On April 8th I had the pleasure of interviewing Catherine White who is the Assistant Manager of Education and Programming at the International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago. An undergraduate of Connecticut College with an MA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Catherine has worked in various museums in China and…
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Melanie Bowyer, Manager of Digital Media and Strategy at Monticello
Melanie’s background was not initially in museum work, but actually in psychology and medieval history. She received her undergrad from the University of Carolina Chapel Hill and her Masters in Education and Instructional Technology from the University of Virginia. She explains how when she received her undergraduate she didn’t necessarily have a plan of what…
Rachel Ropeik, The Value of Staying Out of the Box, Freelance Museum Adventurer
Rachel Ropeik is a museum educator and museum adventurer who brings thoughtful, playful, and progressive approaches to engaging people with art. (rachelropeik.com) Experienced and sought after museum professional in many facets, Rachel has worked for the Guggenheim Museum, Brooklyn Museum, MoMA, the Met, Dulwich Picture Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery in London, Smarthistory?the Khan Academy online….
Dr. Mike Murawski, Former Director of Education and Public Programs, Portland Art Museum
Dr. Mike Murawski is currently an independent consultant, author, nature-lover, and change leader. He is a co-producer of #MuseumsAreNotNeutral, a global advocacy campaign calling for equity-based transformation across museums and arts & culture non-profits. He has also worked since 2011 as the Founding Editor of ArtMuseumTeaching.com, a forum dedicated to reflecting on critical issues facing…
Jessica Burger, Manager of Marketing, Communication, and Technology at the George Washington Foundation, Historic Kenmore Plantation and George Washington’s Ferry Farm
Miss Jessica Burger took a “circuitous route” to her current position as Manager of Marketing, Communication, and Technology at the George Washington Foundation (Historic Kenmore Plantation and George Washington’s Ferry Farm) and ultimately a career in museums. She initially earned a bachelor’s degree in Production studies in the performing arts, focusing on theatre. She continued…
Maggie Bell, Assistant Curator, Norton Simon Museum
Maggie’s area of scholarship centers upon the early modern period in Italy with a focus on the role of visual imagery in activating an empathic response. She has explored the relationship between viewer and sacred art through haptic engagement and considered how the introduction of vetriate glass partitions in the early 16thcentury had bearing upon this…
Nate DiMeo, The Memory Palace creator, former Artist-in-Residence at the Met
Nate DiMeo is the host and jack-of-all-trades creator of a podcast called The Memory Palace, which he started in 2008. Each episode runs anywhere from five to 15 minutes long, and features an eclectic array of historical narratives. DiMeo describes his show as “epiphany-driven,” adding that his story choices are “very much led by my…
Erin Armstrong, Vice President Marketing, Communication and Digital Media, The Franklin Institute
With decades of experience, Erin Armstrong is an established marketing professional. However, working in the non-profit sector is a relatively new chapter in her career. After studying Marketing and Advertising in college, she worked for agencies in New York and Philadelphia for over 20 years before shifting towards museums. “I never really thought I could…
Michelle Harrell, Director of Education, North Carolina Museum of Art
Michelle Harrell has an extensive background in utilizing digital solutions for arts education and brings her experience to her home state of North Carolina. Michelle co-created the Flipped Museum model for learning as a way to improve the educational value of a visit to the North Carolina Museum of Art. This learning model was intended…
Sarah Banks, Media Manager, Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum
During the interview we discussed several details of her career and job at the Smithsonian. She went for her undergraduate degree at Haverford and went for her master’s in museum studies at the University of Leicester. She became an intern at the Smithsonian Institution, Museum of Natural History after graduate school. From there she grew…
Hollis Mickey, Chief Learning & Access Officer, Anchorage Museum
Hollis Mickey is the current Chief Learning and Access Officer at the Anchorage Museum, Art Professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and editor of Edible Magazine. The term “powerhouse” does not scratch the surface when it comes to Hollis Mickey’s endeavors. As a museum professional, Hollis is an advocate and equality-focused. Since the pandemic,…
Jane Alexander, Chief Digital Information Officer, The Cleveland Museum of Art
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jane Alexander, Chief Digital Information Officer of the Cleveland Museum of Art. You may know the CMA from its renowned and innovative digital projects both on-site and online. Some of the most well-known are Artlens, and Open Access, both of which create ways to make the museum’s catalog…
Aaisha Haykal, Manager of Archival Services, Avery Research Center of African American History and Culture
Aaisha Haykal, Archival Manager at Avery Research Center of African American History and Culture, has known from childhood that she wanted to work in a library. In her current position, she handles acquirement’s, public programming and supervising student workers (graduate students). Although she has only been at this institution for two years, she has implemented…
Sarah Reck, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, The Heinz History Center
Sarah Reck is the Senior Digital Marketing Manager at The Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, PA. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Sarah about her work at The History Center. The History Center, as it is commonly known, has been a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate since 2000 and includes the Heinz…
