Politics???

If you have watched TV or listened to the radio in the last few months, you have heard a political ad or two.

Many of us see these ads and think about how the upcoming election will effect the arts. What will happen to the funding for museums, school arts programs, and much more. I do not have the answers but I try to keep these issues in mind whenever I consider my political choices... but here's my problem. Most of the ads I see don"t say anything good. The ads for both sides seem to be more concerned with telling the bad things about the other guy rather than telling me what I need to know to make an informed decision on the issues.

Being a history buff, I started wondering when this type of ad became the norm. How long have the attack ads been used? I started to research attack ads and found that these ads have been used for almost as long as we have had political parties in this country. As I researched, I found that many of the stories I read mentioned a single ad that ran in 1964. The "Daisy Ad" from the 64 presidential race seems to be the most influential attack ad of the modern era.

The ad was incendiary and was only aired once during the campaign. Since it aired it has been referenced by politicos, comedians, sit-coms, history shows, and even in "Return of the Living Dead." It has been included in museum exhibitions and political lectures, and now you can see it from YouTube below.

It appears that these ads are here to stay. I would rather they became part of history.





~ Joe

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Can YouTube Help Promote Your Museum?

YouTube is being used by everyone today... well, almost everyone.

Most people will look at a picture of your museum before they read an advertisement. My personal, unscientific, research tells me that most people will watch a 1 minute video before they will read a one sentence description of almost anything. SO WHAT?  What does this mean for you?

People are fascinated by video and this is something from which any promoter can benefit. Video has proven itself to be the most viral way to promote anything. You can lead prospects to your video from every other media you use. Videos can be posted and linked from Facebook, Twitter, your website, by QR codes and mentioned in any piece of print media. It is the easiest way to own internet real estate. It is not only having your information seen, but having it consumed that matters. Video is a great way to occupy high quality online real estate that will be consumed and remembered more than any other media available.

It is also a tremendous way to enhance your SEO. Google owns YouTube and they spider and index YouTube videos regularly. If you use good keywords, you could actually hit the front page of Google within 24 hours of posting your YouTube video. Don't waste any time, start today. Just remember to provide real value, and don't be pretentious.

Take a look at the video below to see how MoMA NY has used video with the City Pass system to promote the museum along with a plug for the City Pass system.





~ Joe

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The LeMay ~ America's Car Museum

Harold and Nancy LeMay collected cars. If it was made by Ford or Leland they wanted one.

At one time their collection exceeded 3000 automobiles, and Guinness recognized their collection as the world's largest.

The LeMay recently opened just south of Seattle and is well worth a visit.

 

While you are in cyberspace, please take a look at my new Museum News. It is digital and it comes daily.

Go ahead and subscribe to see a new collection of posts, videos, pictures and articles about the museum industry, everyday.  Please take a look and let me know what you think.

~Museum News~

~ Joe

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Your Favorite Art Gallery - Street View Style.

I'm a history buff. I love taking the time to walk through a history museum and see everything it has to offer.  I also love taking the time in an art museum. I'm lucky because I live near many of the greatest museums in the world. I'm a short drive to most of the Smithsonian Museums, The National Gallery of Art, The Corcoran, and the list goes on. Not everyone can access a major museum much less many museums, or can they?

The Google Art  Project has made it possible to browse the art galleries you would never have the time or the budget to see... Street View Style. The Tekzilla Daily video below has the details for you.

Try it out and let me know what you think.

~ Joe

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YouTube 101

Well, I've been back from the AAM conference in Minneapolis for a week now. Like many of you, I am just beginning to catch up on my work. I must say that it was worth the trip.  I made many new friends at the MuseumExpo and saw many of my old friends there as well.

As I searched for comments on the conference I ran across the DixieLeighBlog and a video from the "YouTube 101" session. Take a look at the video, it is worth the time if you have an interest in making YouTube work for you and your museum.




Next years conference will be in my back yard in Baltimore. Looking forward to introducing everyone to the Inner Harbor and the best crab dishes ever.

~ Joe

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2012 AAM Virtual Conference

Have you attended a virtual conference? They are the next best thing to being there!

Many of us will be headed to Minneapolis at the end of the month to attend the annual AAM Conference, but what about our colleagues who cannot take the time or don't have the budget to attend? Well, there is an app for that, not really but I couldn't resist using that line. For the last few years AAM has hosted a virtual conference for those of us unable to make it to the physical venue. Taking place completely on-line and webcast live from Minneapolis.

Now, wherever you are, there you are (again, couldn't resist.) The virtual conference will feature speakers that will share insights from their own experience, and facilitate discussions with a community of participants. The virtual conference is produced by LearningTimes who is known worldwide for the richness of content that their programs provide, as well as their warm and human sensibility.

The virtual conference doesn't let you attend the shippers party or visit any of the local museums, but it provides the opportunity to participate in some of the programs. After all, isn't that why we go?

For more information, program listings and the opportunity to register for the 2012 sessions click on the link below.

AAM 2012 Virtual Conference


~ Joe

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Last Week ground was broken for the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. The museum is scheduled to open in 2015.

This video gives a "fly-through" view of the museum as it starts to become a reality.




~ Joe

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Does LA give you an "all over" feeling?

LACMA Director Michael Govan believes that Los Angeles does not have the landmarks that distinguish some other major cities like Paris, Rome and  New York.  Because of this it has an "All Over" feeling that is captured in American contemporary artist Chris Burden's latest installation "Metropolis ll."

Burden has lived in Los Angeles since the 1960s and the city has inspired much of his work. "Metropolis ll" is a complex kinetic sculpture modeled on a fast paced city of the future.  The sculpture has a steel frame integrated with a system of roads, train tracks, and buildings.  The equivalent of 100,000 cars per hour buzz the 18 different roads  which produces a ambient background noise that creates a mild tension while you are viewing the piece.


The artist says this about the piece, "part of being satisfied as an individual, in life, is feeling that you have some control over a situation, and here, you're godlike because you go upstairs and you look down on it, and this thing is contained. And even though the noise level and the activity give you a sense of anxiety, you know you're safe here, and you feel godlike in being able to sort of observe from above, and enjoy the activity without being fully immersed in it."


Metropolis ll is now on permanent display at LACMA.


Preview the exhibit in this video.

~ Joe

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