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The relevant art museum: views on the role of a 21st century museum

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The relevant art museum: views on the role of a 21st century museum

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Content

The
Relevant
Art
Museum:
Views
on
the
role
of
a
21st
century
museum

by

Saara
Helena
Liikanen-‐Renger

_____________________________________________________________________

A
Thesis
Presented
to
the

FACULTY
OF
USC
GRADUATE
SCHOOL

UNIVERSITY
OF
SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA

In
Partial
Fulfillment
of
the

Requirements
for
the
Degree

MASTER
OF
ARTS

(SPECIALIZED
JOURNALISM)

May
2013

Copyright
2013

Saara
Helena
Liikanen-‐Renger

ii

Acknowledgements

I
want
to
thank
the
Helsingin
Sanomat
Foundation
for
the
wonderful
opportunity
to
take

part
in
the
Specialized
Journalism
Program
(M.A.)
at
USC
Annenberg.

I
also
want
recognize
professors
Sasha
Anawalt
and
Dr.
Selma
Holo,
as
well
as
senior

lecturer
Edward
Lifson
for
introducing
me
to
the
world
of
art
museums
in
Southern

California.
This
experience
is
something
I
will
carry
with
me
the
rest
of
my
life.

iii

Table
of
Contents

Acknowledgements

ii

List
of
Figures

iv

Abstract

v

1)
Introduction

1

2)
Choice
of
medium

4

3)
Interviewees

9

4)
Video
interviews

13

4.1.
Mark
Allen
of
Machine
Project:
it
is
not
critical
to
define
the
right
way
to
use
a
museum
14

4.2
Stephanie
Barron,
curator
of
LACMA:
museums
are
not
shopping
malls

16

4.3.
Susana
Smith
Bautista,
museum
expert:
today's
museumgoers
look
for
experiences

18

4.4.
Architect
Edwin
Chan:
museums
create
opportunities
for
people
to
interact

20

4.5.
Selma
Holo,
museum
director
and
expert:
yoga
is
one
way
to
slow
a
museum
visitor
down

22

4.6.
Holly
Jerger
of
Craft
and
Folk
Art
Museum:
exhibitions
are
springboards
for
workshops

25

4.7.
Nina
Simon,
museum
director
and
expert:
participatory
model
got
us
out
of
financial
crisis

28

4.8.
Architect
Linda
Taalman:
museums
need
a
restaurant,
not
a
fancy
shell

31

4.9.
Peter
Tokofsky
of
Getty:
we
need
to
know
what
the
publics
consider
as
service

34

5)
Conclusion

37

6)
Documentary

40

References

47

Appendix:
Screenshots
of
the
website
on
different
devices

50

iv

List
of
Figures

Figure
1:
Screenshot
of
the
website
“The
Relevant
Art
Museum”

6

Figure
2:
Screenshot
of
the
Pinterest
board
“The
Relevant
Art
Museum”

7

Figure
3:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Mark
Allen

14

Figure
4:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Stephanie
Barron

16

Figure
5:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Susana
Smith
Bautista

18

Figure
6:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Edwin
Chan

20

Figure
7:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Selma
Holo

22

Figure
8:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Holly
Jerger

25

Figure
9:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Nina
Simon

28

Figure
10:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Linda
Taalman

31

Figure
11:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Peter
Tokofsky

34

Figure
12:
Screenshot
of
the
documentary
page

40

v

Abstract

This
thesis
explores
the
role
and
relevance
of
art
museums
in
todays’
society
through

nine
online
video
interviews
with
Californian
museum
directors,
programmers
and
a

curator,
as
well
as,
architects
and
other
experts.

These
videos
live
on
a
website
I
have

created,
The
Relevant
Art
Museum
1
.

My
interest
in
the
subject
of
museum
relevance
began
when
I
moved
from
Finland
to

Los
Angeles
for
ten
months
on
a
fellowship
for
a
Master’s
degree
program
at
USC

Annenberg’s
School
of
Journalism.
In
Finland,
recent
public
debate
had
been
raging
over

whether
or
not
Helsinki
should
acquire
a
Guggenheim
museum.

When
I
landed
in
Los

Angeles
in
August
2012,
the
local
art
world
there,
too,
was
in
turmoil
because
the

Museum
of
Contemporary
Art
(MOCA)
had
just
forced
the
resignation
of
its
long-‐time

chief
curator,
Paul
Schimmel.

Even
though
the
two
discussions
seemed
at
first
worlds

apart,
I
realized
there
were
many
commonalities
-‐-‐one
of
them
being
the
question
of

museums’
“raison
d’être.”

The
relevance
of
a
cultural
institution
is
hard
to
measure,
as
it
means
different
things
for

different
museums
depending
on
their
mission,
audience
and
location.
For
this
project
I

chose
to
look
through
the
lens
of
Southern
California.
California
is
home
for
135,000

arts-‐related
businesses,
organizations
and
institutions
(Americans
for
the
Arts
2012).
In

1

http://www.helenaliikanen.com/museumproject

vi

comparison
to
Finland,
Southern
Californian
museums
experiment
a
lot
with
audience

engagement
and
offer
a
wide
range
of
public
programming
from
yoga
classes
to

concerts
in
order
to
acquire
and
sustain
relevance.
Of
the
nine
interviewees,
most
do

not
view
the
art
in
their
museums
as
a
sufficient
public
program.
Most
believe
that
it
is

their
obligation
as
museums
to
provide
additional
services
surrounding
their
exhibitions

and
permanent
collections
that
contribute
toward
making
their
museums
essential
to

civic
and
public
life.
By
asking
people
to
participate
in
a
variety
of
activities,
California

museums
hope
to
be
effective
institutionally
for
adding
value
to
people’s
lives.

In
alignment
with
the
museums
I
have
covered
in
this
journalism
thesis
project,
I
too

invite
the
audience
to
participate.
Visitors
to
my
website
may
comment
and
share
their

views,
as
well
as
add
to
and
follow
its
Pinterest
board
created
in
collaboration
with
the

existing
Pinterest
users.
The
Internet
and
social
media
extend
the
journalism
story,
and

enhance
the
visit
to
museums
by
collecting
and
sharing
relevant
–
as
well
as
random
-‐-‐

information.

1

1.
Introduction

“Do
you
want
to
paint
with
us
today,”
asked
a
young
lady.
The
NextGen
Boone

Children’s
Gallery
at
the
Los
Angeles
County
Museum
of
Art
was
full
of
children
and

parents
drawing.
I
looked
at
my
10
month-‐old
daughter
and
laughed.
Clearly
she
was

too
young
to
paint,
but
I
already
knew
we
would
be
back.

LACMA’s
Next
Generation
program
is
an
example
of
one
of
many
ways
that
art

museums
today
engage
their
visitors.
Institutions
that
used
to
base
their
existence
on

three
things
-‐-‐
collection,
preservation
and
display
-‐-‐
are
increasingly
providing
services

for
the
public.
Stephen
E.
Weil,
a
museum
philosopher,
described
the
realignment
as

“from
being
about
something
to
being
for
somebody”
(Weil
1999,
170).

It
is
no
longer

enough
for
a
museum
to
hang
art
on
the
walls
or
place
sculptures
in
the
galleries
and

leave
it
at
that,
the
museum
audience
wants
context
and
engagement.

Today’s
art
museums
compete
with
a
vast
number
of
art
and
entertainment
providers.

People
choose
where
to
spend
their
money
and
free
time,
and
if
those
experiences
are

virtual
or
real-‐life.
Museums
must
constantly
update
in
order
to
compete
for
attention

in
contemporary
society’s
24/7
technology-‐driven
landscape
and
retain
relevance.
“A

museum
has
to
be
of
quality
and
speak
to
its
visitors
the
way
that
matters
to
them,”

Selma
Holo,
the
director
of
the
USC
Fisher
Museum
said
in
her
interview
for
this
project

(Holo
2012).

