), Western Museum Group (WMG) and local area cultural partners. In this way, even though museum members couldn't visit the Fresno Met, they could still visit other museums and cultural attractions for free.<br /><br />Staying in Touch<br />In addition to quarterly newsletters and direct mail, the Fresno Met also made use of electronic means to keep in touch with their membership during construction via their website, weekly e-news and MySpace. Currently the Fresno Met has over 200 friends on <a href="http://www.myspace.com/fresnomet">MySpace</a>.<br /><br />Help Me Help You<br />In order to make helping the museum as easy as possible, the Fresno Met started offering a place on the membership renewal forms for an additional contribution. They also signed up on <a href="http://www.goodsearch.com/">Good Search</a> and <a href="http://www.goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx">Good Shop</a>, Internet sites that donate a percentage of the proceeds from online shopping or searching to the nonprofit of your choice. <br /><br />Ultimately, through all of these efforts, despite the fact that construction has been ongoing for three years rather than the anticipated one year, membership levels and revenue at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum have barely dropped.<br /><br />Candace's presentation can be viewed <a href="http://calmuseums.org/conferences_and_workshops/2008pres/5C3.pdf">here</a> as a PDF.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-34860419231414883952008-03-20T12:05:00.000-07:002008-03-20T12:07:57.338-07:00CAM 2008 Session: New and Alternate Funding Streams for Museums, The Mother of All Rummage Sales and Hiring out Museum ExpertiseMark Medeiros, Deputy Director of the <a href="http://www.museumca.org/">Oakland Museum of California</a>, inspired the room with his description of the Oakland's annual <a href="http://www.whiteelephantsale.org/">White Elephant Sale</a>--a garage sale to end all garage sales that attracts buyers from all over the Bay Area, nets in the millions and costs almost nothing to produce. The event is entirely staffed by volunteers and the warehouse where it is held was purchased years ago so there is very little overhead. And every now and then, real treasures get found in and amongst the sale items. Sometimes the Museum itself actually finds items for the collection through the Sale! <br /><br />Mark also talked about a relatively new division within the museum called <a href="http://www.museumca.org/global/ps/index.html">Professional Services</a>. This division is essentially a museum consulting and exhibition development firm housed within the museum as both a revenue stream and a form of outreach. Properties such as large office buildings or civil spaces such as port authorities hire the Professional Services team to design and install exhibits or consult on collection and exhibition-related areas.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-63851031170916456912008-03-17T14:25:00.000-07:002008-03-17T14:29:37.192-07:00CAM 2008 Session: New and Alternate Funding Streams for Museums, The Importance of Financial Planning for MuseumsMike Warren, President and CEO of <a href="http://www.turtlebay.org/">Turtle Bay Exploration Park</a>, drew upon his years as a City Manager to offer these three recommendations for how museums can succeed financially. A PDF of his presentation can be found <a href="http://www.calmuseums.org/conferences_and_workshops/2008pres/5C1.pdf">here</a>.<br /><br />1. Have a Three-Year (Minimum) Financial Plan.<br />Nothing is more crucial to the stability and success of a museum than sound financial planning. Too often museums make the mistake of thinking that because they are nonprofits that means that they aren't supposed to make money or focus on finances. Nothing could be further from the truth. Strong museum leaders must be able to read basic financial statements and understand basic accounting principles in order to ensure that the museum is financially sound and has adequate funding to support its mission.<br /><br />2. Focus on the Endowment.<br />Revenues brought in through contributions and donations should go into an endowment rather than into a general fund that supports operating costs. This may seem counter-intuitive to a lot of museums, but it is a recommendation based on taking the long-view approach to planning rather than the short-term approach of trying to put out financial fires. A strong endowment will ultimately enable the museum to increase revenue through dividends and interest.<br /><br />3. Diversify Revenue Streams.<br />Turtle Bay has a number of sources of revenue, including a variety of annual fundraising events, renting blockbuster traveling exhibitions such as <a href="http://www.titanic-online.com/">Titanic</a> or <a href="http://www.bodyworlds.com/en.html">Body Worlds</a> and soon they will be developing some of their vast property, most likely adding a hotel or other visitor services-oriented elements.