How are museums innovating amid pandemic closures?

Question

Accepted Answer

Museums Innovate with Digital Offerings and Creative Engagement Amid Pandemic Closures

Amidst the global coronavirus pandemic and subsequent closures of physical spaces, museums and galleries worldwide are actively innovating to maintain engagement with the public. These cultural institutions are developing a range of digital initiatives and activities designed to align with social distancing guidelines, ensuring continued access to art and scholarship for inspiration and connection. This pivot to online platforms encompasses virtual tours, downloadable creative materials, and extensive digital archives.
Virtual Access and Digital Collections Expand Reach

A significant number of museums are leveraging digital platforms to offer unprecedented access to their collections. Over 2,500 world-class museums are now providing virtual tours through Google's Arts & Culture pages, allowing individuals to explore diverse collections remotely. Furthermore, institutions are digitizing and sharing resources that were previously only accessible in person.
Creative Engagement Through Downloadable Resources

In an effort to provide interactive and accessible content, many cultural organizations have embraced initiatives like the "Color Our Collections" project. This program, initiated by the New York Academy of Medicine, invites institutions to contribute coloring pages derived from their own collections. Over 100 entities, including the New York Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian, and the University of Melbourne, have participated, offering these coloring books as free PDF downloads suitable for all ages. The Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, for instance, provides botanical sketches, while Europeana focuses on the history of women's rights in Europe.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Comprehensive Digital Strategy

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced a robust suite of online content and social media initiatives. These include #MetKids, offering interactive maps, videos, and facts for families, and "The Artist Project," a video series where contemporary artists discuss specific artworks. Beyond these, the museum provides access to its extensive audio guide library and a video vault containing films dating back to the 1920s, reflecting a commitment to sharing its art and scholarship broadly.
The Getty's Thematic Digital Engagement

The Getty Museum and Getty Research Institute are offering a unique coloring book experience, structured around themes such as beauty, longing, strength, and death. This initiative not only provides downloadable pages but also includes links to the original artworks featured in the collection, allowing for a deeper exploration and appreciation of the pieces.

Reading history

Hide →

This history is cleared when the page is closed.

How are museums innovating amid pandemic closures?

Loading

Was this article helpful?

Helpful

Not helpful

Report an issue

1

0

0

Share with friends