For those of you with twitter accounts…
I started updating my work’s twitter account: @MorristownNPS
Feel free to follow it!
I plan to tweet about special events, facts, and objects in our collection.
I started updating my work’s twitter account: @MorristownNPS
Feel free to follow it!
I plan to tweet about special events, facts, and objects in our collection.
Hi Everyone,
Erin and I visited the Brooklyn Museum and the American Museum of Natural History last week. I decided to download the app ahead of time to my ipod touch because I was not sure how long it would take at the Museum. When we got to the Brooklyn Museum, I did not notice any sign advertising the mobile app. I would guess that most visitors did not even know that the museum had one. Similarly, I did not locate a desk or anything where you could rent a ipod if you did not have your own.
I was quite excited to test out that app, but soon became discouraged. Not only did my ipod touch take a long time to detect the Museum’s wifi, but the app took a very long time to load. Erin, who was using her iphone, had the same problems. We started to walk around the museum hoping we would find a stronger connection. The text began to load, but my ipod would not load the app’s images. It was very hard to locate the object the app was describing without the image. I tried to reload the app multiple times, but soon became so frustrated that I abandoned it. Erin had the same problems on her iphone. I did use my blackberry to call numbers on the wall labels for more information. That was interesting, but I did not have the patience to call every object’s extension.
Like Erin, I played with the app when I got home and think it has potential. The images loaded while I was at home, which suggests there was a problem with Brooklyn’s wifi strength and not the app. I think the rotating object of the day was cool. This is a great way to show people objects that they might not get to that visit. In addition, I wish I could have browsed the highlights in each geographical area. The Museum has a good basic outline, but I would have liked to see more information about each object. As Katie said, a lot of the text was from their website and didn’t provide additional information. Also, check out the Brooklyn Museum’s open storage. It. was. AMAZING!
After lunch, we went to the AMNH. Like Lea said, the app is not very well advertised. I didn’t see a sign for it nor did I notice a place where you could rent ipods. I thought I downloaded the app the night before, but it turns out I only downloaded the Dinosaur app (Cori described this app very well in her post). The explorer app was for the entire museum and not just the dinosaur exhibits. I noticed the app had different tours, but Erin and I choose the visit the highlights. We decided to visit the Eastern Island Head first. In my opinion, the best part of the app was its map and directions. The museum is so big and I know I would have been lost without the app’s gps capability. Not only did the app provide directions to exhibits and objects, but also to the cafe, bathroom, store, and exhibits. In addition, the app kept track which exhibitions and objects you visited. I switched to the dinosaur app when we were in the exhibit with the T-rex. I think children would really love the app at the AMNH. It was user friendly and even had a tour of all the objects in Night at the Museum! I will definitely use this app at my next visit to the museum.
My final thought: Did anyone feel a little self conscious using your phone in the museum? Most of the other visitors were not using the app and I wondered if they thought I was someone who couldn’t put their phone away… Little did they realize I was actually engaging in the museum!
⤠the open storage. Some people choose to get married in museums, I would get married in Brooklyn's open storage š
i want to get married in a museum! haha that would awesome!
also… i didnt feel self conscious using my phone, i think i would only have that way if i was talking on it, especially not about museum related issues. though I did not see other people using their phones while I was in the museum. But it’s not like anyone came up to me and say can you please put your phone away. So i felt like I was okay in what I was doing.
Hi Stephanie I liked reading this text because I guess everyone had a same problem as you discuss. I mean problems with Internet and information download:) I remember that mine just stooped working after a while because of some mail account problem. I wanted to bookmark a photo and send it t my mail but it just never worked:)) Although I still enjoyed the Mobile Apps experience a lot:)
Bonnie (the GA) did a fantastic mobile app game prototype based on the open storage for her final project in this class last year. She hand animated all the story boards. Ask her to see it.
Hello,
Would anyone like to come to the city with me to test out mobile apps? I am available on Tuesday, Nov. 1 and Thursday, Nov. 3.
I can go on the 2nd? I am off work on Wednesday. I’ll probably try to do both museum that day since I work.
Hey Erin,
I am volunteering at Montclair Historical Society (for Object Care) from 9-12. Would you want to go around one? I don’t have anything else on Wednesday. I could also meet you there. Let me know what you are thinking. I understand if you would rather go in the morning.
There’s a small chance I may have to go to Rubin Museum of Art on that day now, the woman I’m in contact with for my thesis might have me meet her that day… If she does I can suggest morning and still meet you later that day. I’ll let you know when she picks a day!
Hey Erin,
Do you know if you will be going to the Rubin on Wednesday?
I haven’t heard anything yet. I’ll either go that day or the weekend of the 5th and 6th. What’s easier for you. Here’s my number: 724-816-9154
Here is a snapshot of my hacked website. It is probably uglier than the original, but at least it is more colorful. I couldn’t figure out how to change the basic skeleton (it is very link heavy on the right side), so I played with what I knew how to do. I changed the fonts, colors, and main picture.
Original: http://www.nps.gov/morr/index.htm
Beautiful:))
Hey everyone,
I am in Chicago for fall break and wanted to share my experience at the Art Institute of Chicago.
While viewing the Impressionist works, I noticed a group of young kids (probably 5 years old) wearing yellow shirts. They were part of an “art and creativity” education program. The children were accompanied by adult educators and gathered around examples of Monet’s paintings. After asking the group questions about specific paintings, the educators encouraged the children to draw in their sketchbooks. It was great to see the children engaged with pieces of art in the gallery.
This was a great example of Simon’s book in action.