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-78635986387493268862008-03-17T13:53:00.000-07:002008-03-17T14:08:53.279-07:00CAM 2008 Session: New and Alternate Funding Streams for MuseumsI'll allow my bias to show for just a moment here and say that I was incredibly excited for my own session. Why? Because of the strength of the topics addressed by the speakers on the panel! In fact, even now, a few weeks post-conference, when I think about what Mike, Mark and Candice had to say, I get excited all over again. I remember when we were still in the planning phases for the conference and the four of us had a conference call how thrilled I felt as, after listening to each other talk about their respective presentations, the unanimous reaction seemed to be a deep interest in what the other presenters would be sharing. <br /><br />For my part, I introduced the topic (a PDF of my presentation can be found <a href="http://orindagroup.com/testing/AlternativeFundingStreams.pdf">here</a>) by emphasizing the need for alternative forms of revenue generation. According to the <a href="http://www.calmuseums.org/e-news/index.html">2006 California Museums Study</a> produced by <a href="http://www.calmuseums.org/">CAM</a>, for that fiscal year, California museums expected a 3.8% decline in revenues despite the fact that museums in general had seen a 38.3% gain in revenues in the previous year. I then briefly described a few of the alternative revenue generation strategies that seemed to be enjoying some success in the nonprofit sector according to both the museum revenue generation survey that Orinda Group performed last summer and the ongoing research we have been doing in looking at alternative revenue streams and more specifically e-philanthropy (a topic I will be speaking on at the 2008 <a href="http://www.westmuse.org/">Western Museums Association</a> conference in Anchorage this fall).<br /><br />The three strategies I focused on were:<br /><br />-- Partnering<br />-- Use of Collections<br />-- Web 2.0/Social Media <br /><br />As I mentioned in a <a href="http://orindagroup.blogspot.com/2008/02/live-blogging-from-cam-part-6-vacaville.html">previous (live-blogging) post</a> from the Re-Imagining the Museum session, Shawn Lum actually described two great examples of partnering and use of collections going on at the <a href="http://www.vacavillemuseum.org/">Vacaville Museum</a>. Candice from my session had great examples of use of social media, too. But I also had my own examples to strengthen my arguments as well.<br /><br />Respondents from the <a href="http://orindagroup.com/OGBlog/Museum_Revenue_Generation_Survey.pdf">2007 Orinda Group Museum Revenue Generation Survey (pdf)</a> spoke in glowing terms about partnering with corporations to produce DVDs, videos and coffee table books and mentioned things like wonderful DVD sales. <br /><br />The Boston MFA has already seen great success from its <a href="http://mfamobile.mfa.org/">MFA Mobile program</a>, a website that offers downloadable images from the collection for use as cellphone wallpaper. It is a paid service and apparently so far <a href="http://mfamobile.mfa.org/Purchase.aspx?TRAID=&CT=2&CONID=f31174cc-98e0-477d-bd3b-eacdaccc34b1">Monet's "Water Lilies"</a> is the most popular download.<br /><br />But what really astounded me was just how much use of social media has exploded in the museum world in just the past few months. When I was preparing <a href="http://orindagroup.com/OGBlog/OvertheEdgeFundraising.pdf">my talk (pdf)</a> on this subject for the <a href="http://www.mpma.net/">Mountain-Plains</a> conference in September, there were 180 museum profiles on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/">Flickr</a>, almost 5000 museum-related groups on Flickr, 100s of museums on <a href="http://www.myspace.com/">MySpace</a>, 1000s of videos tagged "museum" on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/">YouTube</a> and almost 4000 museum-related groups on <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/">Yahoo Groups</a>. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?">Facebook</a> was not really much of a factor yet in the museum world. <br /><br />Now there are over 200 museum profiles on Flickr with almost 7000 museum-related Flickr groups, over 4000 museum-related groups on Yahoo Groups and there are over 500 museum-related groups, over 500 museum-related events, 165 museum pages (organizational profiles) and 11 museum-related applications on Facebook. Museum usage of social media has universally increased in just six months. Wow. I look forward to seeing what the next six months will bring!Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-60285313314480869992008-03-17T13:08:00.000-07:002008-03-17T13:09:47.780-07:00CAM 2008 Session: More Than Setting the Goal, Seven Steps to Reviewing Institutional HealthMuseum consultant <a href="http://www.gailanderson-assoc.com/">Gail Anderson</a> discussed organizational life cycles and reminded the audience that museums, just like people, need annual health checks. What are some of the signs of a healthy organization? Transparency, consensus of purpose, good communication, an involved community and a solid bottom line are some of the symptoms of health, but there are others as well. Here were seven steps that Gail recommended for performing an annual health exam for your museum.<br /><br />1. Bring in an outsider and have the staff make a list of what they consider to be attributes of a healthy museum and then rate from 1-10 where they feel the museum ranks for each of these attributes. Let three or so attributes rise to the top.<br /><br />2. Track benchmarks in the timeline of the museum's history; patterns will emerge.<br /><br />3. Step back, take all the staff off-site and ask how everyone felt the museum did in terms of reaching the goals for that year.<br /><br />4. Learn to say, "No." Make a list of annual tasks and one of special activities and see what can be cut out.<br /><br />5. Ask questions before considering taking on a new activity. <br /><br />6. Track time in increments of 15 minutes--see where time is actually spent.