2

Holo
is
not
alone.
The
eight
other
people
interviewed
for
this
thesis
share
her
concern

about
speaking
to
museumgoers
in
ways
that
make
a
difference,
but
not
all
take
the

same
approach.
Some
worry
that
by
letting
audiences
take
the
lead,
the
original

purpose
of
an
art
museum
will
be
forgotten;
others
have
less
trouble
handing
over

space
and
time
in
the
museum
for
extra-‐art
activities.
Here
are
some
of
their
opinions:

Nina
Simon,
for
instance,
is
a
museum
consultant
and
director
for
the
Santa
Cruz

Museum
of
Art
and
History,
who
believes
that
the
only
way
museums
can
connect
with

today’s
public
is
to
ask
it
to
participate.
“When
people
can
actively
participate
with

cultural
institutions,
those
places
become
central
to
cultural
and
community
life,”
she

wrote
in
her
online
book,
“The
Participatory
Museum”
(Simon
2010).
Holly
Jerger,
the

director
of
public
programs
at
the
Craft
and
Folk
Art
Museum
shared
this
position,
and

her
museum
offers
individual
experiences
where
people
use
their
hands:
“Our
goal

would
be
to
offer
everyone
some
sort
of
experience
that
relates
to
their
personal
interest

and
journey”
(Jerger
2012).

But
for
Stephanie
Barron,
the
senior
curator
and
head
of

modern
art
at
the
Los
Angeles
County
Museum
of
Art
(LACMA),
there
are
certain
lines

museums
should
not
cross:
“I
think
museums
are
social
spaces,
but
if
there
is
more

emphasis
on
the
social
space
than
on
the
art,
I
am
not
sure
we
are
very
different
from

The
Grove
2

or
the
shopping
mall”
(Barron
2012).

By
contrast,
Marc
Allen,
the
executive

director
of
Machine
Project,
didn’t
see
any
problem
in
the
rethinking
of
museums
and

2

The
Grove
is
a
shopping
and
entertainment
center
in
Los
Angeles.

3

their
role
in
society.
He
sees
an
experience
in
a
cultural
institution
as
a
constitution
of

many
things.
For
some
it
can
only
serve
as
a
“place
to
eat
pie,”
he
said
in
his
interview

(Allen
2012).

While
the
audience
may
require
art
museums
to
offer
more
experiences
than
before,

the
art
itself
has
gone
through
a
transformation,
too.
The
boundaries
of
today’s
visual

art
are
almost
impossible
to
define.
The
artwork
no
longer
wants
to
stay
on
the
wall

and,
in
recent
years,
dance
and
performance
art
have
become
an
integral
part
of
art

museum
exhibitions
(Rocco
2012).
The
Museum
of
Modern
Art
(MoMA)
has
even

included
video
games
in
its
collections
(Kozinn
2012).

Framing
the
concept
of
relevance
is
complicated.
Art
museums
speak
to
many
different

audiences:
something
that
matters
to
one
can
be
completely
irrelevant
for
another.
An

art
museum
can
also
be
relevant
on
a
personal,
local
and/or
national
level.
A
museum

can
provide
a
relaxing
place
for
one
sole
visitor
or
function
as
a
collector
of
the

memories
for
an
entire
community
or
offer
cultural
experiences
for
international

tourists
or
a
combination
of
all
three.
How
should
relevance
then
be
measured?
Ticket

sales
and
visitor
numbers
don’t
tell
the
whole
story,
even
though
they
are
often
used
to

prove
the
worthiness
of
an
institution
(Koster
2006,
206).

Selma
Holo
and
Mari-‐Tere

Alvarez,
Ph.D.,
suggest
that
every
museum
should
be
able
to
demonstrate
its
own

criteria
of
relevance
in
its
own
disciplines,
whether
it
is
modern
art,
science
or
gardens.

4

“Each
needs
to
be
able
to
provide
evidence
that
the
institution
remains
relevant
to
the

public
and
that
society
will
be
worse
without
it.”
(Holo
and
Álvarez
2009,
38).

Art
museums
can
also
be
seen
as
relevant
pieces
of
architecture,
rescuers
of
entire
cities

or
areas.
The
famous
Bilbao
effect,
in
which
a
single
museum
building
managed
to

revitalize
a
withering
Basque
city,
inspired
the
museum
world
–
and
still
does.

“Bilbao

changed
everything.
Cities
are
still
collecting
museums
as
pieces
of
civic
pride.
People
are

less
interested
in
what
is
inside
the
museum
than
actually
having
a
museum”,
said
Mimi

Zeiger,
an
architecture
writer
and
critic
in
an
interview
(Zeiger
2012).

Architect
Edwin
Chan,
a
former
design
partner
at
Gehry
Partners,
the
designers
of
Bilbao

museum,
sees
that
for
a
museum
to
really
succeed,
you
need
to
have
more
than
a
shell.

“Obviously
the
building
has
a
very
strong
iconic
architectural
presence
and
unfortunately

that
is
the
only
thing
people
talk
about.

I
believe
that
the
building
is
successful
not
only

because
it
is
strong
architecturally
but
also
because
it
has
got
the
content
to
fill
it”
(Chan

2012).

2.
Choice
of
medium

As
participatory
and
open
as
art
museums
want
to
be,
many
are
still
very
strict
about

filming
and
photographing
on
their
premises.
I
encountered
several
problems
during
my

project:
while
one
museum
allowed
audio
recording
but
no
video
equipment,
another

5

let
me
bring
a
video
camera
but
not
a
tripod.

A
third
wasn’t
interested
in
welcoming
me

at
all.
The
explanations
for
these
restrictions
varied
from
copyright
issues
to
possible

insurance
cases.

Dissimilar
stances
on
the
taking
of
pictures
or
videos
in
museums
were
the
recent

subject
of
an
article
in
the
New
York
Times
(Bernstein
2012).
The
article
pointed
to
the

Brooklyn
Museum
as
a
rare
example,
where
permission
to
allow
photography
is

incorporated
in
its
agreements
with
lenders
and
artists.
This
museum
even
encourages

visitors
to
share
photos
on
Flickr.

Nina
Simon
endorsed
the
museum’s
policy
in
the

article.
“Museums
should
prioritize
providing
opportunities
for
visitors
to
engage
in
ways

that
are
familiar
and
comfortable
to
them
—
and
that
means
using
cameras.”

Partly
as
a
consequence
of
the
problems
I
encountered
when
attempting
to
gather

video
material,
I
decided
to
realize
this
project
as
a
website
rather
than
as
an
extensive

broadcast
documentary.
The
website
(www.helenaliikanen.com/museumproject)
has

the
added
benefit
of
allowing
people
to
engage
in
conversation
more
easily
than
a
TV

program
would
have.

The
site
is
designed
to
look
like
a
museum
gallery;
video
interview

is
posted
on
the
“wall”
or
home
page
as
a
piece
of
art.
All
of
the
content
is
then
shared

on
social
media
(Pinterest),
which
further
encourages
audience
interaction
with
the

interviewees.
The
website
also
offers
an
eight-‐minute
documentary
on
the
subject
for

those
who
prefer
long
form
storytelling
over
short
conversational
videos.

6

Figure
1:
Screenshot
of
the
website
“The
Relevant
Art
Museum”

The
website
is
built
using
the
WordPress
theme,
Shaken
Grid,
which
closely

approximates
the
look
and
feel
of
a
museum
gallery.
The
home
page
presents
“the

exhibition”
of
images
that
are
photo-‐linked
to
the
actual
video
posts.
Videos
have
been

uploaded
to
the
site
by
using
Vimeo.
Underneath
each
separate
video
post
there
is
a

short
introductory
to
the
video
interview.
The
menu
on
the
top
of
the
main
page

includes
an
about
page,
which
explains
the
project,
a
presentation
of
the
interviewees

and
a
brief
on
the
use
of
social
media.

