In the age of coronavirus (COVID-19), museums are facing unprecedented difficulties and uncertainty. In the past weeks, three-quarters of museums have shut down, starting with behemoths like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and the Smithsonian’s museums. While these indefinite closures are presenting challenges, museum professionals have acted rapidly and creatively to keep their audiences engaged remotely.
Webinar Highlights: How to Keep Your Audience Engaged, Entertained, and Inspired in the Age of Coronavirus
In light of the rapid spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and social distancing recommendations from public health officials, many visitor-serving cultural organizations have made the decision to temporarily close their doors to the public. As a result, these organizations face great uncertainty about what the next days and weeks hold for them during this unusual time.
This past Wednesday, over 3,000 people from the global museum community, joined Cuseum's Brendan Ciecko, with special guests Seema Rao (Deputy Director & Chief Experience Officer @ Akron Art Museum), and Scott Stulen (Director & President @ Philbrook Museum of Art), to discuss steps cultural organizations can take to engage their audiences digitally and continue their important work as trusted community resources during this public health and economic crisis, even when physical sites remain in lockdown.
How Museums and Attractions are Preparing and Responding to Coronavirus
Museums are beginning to be affected by the fear and precautions taken in light of the spreading coronavirus. Across Asia and Europe, cultural organizations and tourist destinations are closing down to visitors. While this is taking its toll on the cultural sector, several museums have begun to devise creative strategies to make their collections and exhibitions available to the public through digital and virtual tools.
Cuseum’s 2019 Year in Review
It’s been an extraordinary year at Cuseum, and we are filled with momentum as we head towards 2020. Between new partnerships, exciting additions to the Cuseum family, launching our third product, and sharing our vision all around the globe, 2019 marks the best year in our company's history.
Museopreneur: How Museums are Leaping into New Business Models with Entrepreneurial Spirit
Spotlight on Charlie Fink’s new book Convergence: How The World Will Be Painted With Data
Charlie Fink, foremost expert on Augmented Reality best known for his Forbes column, has just released his new book Convergence: How The World Will Be Painted With Data, where Cuseum’s founder Brendan Ciecko was featured within the “AR in Museums” chapter.
Headed to AMMC? Here are 8 Awesome Things to do in Pittsburgh
As we countdown the weeks leading to the American Museum Membership Conference, we’ve assembled our list of a few top picks, eats, and sights in Pittsburgh! In order to bridge every possible interest, in the “city of bridges”, we’ve put together a fun list of local food, museums and cultural institutions that you won’t be able to find anywhere else!
It’s 2019, is Pokémon Go Still Relevant?
Back in July of 2016, Pokémon GO launched in the United States and became an overnight sensation. The augmented reality app, available on iOS and Android, gained nearly 21 million US users within the first two weeks of its launch and about 147 million users today making it one of the most popular apps ever.
Top Technology Trends for 2019: What it means for Museums & Nonprofits
Technology is rapidly evolving the operations of museums and nonprofits. Now more than ever organizations must keep abreast of the technologies irrevocably changing the way they interact with visitors and administer services. Gartner, the global research and advisory firm, recently predicted the 2019 trends that will accelerate technological progress in years to come. This post examines which trends track with advancements in the museum and nonprofit sectors, providing a prescient glimpse into what the future may hold.
Cuseum’s 2018 Year in Review
It has been a spectacular year for Cuseum and there is a ton to be excited about heading into the new year. 2018 was full of growth, unforgettable happenings, and new additions to the Cuseum family. We’ve never been more excited about what’s been happening in the world of museums, public attractions, and cultural nonprofits. Thank you for being a part of this journey!
Using Technology to Enhance Historical Narratives
Today more than ever, technology is redefining the way we interact with historical narratives. What is technology’s role in historic preservation? And how can it boost awareness of historic preservation and architectural heritage? How can we leverage new digital channels to engage broader audiences and promote a deeper interest in preserving the past?
The Impact of TripAdvisor & Yelp on Cultural Attractions
Word travels fast. And, in our modern, connected world, this is more apparent than ever. With the popularization of websites such as TripAdvisor and Yelp, online reviews have become a way for consumers to share their thoughts on places and businesses and to make sure they have the best experiences possible. These review websites can be just as valuable for museums and cultural attractions as they are for restaurants and hotels.
Pérez Art Museum Miami & Felice Grodin Unveil New Augmented Reality Artwork Presented at UNTITLED Art Fair in Miami Beach
Congratulations to our partner, the Perez Art Museum Miami and artist Felice Grodin on the special release of their latest Augmented Reality-based art installation at UNTITLED. The new AR artwork is unveiled today just in time for Miami Art Week one of the biggest events in the art world each year. The new work, “Mezzbug (offspring 3.0),” is an offshoot of the “Invasive Species” exhibition by Felice Grodin, which opened last year.
Cuseum & Johns Hopkins’ Museum Studies Program Reunite in Boston
The Museum Studies Program at Johns Hopkins University proves that hands-on experiences are the best way to learn. Graduate students recently collaborated with Cuseum to delve into the world of digital media in museums.
How the Denver Art Museum Used Their Mobile App to Create Accessible Experiences for Visitors
There are many ways that museums and cultural institutions can use technology to make their visitor experience both engaging and accessible to all ages and abilities. While many institutions have made accessibility a priority, a leading voice in this movement is the Denver Art Museum. While the museum offers many excellent programs to support visitors of all ages and abilities, through the creation of a Cuseum-powered mobile app, the museum made great strides in assisting visitors with vision and hearing impairments.
Cuseum Featured in TechRadar for Helping Cultural Sector Embrace Mobile Technology
Attack of the 100-Year Old Startup
At first glance, museums and startups may not seem to have an overwhelming amount in common. The majority of museums are not-for-profit, mission-driven institutions and operate in a different realm than the high-growth (and high risk) enterprises of Silicon Valley. Over the last few years, however, I’ve noticed something very interesting happening in the museum space.
How Museums are Leveraging GIFs & Giphy to Boost Audience Engagement
From dancing dogs to pop culture references, GIFs have added another element of fun to how we communicate in the digital age. Animated GIFs are like short, sweet, videos or digital flipbooks that allow images to come to life on your screen. While GIFs have been around since 1987 (they’re over 30 years old, and also known as “graphics interchange format”) they didn’t rise to mainstream popularity until the late 2000’s. Since their new rise to fame and everyday use, GIFs have not only redefined how we communicate over social networks, email, and SMS, but they have also presented themselves as a new tool to engage and educate audiences in the museum realm. This has led museums and cultural institutions to embrace GIFs as a way to bring their collections to life and engage younger, digital-centric audiences.
5 Creative & Innovative Experiments in Museum Membership
When most people think of innovation, their minds automatically wander to technology. While technology does undeniably play a large role in how museums drive innovation, there are also many other ways institutions can make strides in creative and experimental ways. Looking towards membership, this aspect of museums has remained fairly inline in what it has been for the past few decades. But, as the demographics and expectations of the population continue to evolve, museums must search for ways to experiment and break away from the traditional models.
Infographic: Results from Augmented Reality Museum Visitor Impact Survey
At Cuseum, we’re deeply interested in how new technology and approaches impact the multitude of ways museums and cultural attractions interact and engage with their visitors. Over the past few years, we’ve watched many changes redefine how organizations think about digital engagement and the general expectations and behaviors of their visitors.