<br /><br />7. Finally, strong leaders are crucial for the health of a museum, but equally important are change-agents from within the ranks. Make sure that the museum has staff members who are willing to take up the banner for new initiatives and foster change and growth. Help these change-agents by giving them the support they need.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-89348731451271373112008-03-17T12:44:00.000-07:002008-03-17T12:45:35.386-07:00CAM 2008 Session: More Than Setting the Goal, MetricsLeslie Perovich, Vice President for Marketing at the <a href="http://www.discoverycube.org/">Discovery Science Center</a> in Orange County spoke about the importance of the effective use of metrics in achieving success in museums. A PDF of her power point presentation can be viewed <a href="http://www.calmuseums.org/conferences_and_workshops/2008pres/8C1.pdf">here</a>. <br /><br />Metrics are employed in every aspect of the Discovery Science Center--from employee performance to exhibits, the successful use of metrics has helped the museum to increase its operating budget from $2 million five years ago to its present budget of $9 million.<br /><br />Staff compensation is based on metrics, with bonuses offered every quarter to those staff members meeting or exceeding their goals. Exhibit metrics consist of looking at the number of exhibits that are inoperable more than 5% of the time and less than 95% of the time in order to determine total exhibit availability. The number of and time taken to respond to and resolve all exhibit, computer and facilities requests are tracked. <br /><br />Absolutely everything is quantified and all the numbers are transparent--all staff members are aware of what the numbers are and where they stand according to the metrics. This fosters a sense of accountability--quite the opposite of that culture of entitlement mentioned by Janice Lyle's friend--and results in everyone striving to do their best, perform at their highest potential and be as efficient as possible at all times.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-31510138429286901612008-03-17T12:02:00.000-07:002008-03-17T12:09:33.714-07:00Imagine ThatIt comes as little surprise that <a href="http://www.si.edu/about/newSecretarySearch/secretary-announcement_3-15-08.htm">the 12th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution will be an academician</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_M._Small">Lawrence Small</a>, the previous Secretary, held a background in banking, fitting nicely with the trend over the past decade or so of museums moving closer to running according to business principles. This is not in and of itself a bad thing, in fact, it is a move that I personally applaud. However, Small tainted the name of business in the eyes of the museum world through his <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/18/AR2007031801369.html">extravagant spending and compensation</a>. Thanks, Larry, for setting the museum world back a step or two.<br /><br />But looking at the credentials of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._Wayne_Clough">G. Wayne Clough</a>, newly appointed Secretary and current President of <a href="http://www.gatech.edu/">Georgia Tech University</a> (go Yellow Jackets!), I feel heartened and optimistic for the future of America's Attic. Dr. Clough has both a solid academic background (multiple degrees in civil engineering--a subject near and dear to my own heart since my grandfather was a civil engineer and my father works in that industry as well--and a long professional history of serving as a professor and administrator at top universities around the nation) and administrative and management skills. He has experience serving on national councils such as the <a href="http://www.nitrd.gov/pcast/">President's Council of Science and Technology</a> and the <a href="http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/">National Science Board</a>. And, given the current state of the Smithsonian and Congress' recent decree that the Smithsonian needed to start raising some of its own money through fundraising, Dr. Clough managed to <a href="http://www.gatech.edu/president/biography.html">raise more than $1.6 billion in private gifts</a> during his 14-year tenure at Georgia Tech. Welcome to the museum world, Dr. Clough!Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-19713904648291344772008-03-17T10:45:00.000-07:002008-03-17T10:47:26.976-07:00CAM 2008 Session: More Than Setting the Goal, Combating the Spirit of Mediocrity and Culture of EntitlementAfter her friend's declaration that the nonprofit world "tolerates a spirit of mediocrity" and has a "culture of entitlement," former <a href="http://www.psmuseum.org/">Palm Springs Art Museum</a> Director Janice Lyle wondered if these statements could be true and decided that yes, they were. But if museums want to accomplish anything, they cannot accept mediocrity nor feel entitled and everyone must "step up to the plate." But how then to combat these barriers to success? Janice emphasized the importance of creating priorities and follow-through. Selecting one goal as the sole priority will ensure that the goal is successfully--not just adequately, but successfully--met. <br /><br />In order to really focus on a sole priority, everyone must be on board and the team must be comprised of dedicated, proactive problem-solvers with a focus on delivery of services to the public. The board must also both be on board and do their part. Many boards are too large and are populated with members who are there for social or prestige reasons rather than to accomplish goals. Demanding a (financial) re-commitment from the board with real consequences for inaction (such as removal from the board) can help to pare down boards to only those members who will serve the team well. <br /><br />Janice also stressed the benefit for museums using a business model, stating that doing so forces museums to "look at the hard questions." Business analysis is "good and healthy" and critical analysis is crucial to success. Janice encouraged museums to "be bold" and "unflinching" in the face of difficult issues, to "look for the elephant in the room, paint it pink and learn to dance with it." This is how real solutions for real change can be implemented.