7

Figure
2:
Screenshot
of
the
Pinterest
board
“The
Relevant
Art
Museum”

All
of
the
original
video
content
of
the
site
is
shared
on
Pinterest,
which
is
a
sort
of

gallery
itself.
Its
boards
are
like
the
museums
walls
where
curators,
or
in
this
case
users,

choose
to
hang
or
“pin”
random
images
they
find
interesting
primarily
from
the

Internet.

Above
all,
for
my
purposes,
Pinterest
potentially
reaches
a
large
audience.

According
to
a
collaborative
of
museum
social
media
projects
called
Museum140,
over

500
museums
are
already
on
Pinterest
(Museum140
2012).
And
a
recent
study
revealed

that
one
of
the
most
popular
Pinterest
themes
is
the
subject
of
arts
and
crafts,
which

constitute
as
much
as
12.4
%
of
all
Pinterest
boards
(Moore
2012).

Many
media
outlets,
including
the
New
York
Times,
Wall
Street
Journal
and
Washington

Post
have
successfully
experimented
with
storytelling
on
Pinterest
boards.
Unlike
many

8

of
theirs,
my
project’s
Pinterest
board
will
be
a
mixture
of
my
own
material
and

“pinned”
relevant
material
from
other
Pinterest
users.

In
this
respect,
my
story
is
made

in
co-‐operation
with
the
audience.
Audience
/
visitors
play
a
central
role
in
how

museums
will
develop
in
the
future,
so
I
believe
that
by
giving
them
a
possibility
to
have

a
say
adds
value
to
the
actual
piece
of
journalism.

Audience’s
feedback
and
content
can

also
provide
valuable
information
to
the
readers/viewers
of
this
story.

Discussion
about
the
relevance
of
museums
is
far
from
over,
and
my
website
and

Pinterest
board
make
it
possible
to
extend
the
research
and
debate
for
an
infinite

amount
of
time.
More
interviews,
videos,
photos
and
text
can
be
added
–
which
reflects

the
times
we
are
in,
when
“relevance”
continually
shifts
and
little
is
permanent
or
static

not
even
in
museums
which
were
once
thought
to
be
the
bastions
of
holding
history
still

for
all
to
study.

9

3)
Interviewees

California
is
a
home
of
creative
people,
whether
it
is
film,
art
or
new
technology.

In

California,
there
are
over
135
000
arts-‐related
businesses
and
organizations
that
employ

over
half
a
million
people
(Americans
for
the
Arts
2012).
All
interviews
for
this
project

were
conducted
in
California,
and
only
one
outside
of
Los
Angeles.
Los
Angeles
is
the

home
of
great
art
institutions
and
art
schools
like
California
Institute
of
Arts
and
Art

Center
College
of
Design
in
Pasadena.
It
also
a
city
offers
a
comprehensive
range
of

views
on
the
aspect
on
the
relevance
of
art
museums.

The
interview
of
Los
Angeles-‐born
museum
director
Nina
Simon
was
conducted
in
Santa

Cruz.
I
saw
her
as
an
important
addition
to
the
group,
because
her
views
on

participatory
museums
are
widely
followed
and
have
even
proven
to
work
at
Museum

of
Art
and
History
in
Santa
Cruz
that
recently
suffered
from
economic
problems.

“For

us,
moving
to
this
participatory
and
community
based
model,
was
the
answer
to
getting

us
out
of
the
financial
crisis,”
she
said
in
her
interview.

In
order
for
the
audience
to
learn
more
about
the
interviewees,
I
have
created
a

separate
Introductions
page
on
the
website,
which
can
be
found
on
the
menu
bar.
The

introductions
include
several
links
(seen
here
as
underlined
text)
that
lead
the
visitors
to

further
readings.

10

Mark
Allen
is
the
executive
director
of
Machine
Project,
an
unconventional
non-‐profit

storefront
arts
space
in
Echo
Park,
Los
Angeles.
Allen
hosts
performances,
curates

exhibitions
and
organizes
workshops
at
Machine
Project.

But
Machine
Project
is
also
a

loose
group
of
artists
and
performers,
who
get
together
to
work
on
projects
when

invited
by
cultural
institutions.

At
LACMA
for
example,
Machine
Project
organized
a
10-‐
hour
day
of
performances
in
2008.
Allen
also
serves
on
the
Board
of
Directors
of

the
Andy
Warhol
Foundation
for
the
Visual
Arts
in
New
York
City.
Learn
more
about

Mark
Allen
and
Machine
Project.

Stephanie
Barron
is
senior
curator
and
head
of
modern
art
at
the
Los
Angeles
County

Museum
of
Art
(LACMA).
She
has
curated
many
award-‐winning
exhibitions,
such

as
David
Hockney:
A
Retrospective
(1988);
“Degenerate
Art”:
The
Fate
of
the
Avant-‐
Garde
in
Nazi
Germany
(1991);
Made
in
California
1900-‐2000:
Art,
Image
and

Identity
(2000);
and
Ken
Price
Sculpture:
A
Retrospective
(2012).
Barron’s
exhibitions
and

publications
have
three
times
been
voted
the
best
in
the
United
States
by
the

Association
of
International
Art
Critics.
Learn
more
about
Stephanie
Barron
and
her

work
in
in
Ken
Price
Sculpture:
Retrospective.

Susana
Smith
Bautista
is
an
expert
on
museums,
digital
technology,
the
arts
and

strategic
communication.
She
recently
completed
her
Ph.D.
as
a
Provost
Fellow
at
the

Annenberg
School
of
Communication
and
Journalism,
University
of
Southern
California.

In
her
research
Smith
Bautista
focused
on
museums
in
the
digital
age.
She
has
20
years

11

of
experience
in
the
art
world
in
Los
Angeles,
New
York
and
Greece.
Learn
more
about

Susana
Smith
Bautista
on
her
website.

Edwin
Chan
worked
for
over
25
years
with
Frank
O.
Gehry
&
Associates
and
later
Gehry

Partners,
where
he
was
the
design
partner
on
many
notable
projects,
including
the

Guggenheim
Museum
in
Bilbao
and
the
Weisman
Art
Museum
in
Minneapolis.
Chan
has

also
designed
exhibitions,
notably
the
blockbuster
exhibition
Art
of
the
Motorcycle

Exhibition
at
the
Guggenheim
NYC,
Bilbao
and
Las
Vegas.
He
has
received
many
awards

for
his
work,
including
the
“Chevalier
de
l’Ordre
des
Arts
et
des
Lettres”
from
the

Republic
of
France.
Chan
recently
established
his
own
business:
EC3.
Learn
about
Edwin

Chan’s
thoughts
on
inspiration
and
design
in
his
interview
on

thirtyconversationsondesign.com.

Dr.
Selma
Holo
is
the
director
of
USC
Fisher
Museum
of
Art
and
a
Professor
of
Art

History.
She
joined
USC
in
1981
as
the
director
of
the
Museum
Studies
graduate

program,
a
position
she
held
for
over
25
years.
Holo
has
also
served
as
Curator
for

Acquisitions
of
Works
of
Art
at
the
Norton
Simon
Museum
in
Pasadena.
She
specializes

in
the
art
history
and
museums
of
Los
Angeles,
Mexico
and
Spain.
Holo
is
also
the
co-‐
editor
of
the
book,
“Beyond
the
Turnstile:
Making
the
Case
for
Museums
and

Sustainable
Values,”
which
examines
museums
and
their
influence
in
society
and

culture.
Learn
about
Selma
Holo’s
work
in
her
lecture
on
Museums
and
the
World
at

Northeastern
University
Center.