Chris Cummings, Founder & CEO, Pass It Down
Pass It Down is an award-winning digital storytelling platform licensed to cities, libraries, and museums to create a way to collect, preserve, and showcase their stories and archives. It’s an all-in-one platform giving clients the ability to showcase their stories across any phone, tablet, computer, or kiosk to create interactive exhibits and experiences for their…
Marty Spellerberg, Founder, Spellerberg Associates and Spellerberg Projects
I had the pleasure of interviewing Marty Spellerberg, founder and independent designer/developer of digital projects at Spellerberg Associates. Spellerberg also owns Spellerberg Projects, an art gallery based out of Lockhart, Texas. Spellerberg Associates is a consulting firm that works specifically with museums, artists and artist collectives, and cultural organizations. Mr. Spellerberg, originally hails from Toronto,…
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…
Sheila A. Brennan, Digital Public Historian and Program Officer
Omeka is an open source content management system for sharing digital collections and online exhibits developed by the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. During her tenure (2005-2018), Sheila Brennan and her team helped people become active participants in defining and shaping their own stories, to create more inclusive…
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…
Kati Price, Head of the Digital Media Department, Victoria and Albert Museum
I had the pleasure of interviewing Kati Price, the Head of Digital Media at Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Kati oversees all digital activity, from the museum’s websites, apps and social media to developing new digital products, services and experiences. Kati’s 18 years’ experience in the design industry spans both the commercial and the…
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…
Chris Michaels, Digital Director, The National Gallery, London
Chris Michaels, Digital Director at the National Gallery, discusses digital as an integral part of a museum’s broader strategy and vision, and explains how technology can help connect visitors to the museum objects they encounter in meaningful ways. Acknowledging that there is no perfect map for museum digital strategy, he shares his belief in embedding…
Catherine Shteynberg, Head of Web & Media, McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture
Catherine “Cat” Shteynberg is the Assistant Director, Curator of Arts & Culture Collections, and Head of Web & Media at the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture in Knoxville, Tennessee. During our conversation on October 19, 2017, many of the topics we discussed returned to two themes: audience research and prioritizing resources. Ms. Shteynberg…
Renae Mason, Senior Digital Producer, Gallagher & Associates
Navigating the rough surf of museums in the digital age means not just understanding the guiding principles of user-centered design, but also being able to anticipate the next digital curve for which precedents do not exist. With undergraduate degrees in Anthropology and Communications and a masters in New Media Arts and Production, Australia native Renae…
Lyndsay Kibiloski, Digital Media Specialist, Mint Museum of Art
Lyndsay Kibilosky is the digital media specialist at The Mint Museum of Art, located in Charlotte, NC. Lyndsay shares her experiences The Mint and her transition from graphic design into web content development. Some important tips are discussed regarding what people interested in going into the field can do now to go into it. While…
Mara Kurlandsky, Project Coordinator for Digital Engagement at National Museum of Women in the Arts
In my interview with Mara Kurlandsky, we talked all things digital from NMWA’s website to the social media campaigns she was responsible for that included #5WomenArtists and #dayoffacts. She provided some great insight and lessons/tips that I plan to utilize as I continue to develop my own web project. After inquiring how she got involved…
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…
Lowell Robinson, Director of Digital Experience Lab, Exploratorium
On October 16 I interviewed Lowell Robinson, Director of the Digital Experience Lab at the Exploratorium in San Fransisco. During the interview, Mr. Robinson informed told me about his background in digital media, in particular abstract cinema. This is different than the “usual” fine arts background which other museum professionals have, yet it has helped…
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…
Kristine Brunsman, Program Assistant at Heritage & Historic Preservation, National Park Service
Introduction to Kristine: Kristine Brunsman has worked in some capacity with the National Park Service since 2010. Currently Kristine is in a permanent position through the Heritage and Historic Preservation division of the National Park Service and is based out of the WASO (Washington DC) office. Considering the competitive nature of the National Park Service,…
Jim Breitinger, Director of Marketing, Natural History Museum of Utah
A little about Jim Jim Breitinger was an early blogger- he first started by creating emails with stories and pictures that he would send out to friends and family. The positive feedback from these emails fueled his interest in telling stories through the new digital media and soon after started a blog. After finishing a…
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…
Stephanie Seacord, Director of Marketing, Strawbery Banke Museum
How can social media benefit a small museum? The moment I stepped foot onto the tranquil 12-acre campus of the Strawbery Banke Museum (SBM), located in Portsmouth, NH, thoughts of ROI, social media algorithms and hashtags floated away into a far away, advanced century. This living museum is not a reproduction. It’s an actual neighborhood of…
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…
