Danny Birchall, Digital Content Manager, Wellcome Collection

The Wellcome Collection is a free museums and library that combines science, medicine, life, and art.  Danny Birchall is the Digital Content Manager.  He is responsible for games, social media, and web presence of the institution. Having a strong interest in digital interactive experiences, especially in a web setting, it was a special treat for…

Sarah Wambold, Director of Digital Media at Clyfford Still Museum

The Clyfford Still Museum is located in Denver, Colorado and houses the collection of American Abstract Expressionist painter Clyfford Still. Sarah Wambold serves as the museum’s Director of Digital Media. Sarah spoke to me about the challenges and opportunities of working at a small museum with a singular focus. One of Sarah’s main tasks is…

Drew Mandinach, Social Content Manager, UCLA Anderson School of Management

Drew Mandinach is the Social Content Manager at UCLA Anderson School of Management, and was formerly the Video Production Manager at Balboa Park Online Collaborative, where he produced collaborative video content and helped manage social media engagement. Throughout our conversation, Drew stressed the power of collaboration and the importance of leveraging social media platforms to…

Kristin Prestegaard, Chief Engagement Officer, Minneapolis Institute of Art

I had a great time talking with Kristin Prestegaard about how museums can best engage their audiences in a contemporary setting. As Chief engagement officer for the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) she is a leader in devising strategies that open the doors to increased audience engagement and participation. Our discussion centered around the use…

Erin Blasco, Blog and Social Media Manager, National Museum of American History

During our conversation, Erin Blasco reveals how to model behavior for digital engagement and provides valuable insight into managing a Kickstarter’s social media campaign.  Erin collaborates with staff across departments to manage the National Museum of American History’s entire social media presence. She relies on the knowledge of subject area specialists like curators to help…

W. Ryan Dodge, Digital Engagement Coordinator, Royal Ontario Museum

Speaking with W. Ryan Dodge was an inspirational experience. His passion for engaging communities through meaning-filled interaction is evident and contagious! In this interview, we focused on some key areas including the importance of user generated content, social media strategy and increasing digital capacity throughout the museum. Mr. Dodge is also the Digital Content and Community…

Lucy Redoglia, Former Social Media Manager, LACMA

In my interview with Lucy Redoglia, we spoke of all things social, the importance of varied content across social channels, and the need for innovative thinking when museums approach their digital strategy. Ms. Redoglia, the former Social Media Manager for LACMA and a vet of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, spoke eloquently about how lucky…

Sarah Banks, Manager of Online Engagement, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

Sarah Banks is the Manager of Online Engagement at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Sarah has a fascinating background that led her in a round-about way to this position. As an undergraduate at Haverford College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania she majored in comparative religion and Judaism graduating in 2005 with her Bachelor’s…

April Kirk, Executive Director, Historic Stranahan House Museum

Interviewing April Kirk was an interesting experience. April Kirk is the Executive Director at the Historic Stranahan House Museum but that’s not the only hat she wears. The Historic Stranahan House Museum is a non-profit that employs 7 employees, three of which are full time and four of which are part time. The employees range…

Robbie Sexton, Social Media Manager, Art Institute of Chicago

Robbie Sexton is the social media manager and content designer at the Art Institute of Chicago. He began working there almost 6 years ago as a content editor on the blog and has worked his way up to be the sole person in charge of the Art Institute’s social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blog,…

Rebecca Aloisi, Vice President for Marketing, George Washington’s Mount Vernon

I interviewed Rebecca Aloisi, Vice President for Marketing at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Rebecca recently received recognition for five years of service to Mount Vernon. Rebecca earned her Bachelor degree in Spanish and Linguistics before achieving her Master’s in Marketing. While she recognizes and stated that her undergrad did not have anything to do with…

Helen Wahle, Former Social Media Manager, Museum of Tolerance

  The person that I interviewed for my guests expert interview was Helen Wahle. After graduating with a journalism degree from Indiana University, Helen served as the social media intern for several non-profits. She eventually was hired by the Museum of Tolerance as their Social Media Manager, helping to build their social media platform. She…

Jenn Lyon, Community Manager, Colonial Williamsburg

Jenn Lyon is the current Community Manager for the social media team at Colonial Williamsburg. She  describes her background as different than most in social media since she had a PhD in American History from the University of Florida. She has previous experience working in the museum field through internships at Monticello and the National…

Catherine Mastrangelo, Marketing and Communications Manager, Montclair Art Museum

For my guest expert interview, I spoke with Catherine Mastrangelo, the Marketing and Communications Manager for the Montclair Art Museum in Montclair, New Jersey. An aspect of the interview that I found fascinating was what prompted the creation of MAM’s social media accounts. In 2009, MAM hosted an exhibition called Cezanne and American Modernism. This…