12

Holly
Jerger
is
the
director
of
public
programs
at
the
Craft
and
Folk
Art
Museum

(CAFAM)
She
is
also
a
contemporary
printmaker,
whose
work
has
been
shown
in
many

art
exhibitions.
Jerger
teaches
many
of
CAFAM’s
programs,
such
as
the
“Community

Printmaking
Session.”
Learn
about
Jerger’s
recent
exhibits
on
Artslant.

Nina
Simon
is
the
executive
director
of
Museum
of
Art
and
History
(MAH)
at
the

McPherson
Center
in
Santa
Cruz
since
2011.
Simon
is
a
well-‐know
museum
consultant

and
an
exhibit-‐design
expert.
She
is
also
the
author
of
the
book
Participatory

Museum
and
of
the
popular
blog
Museum
2.0.
Before
joining
the
MAH
Simon
worked
as

the
curator
of
Tech
Virtual
at
the
Tech
Museum
of
Innovation
in
San
Jose.
Learn
more

on
how
Simon
wants
to
change
the
museums
in
her
TEDx
presentation.

Linda
Taalman
is
a
Los
Angeles-‐based
architect
and
the
co-‐director
of
Taalman
and
Koch

Architecture.
Taalman
is
also
an
assistant
professor
at
Woodbury
School
of
Architecture.

When
she
started
her
practice
15
years
ago
in
New
York,
her
first
project
was
to

transform
the
old
factory
building
into
a
museum,
the
Dia:
Beacon.
The
project

established
a
long-‐term
interest
in
art
spaces.

Since
then
she
has
worked
on
a
number

of
projects
in
arts
spaces,
galleries,
studios
and
artists’
homes.
Learn
about
Taalman’s

views
on
art
and
architecture
in
Southern
California
in
KCET
Artbound.

13

Dr.
Peter
Tokofsky
is
the
education
specialist
for
academic
and
adult
programs
at
The
J.

Paul
Getty
Museum
and
Associate
Adjunct
Professor
at
UCLA,
where
he
teaches
classes

in
European
folklore,
cultural
history
and
public
art.
Before
joining
the
Getty,
Tokofsky

worked
as
the
Executive
Director
of
Craft
and
Folk
Art
Museum
(CAFAM)
in
Los
Angeles.

Learn
more
about
Tokofsky’s
work
at
the
Getty
on
Photo
District
News.

4)
Video
interviews

The
video
interviews
on
the
website
are
approximately
1.30
to
2.30
minutes
long,

lengths
that
have
been
proven
to
hold
interest
on
YouTube.

Here
I
have
attached
the

screenshots
of
the
different
video
interview
pages
and
the
introduction
texts
of
each

video
as
they
appear
on
the
website.
I
have
also
included
the
transcripts
of
the
video

interviews.
The
following
is
in
in
alphabetical
order.

14

4.1.
Mark
Allen
of
Machine
Project:
it
is
not
critical
to
define
the
right
way
to
use
a

museum

Figure
3:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Mark
Allen

Introduction:

Machine
Project
is
a
store
front
art
space
in
Echo
Park,
Los
Angeles
that
hosts

performances,
exhibitions
and
workshops.
It
is
also
a
group
of
artists
who
collaborate

when
been
invited
to
organize
projects
in
art
museums.
On
this
video
we
see
a
glimpse

of
one
of
the
Machine
Project
events:
Dream-‐in
at
the
Hammer
Museum,
where
people

were
invited
to
stay
at
the
museum
over
night.
Mark
Allen,
the
executive
director
of

Machine
Project
doesn’t
think
that
it
is
necessary
to
define
the
right
way
to
use
a

museum.
“An
experience
of
a
cultural
organization
is
constituted
by
a
lot
of
things,”
he

says
(Allen
2012).

15

Transcription
of
video:

MA:
I
think
the
experience
of
[a]
cultural
organization
is
constituted
by
a
lot
of
things.

Some
of
it
the
might
be
looking
at
art,
but
some
of
it
is
looking
at
things
with
other

people
at
the
same
time
and
some
of
it
maybe
eating
pie.
I
think
it
is
not
so
critical
to

define
what
is
the
right
way
to
use
the
museum
and
what
is
the
wrong
way
or
what
is

the
good
way
to
use
the
museum
and
what
is
a
bad
way.
I
don’t
think
it
really
matters.
It

is
just
a
space
for
people
to
get
together
and
think
about
art.

[Text:
Mark
Allen
is
the
executive
director
of
Machine
Project,
a
non-‐profit
performance

space
in
Los
Angeles.
In
2010
Machine
Project
hosted
an
over-‐night
event
called
Dream-‐
in
at
the
Hammer
Museum]

MA:
Well,
everybody
slept
and
then
the
next
day
we
had
a
camera
crew
that
went

around
and
very
gently
woke
up
people
at
dawn
and
asked
them
what
they
were

dreaming
of.
And
so,
sometimes
people
wouldn’t
remember
their
dreams,
sometimes

they
had
very
fantastical
dreams.
A
lot
of
people
would
say
things
like
I
dreamed
I
was

sleeping
in
a
museum
but
it
wasn’t
this
museum,
it
was
like
a
different
museum.

MA:
Maybe
50
years
ago
natural
history
museum
was
a
reasonable
place
to
try
and

learn
about
natural
history.
Where
as
now,
one
can
access
enormous
quantities
of

information
from
your
desk.

And
then
the
question
becomes,
what
is
it
about
being
in

16

the
specific
presence
of
objects…
what
does
that
provide
to
you
that
a
network

experience
can’t?

MA:
The
public
is
more
interested
in
experiences
that
happen
with
other
people
in
a

specific
moment
in
time.
My
thesis
would
be
that
is
a
corollary
response
to
consuming
a

lot
of
culture
in
virtual
forms.

4.2
.
Stephanie
Barron
of
LACMA:
museums
are
not
shopping
malls
Figure
4:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Stephanie
Barron

Introduction:

Stephanie
Barron,
the
senior
curator
and
head
of
modern
art
at
the
Los
Angeles
County

Museum
of
Art
(LACMA)
believes
that
art
museums
should
be
first
and
foremost
about

art.
“It
is
important
that
we
don’t
dilute
what
we
do,”
she
says
on
this
video.
Barron
has

17

curated
many
award-‐winning
art
exhibitions
during
her
long
career
and
sees
that

amenities
at
museums
such
as
restaurants
and
outdoor
concerts
can
complement
the

art
experience
(Barron
2012).

Transcription
of
video:

SB:
I
think
museums
are
about
art.
And
I
think
they
are
also
social
spaces,
but
if
there
is

more
emphasis
on
the
social
space
than
on
the
art,
I
am
not
sure
we
are
very
different

from
The
Grove
or
from
a
shopping
mall.

[Text:
Stephanie
Barron
is
the
senior
curator
of
modern
art
in
Los
Angeles
County

Museum
of
Art,
LACMA.]

SB:
I
think
it
is
really
important
that
we
don't
dilute
what
we
do.

And
I
think
we
need
to

always
remember
that
we
are
about
the
art.
I
have
no
problem
with
complimentary

programming,
but
I
think
things
that
are
very
far
afield,
I
think
dilute
the
meaning
of

what
a
museum
is.

SB:
There
is
no
question
that
amenities
in
a
museum
make
an
enormous
difference.
We

have
seen
a
tremendous
uptick
in
our
attendance
and
desirability
of
coming
to
the

museum
when
you
have
a
good
restaurant,
you’ve
got
a
good
bar,
you
offer
music.
But

it
is
complementary
to
coming
to
the
museum
to
experience
the
art.

SB:
I
think
there
has
to
be
some
place
between
gym
classes
in
a
museum
and
it
being
an

18

elitist
institution.
There
has
to
be.
And
I
think
it
is
finding
that
ground
that
is
what
I
am

interested
in.