Kerry Burns & Marcie Gordon, Social Media & Marketing Managers at North Carolina Museum of History
In this interview, I spoke with Marcie Gordon and Kerry Burns from the North Carolina Museum of History (NCMOH) in Raleigh, NC. NCMOH is a Smithsonian Affiliate and non-profit museum run by the State of North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. It is dedicated to preserving North Carolina’s history and telling the story…
Paul Morando, Director, U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum
The US Army Museum system faces many unique challenges when it comes to creating a web presence. The system consists of 178 different museums and historical holdings around the world and consists of an estimated 600,000 artifacts. The museum division falls under the Center for Military History and is headquartered in Washington D.C. with their…
Jon Voss, Strategic Partnerships Director, Historypin
Jon Voss is the Strategic Partnerships Director at Shift Design, mainly working on the project, Historypin. He is responsible for U.S. fundraising initiatives, and client/community development, as well as managing the U.S. based Historypin projects and community officers. He is also co-founder of the International Linked Open Data in Libraries, Archives, and Museum Summit, which…
Jeffrey Inscho, Creative Technologist, Innovation Studio
Jeffrey Inscho is a creative technologist based in Pittsburgh, PA. He currently leads emerging media initiatives at the Innovation Studio, the research, design, and development laboratory at Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. His professional work lives at the intersection of technology, cultural narrative and interaction. Our interview focused on his work on the Warhol Museum’s digital strategy,…
Sarah Lumbard, Digital Curator, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Sarah Lumbard is the Digital Curator at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) and has been in her position for about a year. She leads the digital vision, strategy, and operations for the museum. Prior to joining the USHMM, Sarah worked at NPR for nearly five years leading the news giant in content strategy. While…
Dana Mitroff Silvers, Design Thinking and Web Strategy Consultant
Dana Mitroff Silvers is the founder and director of Designing Insights, a consulting firm specializing in design thinking and web strategy. Having previously led the website redesign project at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, a project which has greatly influenced her current work, she is now a design thinking facilitator and web…
Joshua Jeffery, Experience Center Lead at Google and Founder of Evil Genius Designs
Joshua Jeffery is the former Manager of Digital Engagement at the Andy Warhol Museum. Recently, he made a leap to the for-profit world, accepting a position at Google as an Experience Center Lead where he is incorporating his past work with museums and theater (and his love of roller coasters) to design engaging visitor experiences. In his interview,…
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…
Stephanie Pau, Content Producer for Mobile Media, SFMOMA
Stephanie Pau, currently Content Producer for Mobile Interpretive Media at SFMOMA, spoke with us about her career path, the importance of audience research and evaluation, digital trends, and the role mobile media will play in the new SFMOMA, set to re-open in 2016. Prior to rejoining SFMOMA in September, Stephanie spent 4 years as the…
Layla Masri, President, Bean Creative
Layla Masri is president of the interactive design firm Bean Creative. Layla spoke with us about usability, interactives, and developing web projects for multiple types of users and devices. Though it may seem like a career change, Layla describes how her experiences in marketing and journalism have helped her in creating successful web components and…
John Stack, Head of Digital Transformation, and Elena Villaespesa, Digital Analyst, Tate
John Stack is Head of Digital Transformation and Elena Villaespesa is Digital Analyst at the Tate. John and Elena spoke with us about digital strategy and evaluation in museums. During this conversation we focused on the TATE Digital Strategy 2013-2015 and measuring tools used to ensure that the Strategy is accomplishing the established goals….
Loic Tallon, Senior Mobile Producer, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Loic Tallon is Senior Mobile Producer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Chair of the Museums & Mobile Online Conference. He spoke with us about mobile strategies for museums and gave suggestions on how to create successful museum apps. Loic is an art historian by training, but became obsessed with audio guides…
Rebecca Federman, Electronic Resources Coordinator and Culinary Collections Librarian, New York Public Library
Rebecca is co-curator of the “What’s On the Menu?” project, a website that invites audiences to transcribe the New York Public Library’s menu collection and build a seriously awesome culinary resource. Rebecca spoke with us about crowdsourcing and described the many ways visitors use the website called “What’s On the Menu?” Rebecca has always…
Lori Byrd Phillips, Digital Marketing Coordinator, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
Lori Byrd Phillips is the Digital Marketing Coordinator and Wikipedian-in-Residence at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. She is also highly involved in the GLAM-Wiki initiative, an international group of Wikipedians who assist cultural institutions in collaborating with Wikipedia in order to share multimedia content and cultural expertise. Lori talked with us about open authority, Wikipedia…
Peter Gorgels, Internet Manager, Rijksmuseum
Peter Gorgels is responsible for the major redesign of the Rijksmuseum website, which coincided with the museum’s reopening after extensive renovations. Peter talked with us about the website’s role in opening up access to collections and marketing the museum, and how people are (and aren’t) engaging with the thousands of hi-res images that are now…