Afua Anokwa, Marketing Communications Manager, The International Spy Museum

(Please disregard from 19:00 to 23:40 due to a power outage in my area. The interview resumes at 23:40) Afua Anokwa (Agent Double A) has been the Marketing Communications Manager at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC since 2012 and is responsible for all internal communications, eBlasts, partnership coordination, and, since 2014, the Spy…

Tim Spindle, Digital Librarian, Metropolitan Library System

For my interview I chose to interview Tim Spindle who is the Digital Librarian for the Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma City. Tim started out working at an IT help desk and hated it. Some friends of his who were librarians suggested that he might be a good fit for libraries in that he could…

Annelisa Stephan, Manager For Digital Engagement, The J. Paul Getty

Annelisa Stephan’s Bio My interview was with Annelisa Stephan of The Getty in L.A. California. Stephan has been at the Getty since 2004, where she has held numerous jobs writing and crafting stories for the Gettys social media. In 2014 she became the Getty’s Manager for Digital Engagement. In her new position she has taken…

Amy Fox, Social Media Content Manager, Smithsonian American Art Museum

In this interview, Amy Fox, Social Media Content Manager for the American Art Museum (SAAM) and Renwick Gallery, discusses the ins and outs of her daily social media routines. She breaks down her strategies for planning intriguing content and the best practices for user engagement. Her methods make looking at art a fun experience! SAAM…

Jane Alexander, Director of Information Management and Technology for CMA

As Director of Information Management and Technology Services for the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), Jane Alexander was one of the driving forces behind the uber successful Gallery One project and ArtLens mobile app.  Both of these efforts have transformed the CMA into one of the most engaging cultural institutions around the world.  We were…

Shana Crosson, Web Content Manager, Minnesota Historical Society

  Shana Crosson is the Web Content Manager and Technology Integration Specialist at the Minnesota Historical Society and has been for the last six years.  Currently her job revolves around preparing the Minnesota Historical Society for the digital delivery of K-12 content.  Shana is currently in revisions for a digital text book for use in…

Sarah Toplis, Commissioning Editor, Tate Collectives

As Commissioning Editor for Tate Collectives, Sarah manages and develops the digital strategy and ongoing schedule of digital projects for younger audiences at Tate. Tate Collectives is a youth art initiative run by and for young creatives, giving everyone the opportunity to reach their own conclusions about art. We spoke with Sarah about the importance…

Nancy Proctor, Head of Mobile, Smithsonian Institution

Nancy Proctor heads up mobile strategy and initiatives for the Smithsonian Institution, and is co-chair of the Museums and the Web annual conference. From 2008-2010 she was Head of New Media at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Nancy served as program chair for the Museums Computer Network (MCN) conference 2010-2011, and co-organizes the Tate Handheld conference among other gatherings for cultural…

Matthew Fisher, President, Interactive Designer, Night Kitchen Interactive

Matthew Fisher is the President and Co-Founder of Night Kitchen Interactive, which produces educational interactives, social media solutions, marketing communications, interpretive installations, and online exhibits for museums. The company uses kiosks, touch-tables, mobile apps and websites to combine the vital storytelling functions of both picture and word. We asked Matthew about his experiences facilitating participation…

Paul Marty, Associate Professor, Florida State University

Paul Marty is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Library and Information Studies at the College of Communication and Information at Florida State University. He has researched and written extensively on museum informatics, website usability and how people use information. He was also the Director of Information Technology at the Spurlock Museum in…

Diya Vij and David Strauss, Queens Museum of Art

We had an interview with David Strauss, Director of External Affairs and Diya Vij, Designer and New Media Specialist of the Queens Museum of Art (QMA). The following includes a few key points that I found particularly helpful in regard to using social media for marketing and fundraising. Serving a diverse audience Queens, New York…

David Schaller, Founder and Principal, Eduweb.com

On Tuesday, October 4, 2011, we interviewed David Schaller, and asked him about a variety of topics related to educational game play and interactive design. David Schaller is the founder and principal of Eduweb.com, an educational digital learning game design firm based out of St. Paul, Minnesota. Since the company’s founding in 1996, Eduweb has…

Bart Marable, Owner and Designer, Terra Incognita

Bart Marable is an interactive designer that works independently with a variety of teams. He is currently the owner of his own company, Terra Incognita. For years he has been working with interactives since his years as a student. Intending to teach, he actually ended up becoming an interactive designer and pursued his creative outlet….

Lowell Robinson, Director of Online Engagement, Exploratorium

Our first guest expert interview focused on the topic of online audiences in museums. Lowell Robinson is an award winning designer, technologist and filmmaker. He is the Director of Online Engagement at the Exploratorium, where he leads a digital group focused on exploring online and mobile experiences. Lowell has experimented in the areas of networked…