4.3.
Museum
expert
Susana
Smith
Bautista:
today's
museumgoers
look
for

experiences
Figure
5:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Susana
Smith
Bautista

Introduction:

Susana
Smith
Bautista,
Ph.D.
is
an
expert
in
museums,
art,
technology
and
digital

culture.
In
her
research,
Smith
Bautista
has
looked
at
the
role
of
museums
in
the
digital

age:
how
new
technology
has
affected
the
museum
practices
and
the
cultural
contexts

of
how
the
museums
use
the
new
technology.

Smith
Bautista
sees
that
the

museumgoers
of
the
digital
age
are
looking
for
experiences
–
just
going
to
look
at
art
is

19

not
enough.
“Museums
accept
that,”
she
says
in
the
video
(Smith
Bautista
2012).

Transcription
of
video:

SSB:
There
are
a
lot
more
choices
now,
as
far
as
where
people
spend
their
free
time,

where
people
spend
their
dollars.
There
is
a
lot
of
entertainment
competition.
There
is

the
movies,
there
is
all
kinds
of
places
for
people
to
go
to.
So
museums
are
aware
that

they
have
to
compete.

[Text:
Susana
Smith
Bautista
is
a
recent
Ph.D.
graduate
from
the
USC
Annenberg
School

for
Communication
&
Journalism.
She
is
an
expert
in
museums,
art,
technology,
and

digital
culture.]

SSB:
You
have
museums
that
have
5-‐star
restaurants,
that
have
cafés,
that
have
jazz

concerts,
that
have
yoga
classes,
films....
They
have
become
more
a
part
of
the
social

community
scene
than
they
were
before.
And
they
are
okay
with
that,
and
the
public
is

ok
with
that
because
they
see
a
museum
not
only
as
going
to
see
art,
but
an
experience.

This
is
partly
how
I
have
seen
a
place
change
in
the
digital
age.
It
is
this
notion
of
place

slash
experience.
Where
you
are
not
going
to
a
place,
you
are
going
to
have
an

experience.
You
are
not
going
to
see
a
work
of
art
-‐-‐
well,
many
people
do
of
course
-‐-‐

but
you
want
an
experience.
And
then
after
the
art
you
go
and
have
coffee
and
meet
a

friend
there
and
you
talk.
So
it
is
more
than
just
the
artwork.
And
again,
museums

accept
that.

20

SSB:
Museums
in
the
United
States
have
a
very
broad
funding
base.
They
don't
rely
on

government
subsidies.
They
have
to
fight
for
their
funding.
That
funding
is
not
only
in

admissions.
But
that
funding
is
in
foundation,
corporate
marketing,
and
individuals.
And

if
the
museum
is
not
seen
as
doing
its
job;
as
bringing
people
in,
as
being
relevant,

educating
and
doing
other
important
work,
then
they
are
not
going
to
get
the
funding.
"

4.4.

Edwin
Chan,
architect:
museums
create
opportunities
for
people
to
interact

Figure
6:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Edwin
Chan

Introduction:

While
working
with
Frank
O.
Gehry
&
Associates
and
later
Gehry
Partners,
architect

Edwin
Chan
was
part
of
design
processes
of
a
number
of
great
art
museums,
most

importantly
Guggenheim
Bilbao.

Chan
has
also
worked
with
artists
and
has
experience

21

from
exhibition
design.
For
him
a
museum
is
more
than
architecture
than
art,
it
is
a

place
for
people
to
interact.

“I
believe
that
actually
the
building
is
successful
not
only

because
it
is
strong
architecturally,
but
also
because
it
has
got
the
content
to
fill
it,”
he

says
in
his
interview
(Chan
2012).

Transcription
of
video:

EC:
I
would
be
flattered,
if
the
museum
actually
functions
as
a
cultural
place,
as
a
social

place,
people
would
just
go
there
to
meet
other
people.
That
for
me
is
a
better
use
of
a

museum
than
just
going
there
and
standing
in
front
of
a
painting,
looking
at
it.

[Text:
Edwin
Chan
worked
with
Frank
O.
Gehry
Associates
and
later
Gehry
Partners
for

25
years.
He
has
recently
started
his
own
company,
EC3.
Chan’s
projects
include
the

Guggenheim
Museum
in
Bilbao
and
the
Weisman
Museum
in
Minneapolis.
]

EC:
See,
I
am
of
the
belief
that
the
success
of
Bilbao
in
some
ways
is
an
alignment
of

different
forces.
Obviously
the
building
has
a
very
strong
iconic
architectural
presence

and
unfortunately
that
is
the
only
thing
people
talk
about
is
the
look
of
the
building.

I

believe
that
actually
the
building
is
successful
not
only
because
it
is
strong

architecturally,
but
also
because
it
has
got
the
content
to
fill
it.

EC:
You
want
to
find
a
project
that
is
the
perfect
fit
between
I
call
the
hardware
and
the

software.
And
the
software
is
the
art,
and
the
programming
and
the
people.

And
in
the

end
when
you
create
architecture
you
have
to
remember
that
ultimately
the
museum
is

22

there
to
support
the
art
and
to
reinforce
the
life
of
the
local
people.
Bilbao
is
successful

only
in
that
sense.

EC:
Nothing
can
replace
the
tactile
of
this
kind
of
encounter,
this
kind
of
urban…
That
is

what
urbanism
is
about.
It
is
about
creating
these
kinds
of
opportunities
for
people
to

interact.
And
I
think
museum
should
play
that
kind
of
a
role.
And
the
art
in
some
way

precipitates
that.
Maybe
that
is
kind
of
one
way
to
think
about
it.

4.5.
Selma
Holo,
museum
director
and
expert:
yoga
is
one
way
to
slow
a
museum

visitor
down

Figure
7:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Selma
Holo

23

Introduction:

Dr.
Selma
Holo
is
the
director
of
USC
Fisher
Museum
of
Art
and
a
Professor
of
Art

History.
In
recent
years
Holo
has
become
increasingly
interested
in
the
role
of
museums

in
society.
USC
Fisher
organizes
a
number
of
programs
and
events
from
films
to
panels

and
from
music
performances
to
exercise
classes.
In
this
video
we
visit
a
yoga
class
that

is
organized
once
a
week
in
the
Fisher’s
exhibition
room.
The
class
is
the
most
popular

event
of
the
museum.
“Yoga
is
just
another
way
of
slowing
people
down,”
Selma
Holo

says
in
her
interview
(Holo
2012).

Transcription
of
video:

SH:
People
in
a
museum
are
known
to
spend
not
more
than
eight
seconds
in
front
of

work
of
art.
When
you
spend
eight
seconds
in
front
of
work
of
art
and
that
artist
spent

two
years
making
it,
there
is
something
wrong.

[Text:
Selma
Holo
is
the
director
of
USC
Fisher
Museum
of
Art.
The
yoga
classes
are
the

most
popular
events
of
the
museum.]

SH:
Yoga
is
just
another
way
of
slowing
people
down,
as
far
as
I
am
concerned.
They

come,
they
come
with
their
yoga
mats,
they
lie
down
or
twist
themselves
into
a
pretzel

in
front
of
a
work
of
art.
But
whether
they
like
it
or
not,
they
are
in
the
middle
of
a

number
of
works
of
arts,
they
are
looking
at
something
for
a
rather
long
period
of
time.

And
I
am
convinced
something
sticks!“

24

SH:
We
are
looking
for
a
kind
of
participation,
whether
it
is
willful
looking
or
whether
it

is
a
kind
of
performative
acting
in
some
way.
We
want
people
to
be
engaged,
and
that
is

something
we
didn’t
care
too
much
about
before.

We
just
wanted
them
to
come,
click

off
that
they
came,
walk
through
and
that
was
good
enough.
They
are
not
going
to

come,
if
that
is
all
we
do.
And
we
want
them
to
come
back,
make
them
feel
that
this
is

part
of
their
living
experience.