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-37660787078472600282008-03-17T10:22:00.000-07:002008-03-17T10:26:06.160-07:00CAM 2008 Session: More Than Setting the Goal, Spirit of Mediocrity and Culture of EntitlementConsultant and former <a href="http://www.psmuseum.org/">Palm Springs Art Museum</a> Director Janice Lyle led the session with a comment posed to her by a friend that the nonprofit world "tolerates a spirit of mediocrity" and has a "culture of entitlement." Janice wondered if this was true, but as soon as I heard those words, I knew I was in the right session. The largest single barrier to change, growth and success in the museum world is the organizational culture that stems from this tolerance of mediocrity and culture of entitlement. <br /><br />I'll digress from the session for a moment to briefly state from where I believe these problems stem. As nonprofits, there is a ubiquitous sense of having to "make do" and "do without" based on the fact that there never seems to be enough money to adequately fund all of the programs, departments and initiatives that a museum would like to be able to fund. In fact, in tougher economic times, hard decisions must be made and as often as not, vital programs are cut or greatly reduced. Because of this, it is almost necessary that museums tolerate mediocrity--almost, but not quite. <br /><br />Also as nonprofits, museums have been somewhat free from the market demands that for-profit businesses must face. Museums have been privileged to base programming on what they feel the public needs without much accountability and scoffing at the concept of a bottom-line. I use the past tense "have been" because this is no longer really the case, despite the fact that some museums may still be clinging to this sense that they are entitled to determine what the public should see and how visitors should use their museums. Somehow the word "should" often accompanies a sense of entitlement.<br /><br />But beyond just this sense of museums that they are the holders of knowledge and know what is best for the public, there is also a sense of entitlement in terms of both money and their own existences. The concept of having to justify the existence of an organization in the nonprofit world is a foreign one, whereas in the business world it is simply part of the workday. Museums feel that they deserve governmental and private funds simply because they exist and are museums and in this day and age, that simply is not enough. Many museum practitioners may still balk at the idea, but this session really drove home the importance of recognizing that yes, museums are businesses, too.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6267350617452568534.post-80151961630380816742008-03-07T15:40:00.000-08:002008-03-07T15:58:42.387-08:00CAM 2008 Session: Re-imagining the Museum in the 21st Century, Museums as NodesVanda Vitali, Executive Director of the <a href="http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/">Auckland Museum</a>, spoke about the importance of museums in the 21st century becoming nodes rather than centers. This idea is central to the strategic and information plans of <a href="http://www.naturalis.nl/asp/page.asp?alias=naturalis.nl&view=naturalis.nl&id=i000256&frameurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.naturalis.nl%2Fnaturalis.en%2Fnaturalis.nl%2Findex2.html.html">Naturalis</a>, the natural history museum in Leiden, Netherlands. According to Dirk Houtgraaf of Naturalis, in the past, Naturalis has been "a building with a collection and a network built around it," but in the future, it will be "a network organisation with a building and a collection." <br /><br />The point that both Vitali and Houtgraaf are making is that museums need to focus less on what goes on within their own walls and more on what society needs from the resources and information that museums have to offer. As part of vast networks of information sharing, museums can do more to fulfill their missions and meet the needs of their communities--and the world--rather than as single, insular, individual institutions. <br /><br />Similarly, museums in the 21st century should focus on concepts rather than exhibits. Too often exhibits are seen as end-products in themselves, rather than the concepts and information that they convey. If museums focus more on exploring the most effective methods for sharing the information that they hold rather than on how to turn information into exhibits, museums will serve an increasingly vital role in society as a whole.<br /><br />Vitali and Houtgraaf have collaborated on a recently published book that addresses some of these ideas entitled, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Museum-Plan-Strategies-Development/dp/9073239990"><span style="font-style:italic;">Mastering</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">a Museum Plan</span></a>.Allyson Lazarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302318897832621133noreply@blogger.com0