With the Lunar New Year ringing in just yesterday, it is a tragedy that the Museum of Chinese in America in Manhattan lost most of its collection in a fire the day before what should have been a celebration. The archive caught fire not far …
Northeast: Director of Donor and Member Engagement (Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA) Curator, African Art (Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY) Gallery Registrar (Alexander Gray Associates, New York, NY) South: Membership Manager (Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville, TN) Exhibition Designer (High Museum of Art, …
Here are the jobs for the week of January 12th. Happy hunting!
Northeast:
Executive Director (Royall House & Slave Quarters, Medford, MA)
Group Outreach Coordinator (Zoo New England, Boston, MA)
Freedom Trail Office Coordinator (Freedom Trail Foundation, Boston, MA)
Collections Photographer (Northeast Document Conservation Center, Andover, MA)
Director of Digital Marketing – Boston (The Trustees of Reservations, Boston, MA)
Gift Shop Supervisor (Old North Church & Historic Site, Boston, MA)
Education Assistant, Studio Programs (The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA)
South:
Director of Digital Programming (The National WWII Museum, New Orleans, LA)
Curator (San Jacinto Museum of History, Harris County, TX)
SEMC Executive Director (Southeastern Museums Conference, Atlanta, GA)
Associate Director (NC African American Heritage Commission, Raleigh, NC)
Midwest:
Director of Development (Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL)
Shop Manager (Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL)
Museum and Library Specialist (Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology (WLM), Schaumburg, IL)
Operations Manager (Ellwood House Association, DeKalb, IL)
Executive Director (Ephraim Historical Foundation, Ephraim, WI)
Chief Program Officer (Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, WI)
Director of Education (Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, MO)
Museum Director (Johnson County Museum, Overland Park, KS)
Mid-Atlantic:
Administrator (Association of Art Museum Curators, New York, NY)
Director of Education & Public Programs (The Olana Partnership, Hudson, NY)
West:
Senior Museum Technician (Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA)
Senior Philanthropy Office (San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA)
Museum Executive Director (Yellowstone Gateway Museum, Livingston, MT)
Executive Director (World of Speed Motorsports Museum, Portland, OR)
Exhibit Designer (Oregon Historical Society, Portland, OR)
Registrar (Idaho State Historical Society, Boise, ID)
Assistant Curator (The Brinton Museum, Big Horn, WY)
Museum Coordinator (City and County of Broomfield, Broomfield, CO)
Despite the fact that the cold of New England lifted this past weekend, we’ve already returned to the more realistic January weather. Unfortunately, this is the time of year that most museums and historic sites start to see a big drop in numbers. The holiday season is over and with …
When I went to the MFA Boston Hanukkah party this past Wednesday, I wasn’t expecting to walk away with a free membership. I have an MFA membership now. Go figure. I didn’t complete a scavenger hunt for the privilege or win any sort of raffle. …
Oh, Bette Midler, I know your heart was in a good place with that tweet. For those who have other things to do besides read through hundreds of internet comments, then the scoop is this: Actress and singer Bette Midler, our beloved Hocus Pocus star, tweeted a picture of three tweens on their phones at an art museum. The caption read, “What’s wrong with this picture?”
The point she is trying to make is many-fold, and there’s no denying that it is a generational judgement call. Younger generations are widely considered obsessive when it comes to technology, particularly when it comes to being on our phones. Honestly, for a lot of us Millennials and Gen Z’s, this tweet is reminiscent of a high school teacher yelling at the class to put their phones away. I think that trauma is why so many people got up in arms about it last week.
Several comments noted that museums have interactive apps that educate visitors about art pieces. Or those young people could be googling their own searches about the artists. Or, like we all do, they are just simply taking a mental break and checking their messages. Nothing is inherently wrong with the picture. People learn in a myriad of ways, and phones are engaging tools that everyone has, so it comes at no extra cost to the museum. Phones should be out to enjoy as we please—though keep the flash off when taking a picture (which I still forget to check, and sometimes accidently do, and it’s far more embarrassing than it needs to be).
The Louvre has an app that gives close up looks details and information about some of their art. The British Museum has a similar app that also provides audio commentary and tours. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence has an app with virtual tours. The MoMA’s app provides visual descriptions for visitors with sight impairments. The Smithsonian has a myriad of apps to engage with in museums and in the natural world to learn more about our surroundings.
Please leave a comment about what your opinion is about phones in museums. Also, if you know of an app that I did not mention, please note it.