SH:
We
all
have
to
make
a
case
for
our
indispensability
to
society.
Hospitals
we
know,

we
will
be
dead
if
we
don’t
have
them.
But
libraries
have
to
make
the
case
–
in
the
time

of
the
Internet,
do
books
really
matter?
And
they
are
working
to
make
the
case.
The

museums
have
to
make
the
case
that
authenticity
of
experience
in
the
face
of
works
of

art
are
important
to
your
lives
and
will
help
you
to
become
a
richer,
more
inquisitive,
a

more
creative
person
yourself.

25

4.6.
Holly
Jerger
of
the
Craft
and
Folk
Art
Museum:
exhibitions
are
springboards
for

workshops

Figure
8:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Holly
Jerger

Introduction:

The
small
Craft
and
Folk
Art
Museum
(CAFAM)
in
Los
Angeles
is
located
in
the
heart
of

Museum
Row,
across
the
street
from
the
La
Brea
Tar
Pits
and
just
a
short
walk
from

LACMA.
CAFAM
has
a
wide
range
of
public
programming
that
is
often
related
to
the

ongoing
exhibitions.
In
this
video
we
visit
a
craft
night
where
the
instructor
uses
images

from
the
museum’s
tattoo
exhibition
as
an
inspiration.
“We
look
at
our
place
for
people

to
come
to
have
an
experience
that
goes
beyond
just
looking
at
the
artwork,”
the

director
of
public
programs,
Holly
Jerger
says
(Jerger
2012).

26

Transcription
of
video:

HJ:
I
think
museums
sort
of
traditionally
were
maybe
more
collection
based.

We
have

these
objects,
the
public
comes
to
see
these
objects.
Where
now
it
is…
It
is
still
about

the
objects
and
coming
to
look
at
them,
but
also
I
think
museums
are
looking
at
their

exhibitions
MORE
as
a
springboard
to
look
at
other
topics.
It
can
be
using
the
glasswork

in
this
exhibition
as
the
bases
of
a
hands-‐on
workshop.

[Text:
Holly
Jerger
is
the
director
of
public
programming
at
the
Craft
and
Folk
Art

Museum
in
Los
Angeles.
This
participatory
event
is
called
ETSY
Craft
Night.
]

Instructor:
Then
there
are
instructions
for
everybody.
The
instructions
are
on
the
front

of
how
to
punch
it
and
then
there
are
instructions
on
the
back
if
you
wanted
to
add
the

stich
detailing.
There
are
two
easy
stiches,
one
that
is
a
solid
line
[…]

HJ:
We
look
at
our
place
for
people
to
come
to
have
an
experience
that
goes
beyond

just
looking
at
the
artwork.

HJ:
Our
goal
would
be
to
offer
everyone
some
sort
of
experience
that
relates
to
their

own
personal
interest
and
journey.

27

HJ:
I
think
for
a
certain
segment
of
the
public
given
their
own
interest
and
upbringing,

they
naturally
view
museums
as
something
as
valuable
to
them.
But
I
think
that
the
vast

majority
of
the
public
doesn’t
do
that
automatically.

HJ:
I
think
museums
are
thinking
what
do
individuals
want
from
their
experience
here

versus
we
have
the
fantastic
artwork
that
everybody
is
going
to
fluk
to
see.
So
yes,
I

think
you
are
kind
of
competing
with
that
in
a
certain
degree.
You
have
to
prove
why

you
are
relevant
to
people.

28

4.7.
Nina
Simon,
museum
director
and
expert:
participatory
model
got
us
out
of

financial
crisis

Figure
9:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Nina
Simon

Introduction:

Nina
Simon,
a
popular
museum
blogger
and
author
of
the
book
Participatory

Museum,
took
over
the
leadership
of
the
Museum
of
Art
and
History
at
the

McPherson
Center
in
Santa
Cruz
in
2011.
Since
then
a
lot
has
happened:

attendance
for
programs
and
regular
visits
increased
over
50
percent.
Simon's

secret
is
to
invite
the
community
to
join
in
building
exhibitions,
organizing
events

and
participating
in
decision-‐making.
“For
us,
moving
to
this
participatory
and

community
based
model,
was
the
answer
to
getting
us
out
of
the
financial
crisis,”
she

says

(Simon
2013).

29

Transcription
of
video:

NS:
For
us,
moving
to
this
participatory
and
community
based
model,
was
the
answer
to

getting
us
out
of
the
financial
crisis.

[Text:
Nina
Simon
is
the
director
of
Santa
Cruz
Museum
of
Art
and
History.
She
is
also
a

popular
blogger
author
of
the
book
Participatory
Museum.]

NS:
It
is
true
that
there
are
huge
controversies
especially
in
Los
Angeles
right
now
on

academic
curation
versus
pandering
spectacles
with
everything
going
on
with
MoCA.

But
fundamentally
there
is
that
question,
well
how
are
you
going
to
reality
check

against
how
people
actually
use
your
museum.
And
that
is
how
you
test
your
relevance.

You
don’t
test
it
with
lofty
statements
that
aren’t
in
some
way
justifiable
by
data.
So
for

example:
one
of
the
things
I
know
about
our
museum
is
that
70
percent
of
people
who

come,
come
on
a
Friday
night.
So
they
are
coming
to
one
of
these
events
we
will
have

tonight.
So
does
that
mean
that
the
Friday
night
programming
is
highly
relevant
and
the

rest
of
the
week
exhibitions
are
not
relevant?
Not
necessarily.
It
means
that
a
lot
of

people
are
coming
on
a
Friday
night.

From
my
perspective
as
a
director,
I
shouldn’t
just

say:
ok,
that
is
interesting.
I
have
to
really
think
about
it.
For
most
people
the
face
of
the

museum
is
an
event
that
is
happening
tonight.
So
it
is
really
important
that
that
event
is

not
just
a
party,
that
that
event
feels
like
the
mission
of
our
museum.
And
is
as
much
of

an
expression
of
our
mission
as
our
exhibition
would
be.
It
is
not
the
fake
front
of

getting
people
in
and
the
other
is
where
the
real
work
is
done.
No.
It
is
all
real
work.

30

NS:
If
a
museum
is
funded
for
life,
do
what
ever
the
heck
you
want.
But
if
not,
you
have

to
really
think
about
how
are
we
going
to
make
this
of
service,
how
are
we
going
to

make
this
of
value.
And
honestly,
I
guess,
I
actually
don’t
feel
like
you
should
be
doing

whatever
you
want.
I
feel
like
the
downside
or
the
flipside
of
this
is
museums
or

symphonies
or
any
kind
of
organization
that
functionally
just
become
tax
havens
for
the

small
group
of
wealthy
people
who
support
and
love
them
and
are
not
really
a
public

service
but
they
are
draining
public
resources.
I
think
there
is
a
real
ethical
question

there.

NS:
I
get
an
email
every
week
from
a
director
somewhere
in
the
country
who
is
saying
-‐-‐
you
know
–
we
don’t
know
how
we
can
be
relevant
to
the
young
people
in
our

community
or
we
don’t
know
how
to
fix
our
financial
situation.
And
they
are
looking
for

answers.
Our
answer
is
not
the
answer
for
every
place
but
we
have
had
a
tremendous

turnaround
and
tremendous
success
just
by
saying:
hey
we
think
based
on
the
research

that
here
is
where
people
are,
here
where
is
the
opportunity
is
to
do
good
and
to
be

supported
when
doing
it.
Let’s
just
go
all
in.
What
is
the
worst
thing
that
could
happen?

31

4.8.
Linda
Taalman,
architect:
museums
need
a
restaurant,
not
a
fancy
shell

Figure
10:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Linda
Taalman

Introduction:

Linda
Taalman
is
a
Los
Angeles-‐based
architect
and
an
assistant
professor
at
Woodbury

School
of
Architecture.
When
she
started
her
practice
15
years
ago
in
New
York,
her
first

project
was
to
design
for
the
new
Dia:
Beacon.