Sorry my pictures are gigantic!!
That is fanatics to see that they are allowed to explore the space that way. I would be excited just to squirm around on the floor. I followed your lead and looked at their web site. They are not only encouraging people to participate but they comprehensively give you the tools. Under their families section they provide some great structured activities, and dialogue that carry through to the home and community. Great stuff!
Were they holding hands while walking around the museum and was The Smiths playing in the background?! Please say yes!
There should be a badge just for making semi-obscure Ferris Bueller quotes!
hahaha! Oh good! I was so nervous after I posted that that no one would get it! Thank you!
Here is a related article to the one below…
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/New-York-s-great-museums-could-do-better/24509
A depressing article about museum entrance fees. It reports that the MOMA and Boston MFA have increased fees from $20 to $25.
I love museums and want to help them as much as possible, but $25 seems outrageous. In addition, these prices are going to scare away many potential visitors, especially those that can’t afford to bring a family of four to the museum for a day. Is it more important to make a profit or serve the community?
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/To-charge-or-what-to-charge?/24451
I have paid upwards of $35 multiple times to visit the Field Museum. Every time I feel like I should be supporting the museum, but also that I couldn’t afford to come back more than twice a year. What sort of visitor base does this form when visitors can only go a couple times each year? Can they really afford to visit each gallery and learn what they wanted to? Every time I only pay a couple bucks at “suggested” donation places, I kind of feel like a jerk. I guess it’s all a balance…
I know it’s a tough economy and museums needs help, but it’s out of control. At those prices you really have to block out an entire day to stay at the museum just to make it worth your cost. Such high admissions fees are going to start cutting out the blue collar and student communities.
this is why i love DC, where most of their museums are free!
we were discussing this issue last night in one of my other classes; the met upped their suggested admission fee…probably in an attempt to raise the average donation
Here is the link to the social media exhibition’s press release: http://www.pacemacgill.com/press_release.php?item=100
And a list of the works on display:
http://www.pacemacgill.com/checklist.php?item=100
While compiling my resources list, I came across this article from “The Art Newspaper.” It talks about facebook’s censorship of works of art expressing nudity, specifically Courbet’s “The Origin of the World.”
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Too-rude-to-show?/24494
Should facebook allow Museums to post works of art expressing nudity? Is facebook an “online curator”?
Facebook is becoming more and more restrictive as the age range of its users become greater. I’m guessing that they are censoring nudity because they are worried that some bad apples may use it for perverted gains. But, I’m never a fan of censorship in any form.
I think Facebook is having a hard time drawing the line at what the consider art and what they don’t. This is everyone’s favorite debate, I’m sure, but either way, are only museums or galleries or photographers with institutional Facebook pages going to be allowed to post works of art expressing nudity? Anyone can upload naked photographs of themselves and make them look “artsty” with tools like Instagram (http://instagr.am/), with which I have a very intense love/hate relationship. Not to defend Facebook, but they may have to say no nudity in all cases as to avoid all sorts of legal trouble with under-agers and nudity. Whether this is the correct decision is up for debate. Facebook is pretty strict about profile pictures. For example, if you have a gun in your profile picture they will take it down and write you some note explaining their actions. (Where can I get a job looking through Facebook photos all day?!)
Hi everyone,
Below are a few resources I frequently consult:
http://www.theartnewspaper.com/
This is a fabulous source for current controversy, new exhibitions, and general news in the art/museum world. The paper subscription is quite expensive, so I much prefer to get the headlines online (this is my homepage). There is a “museums” tab at the top of the page for specifically museum related news.
“Making Museums Matter,” Stephen Weil, Smithsonian Books, 2002.
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Museums-Matter-Stephen-Weil/dp/1588340007
This book is made up of various essays written by Stephen Weil. He discusses the museum’s role in preserving and displaying its collection to the public while also taking into consideration the problems museums face today (nazi era art, shift from collection to education, budget concerns, etc.) You may want to check out another book written by Weil, which I have not read yet: “A Cabinet of Curiosities: Inquiries into Museums and their Prospects,”Smithsonian Books, 1995.
“A Graveyard Preservation Primer,” Lynette Strangstad, American Association of State and Local History, 1995.
http://www.amazon.com/Graveyard-Preservation-American-Association-History/dp/0761991301
I know this sounds suspicious, but I am writing my thesis on historic graveyard preservation and this publication has been very helpful. This primer provides instructions on how to access a tombstone’s condition and properly clean it. You never know when your collection might have a tombstone in it. The Newark Museum, for example, has two full headstones and a few fragments in its collection!
http://www.asia.si.edu/research/curatorial/currentResearch.asp
I also frequent the Freer Sackler Museum’s website. If you are unfamiliar with the museum, it is the Smithsonian’s Museum of Asian Art located in D.C. I took a few classes in Asian Art when I was an undergrad and took field trips to the Museum multiple times. I think their website includes valuable information about the collection and seems user friendly. It also includes a “research” tab on the top right that talks about upcoming exhibitions, publications, etc.
I hope you guys find these helpful!
Awesome thesis topic! I want to hear about this some time!
Hi Stephanie! I just read about a seminar happening in October about Cemetery Preservation. Unfortunately it is in Phoenix, but perhaps they will have a transcript or information about it afterwards. Here is the link just in case you can get anything useful out of it – http://www.npi.org/sem-cemet.html
Thanks so much for thinking of me! I will definitely check it out.
sarahadlis 12:33 am on November 11, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I’m following! š
corilinville 11:53 pm on November 13, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
im following now too!