In
this
video
Taalman
talks
about
the

museum
space
as
a
social
space.
“It
is
not
really
enough
to
just
have
the
museum

program
of
the
art
work.
I
think
you
need
other
kind
of
social
interaction
as
well,”
she

says
(Taalman
2012).

32

Transcription
of
video:

LT:
The
cost
of
the
museum
has
to
be
mostly
focused
on
how
do
we
actually
create
this

kind
of
social
environment.
It
doesn’t
necessarily
mean
that
you
need
a
very
fancy
shell.

That
might
not
be
where
the
money
needs
to
be
spent.
It
might
be
better
to
spend

money
to
make
sure
you
have
the
right
kind
of
social
programming
in
there.
So,
let’s

make
sure
we
have
a
restaurant,
let’s
make
sure
we
have
a
café.
Let’s
make
sure
we

have
a
variety
of
spaces
for
different
kind
of
activities
to
happen.“

[Text:
Linda
Taalman
is
a
Los
Angeles
based
architect.
She
has
done
a
number
of
projects

on
art
galleries
and
artists’
studios.]

LT:
There
is
definitely
a
possibility
that
museums
will
have
more
of
a
role
that
is
not

even
in
physical
space.
That
brings
it
more
into…
putting
things
out
there
through
the

Internet
and
having
other
ways
for
people
to
interact
with
artists.
So
they
have
maybe
a

physical
component
and
a
virtual
component.
At
the
same
time
the
actual
buildings
I

think
will
need
to
still
be
there.

LT:
[…]
and
I
do
think
that
you
need
to
have
large-‐scale
spaces
because
the
work

obviously
is
on
such
a
variety
of
scales.
You
need
to
have
room
where
you
can
bring
in

something
very
large.
I
still
feel
like
the
best
spaces
are
going
to
be
the
ones
that
have

the
most
ability
to
chance,
to
be
changed
by
the
artist,
or
changed
by
the
curators
on
an

as
needed
bases.

33

LT:
LACMA
has
gone
through
a
lot
of
changes
with
the
new
buildings
and
projects
they

have
installed
on
the
site.
I
think
they
are
doing
a
very
interesting
job
of
organizing

space
on
an
urban
scale
and
getting
people
to
actually
have
this
social
mixing

environment.
If
you
go
in
the
plaza
-‐-‐
which
you
would
think
a
plaza
in
Los
Angeles

wouldn’t
be
a
very
active
space,
because
it
is
a
car
culture
-‐-‐
it
is
actually
pretty
high

functioning
as
a
public
space.
If
I
go
and
sit
on
that
plaza,
I
will
inevitably
run
into
two
or

three
people
that
I
know.
That
is
a
kind
of
experience
that
you
hardly
ever
have
in
Los

Angeles
at
all.

LT:
It
is
not
really
enough
to
just
have
the
museum
program
of
the
artwork.
I
think
you

need
other
kind
of
social
interaction
as
well.

34

4.9.
Peter
Tokofsky
of
Getty:
we
need
to
know
what
the
publics
consider
as
service

Figure
11:
Screenshot
of
the
interview
page
of
Peter
Tokofsky

Introduction:

Peter
Tokofsky
is
the
education
specialist
for
the
academic
and
adult
programs
at
The
J.

Paul
Getty
Museum.
Although
the
events
he
organizes
are
closely
related
to
the
mission

of
the
museum,
he
sees
no
downsides
in
organizing
music
concerts
or
yoga
classes
for

the
museum
visitors.
“If
we
start
with
the
premise
that
we
are
serving
publics
-‐-‐
and
I

always
emphasize
that
there
is
a
plural,
publics,
it
is
not
a
uniform
mass
out
there
-‐-‐

then
we
need
to
know
what
they
consider
service,”
he
says
in
his
interview
(Tokofsky

2012).

35

Transcription
of
video:

PT:
No
one
questions
openings
for
art
exhibitions
that
are
just
parties
too.
It
is
a
select

group
of
people
who
get
to
come
and
drink
for
free
and
have
special
access…
You
go
to

an
opening
and
you
see
that
more
people
are
spending
time
mingling
and
trying
to
be

seen
by
somebody
than
they
are
in
the
galleries.
No
one
questions
that.
But
as
soon
as

you
invite
some
young
people
in
and
have
some
pop
music,
people
question
that.
And
I

think
that
is
the
problem.

[Text:
Peter
Tokofsky
is
the
education
specialist
for
academic
and
adult
programs
at
The

J.
Paul
Getty
Museum.]

PT:
If
we
start
with
the
premise
that
we
are
serving
publics.
And
I
always
emphasize
that

there
is
a
plural,
publics,
it
is
not
a
uniform
mass
out
there.
Then
we
need
to
know
what

they
consider
service.
If
we
hold
masterpieces
of
14
th

Century,
but
no
one
except
for
a

very
small
segment
of
people
wants
to
see
them,
then
maybe
that
is
an
important

service
for
a
small
public
but
let’s
not
pretend
that
we
are
serving
the
other
99
percent.

So
I
want
there
to
be
a
mechanism
–
I
think
through
social
media
we
are
starting
to
see

those
mechanisms
that
allow
visitors
to
respond,
to
shape
what
we
do.
I
think
there
is

some
fear
of
that,
but
what
we
see
when
we
do
it
that
visitors
really
treasure
what

museums
do,
they
just
want
a
little
more
voice.

36

PT:
I
actually
understand
the
argument
that
says:
if
we
start
doing
yoga
and
concerts

and
parties
at
a
museum,
have
we
lost
what
the
museum
is
at
its
core,
and
is
it
just

becoming
a
community
center.
We
can
do
yoga
at
a
park.
So
I
think
there
is
an

interesting
debate
there.
But
I
think
that
if
we
want
to
have
that
debate
we
have
to

have
it
on
equal
terms.
A
lot
of
things
that
don’t
get
questioned
have
the
same
sorts
of

problems
–
that
is
one
part
of
the
argument.
And
the
other
part
is
that
I
don’t
know
any

museums
that
do
something
like
yoga
it
doesn’t
connect
to
the
art
in
some
way.
Some

people
would
say
that
the
contemplative
state
that
yoga
helps
to
achieve
is
very
much

similar
to
the
state
people
want
to
be
in
when
they
look
at
art.

37

5.
Conclusion

Digital
technology
has
changed
the
ways
people
think
about
art
and
culture:
museum

visitors
value
experiences
and
want
to
take
part
in
the
actual
creating
of
culture
(Brown

and
Novak-‐Leonard
2011,
6).
While
California
offers
a
rich
range
of
museums
to
study,

this
movement
towards
participatory
culture
is
not
local
but
rather
universal.
California

has
some
front-‐runners
in
the
area,
like
museum
director
Nina
Simon
in
Santa
Cruz.
But

thanks
to
the
new
technology
and
Internet,
the
community
of
museum-‐visitors
and

creators
of
culture
is
international
and
shares
its
ideas.

Some
fear
that
the
change
towards
participatory
culture
in
the
art
museums
could

potentially
mean
that
the
original
reason
of
existence
would
be
tampered.

Art

museums
exist
first
and
foremost
because
of
works
of
art,
but
if
people
come
to
these

institutions
only
to
listen
to
a
concert
or
do
yoga,
it
can
be
hard
distinguish
a
museum

from
a
community
center
or
a
park.
That
is
why,
in
my
opinion,
a
participatory
event
at

its
best
conveys
the
mission
of
the
museum
or
exhibition
and
exposes
people
to
art.

It
is

not
organized
just
to
attract
more
visitors.

During
this
project
it
became
clear
however,
that
a
participatory
event
of
a
kind
can
be

difficult
to
organize.
I
saw
for
example
the
Craft
and
Folk
Art
Museum
using
its
art

exhibitions
as
springboards
for
the
programs,
like
workshops.
During
the
event
the

instructor
used
the
images
seen
in
the
exhibition
as
part
of
the
workshop.
She
also

38

encouraged
people
to
visit
the
galleries,
but
in
the
end,
only
very
rare
took
the
time
to

look
at
art.
Why?
One
reason
was
clearly
practical:
the
workshop
was
organized
on
an

outdoor
patio
where
people
could
enter
without
visiting
the
galleries.

But
even
if
the

happening
is
organized
in
the
galleries,
like
the
yoga
classes
at
USC
Fisher,
it
is
hard
to

define
how
many
people
actually
take
time
to
look
at
art.

It
is
not
clear
if
the
people

really
pay
attention
to
the
surrounding.
Would
they
even
come
to
a
museum
for
other

events
than
their
usual
ones,
it
is
very
uncertain.

In
order
to
encourage
people
to
revisit

for
other
purposes,
like
openings
of
new
exhibitions,
the
participatory
happenings

should
always
be
designed
carefully
and
considered
as
important
part
of
the
museum
as

the
actual
exhibition.
While
social
media
is
an
important
element
in
todays’
experiences,

the
future
museum
architects
also
have
to
think
about
how
to
accommodate
the

possible
programming.

It
is
also
important
for
every
museum
to
come
up
with
ways
to
measure
the
relevance.

Visitor
data
is
important,
but
there
are
many
ways
to
look
at
the
issue.
Listening
to
what

people
talk
about,
what
they
think
is
relevant,
is
important.
The
director
Nina
Simon

told
me
a
story
about
two
young
men
at
the
farmer’s
market,
who
praised
the
event

organized
by
the
museum.
For
her,
it
was
unexpected
and
showed
that
the
museum
is

touching
people
outside
of
the
core
visitors
(Simon
2013).

The
way
people
consume
culture
has
changed
everywhere.
Many
museums
in
Europe,

Asia
and
Australia
already
offer
participatory
events,
although
maybe
not
to
the
same

39

extent
as
museums
in
California.
Public
engagement
in
museums
is
especially
common

to
American
museums,
that
are
usually
private
institutions
and
responsible
to
private

funders
(Smith
Bautista
2013).
But
it
is
clear
that
the
change
towards
participatory
is

inevitable
everywhere.
My
website
offers
a
peek
into
what
is
going
on
in
this
part
of
the

world
-‐-‐
maybe
it
will
encourage
a
new
museum
to
take
part
in
the
participatory

movement.

40

6.
Documentary

Figure
12:
Screenshot
of
the
documentary
page

A
Happening
Museum

Produced
by
Helena
Liikanen-‐Renger

NATS

Yoga
shot

SOT
SELMA
HOLO,

DIRECTOR
OF
USC
FISHER

MUSEUM
OF
ART

[16:52:37-‐53:06]

People
in
a
museum
are
known
to
spend
not

more
than
eight
seconds
in
front
of
work
of

art.

Yoga
is
just
another
way
of
slowing
people

down,
they
come,
they
come
with
their
yoga

mats
and
twist
themselves
into
a
pretzel
in

front
of
a
work
of
art
.

Whether
they
like
it
or
not,
they
are
looking
at

something
for
a
rather
long
period
of
time.
And

I
am
convinced
something
sticks!

NATS

41

Exterior
shots
of
the
Fisher

VO
NARRATOR

Opening
shots
of
the
yoga

class

THE
WEEKLY
YOGA
CLASS
AT
THE
USC
FISHER

MUSEUM
IS
ABOUT
TO
START.

THIS
IS
ONE
OF
THE
MANY
WAYS
THAT
ART

MUSEUMS
TODAY
ARE
TRYING
TO
ENGAGE

THE
PUBLIC.

SOT
SELMA
HOLO,

DIRECTOR
OF
USC
FISHER

MUSEUM
OF
ART,
LOS

ANGELES

[16:54:13-‐54:39]

Shots
from
yoga
class

We
are
looking
for
a
kind
of
participation,

whether
it
is
willful
looking
or
whether
it
is
a

kind
of
performative
acting
in
some
way.
We

want
people
to
be
engaged,
the
way
that
we

didn’t
care
too
much
about
before.

We
just

wanted
them
to
come,
click
off
that
they
came,

walked
through
and
that
was
good
enough.

They
are
not
going
to
come,
if
that
is
all
we
do.

And
we
want
them
to
come
back,
we
want

them
to
feel
that
this
is
part
of
their
daily

experience.

VO
NARRATOR

Shots
from
yoga
class

BY
ORGANIZING
EVENTS
AND
PROGRAMS,

MUSEUMS
ARE
DOING
THEIR
BEST
TO
PROVE

THAT
THEY
STILL
ARE
RELEVANT
TO
US.

MUSEUMS
TODAY
HAVE
MANY
OTHER

SOURCES
OF
CULTURE
AND
ENTERTAINMENT

TO
COMPETE
WITH,
BIGGEST
ONE
BEING
THE

INTERNET.

ANYONE
OF
US
CAN
VISIT
THE
GREATEST
ART

COLLECTIONS
ONLINE.

SOT
SELMA
HOLO,

DIRECTOR
OF
USC
FISHER

MUSEUM
OF
ART

16:54:13-‐54:39

Shots
from
yoga
class

A
museum
has
to
be
able
make
the
case
that
it

is
indispensable
in
whatever
society
it
is

operating
in.
If
it
is
not
making
that
case,
if
it
is

not
asking
the
questions
people
need
to

discuss,
then
the
fact
is
that
nobody
will
come.

And
if
nobody
comes,
it
is
like
the
tree
in
the

forest.
If
it
falls
and
there
is
no
one
to
hear
it,
it

doesn’t
exist!

GUITAR
MUSIC

42

TRANSITION

Exterior
shot
of
the
Hammer

museum

Guitar
music
continues...

VO
NARRATOR

COURTESY
OF

Machine
Project:

Personal
Soundtracks
at
the

Hammer

Museum
(2010)

COURTESY
OF

Machine
Project:

Overnight
Dream-‐in
at
the

Hammer
Museum
(2010)

HOW
WOULD
YOU
LIKE
TO
LOOK
AT
ART
WITH

A
PERSONAL
SOUNDTRACK
LIKE
THIS?

MACHINE
PROJECT
A
GROUP
OF
ARTISTS
AND

PERFORMERS
IS
A
SPECIALIST
IN
AUDIENCE

ENGAGEMENT.

THEY
HAVE
BEEN
INVITED
TO
DO

EXPERIMENTS
TO
VARIOUS
MUSEUMS

IN

ORDER
TO
GIVE
THE
VISITORS
NEW
KINDS
OF

EXPERIENCES.

LIKE
THIS
ONE
THAT
WAS
ORGANIZED
IN
THE

HAMMER
MUSEUM,
WHERE
VISITORS
WERE

INVITED
TO
STAY
AT
THE
MUSEUM
OVER

NIGHT.

SOT
MARK
ALLEN,
EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR
OF
MACHINE

PROJECT,
LOS
ANGELES

[15:44:45-‐
15:45:05]

Hammer
shots

Well,
everybody
slept
and
then
the
next
day

we
had
a
camera
crew
that
went
around
and

very
gently
woke
up
people
at
dawn
and
gently

asked
what
they
were
dreaming
of.
…

Sometimes
people
wouldn’t
remember
their

dreams,
sometimes
they
had
very
fantastical

dreams.
A
lot
of
people
said
I
dreamed
I
was

sleeping
in
a
museum
but
it
wasn’t
this

museum.

SOT
MARK
ALLEN,
EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR
OF
MACHINE

PROJECT

[15:55:15-‐15:55:52]

Hammer
shots

Maybe
50
years
ago
Natural
History
museum

was
a
reasonable
place
to
learn
about
natural

history
where
as
now
one
can
access

enormous
quantities
of
information
on
your

desk
so
the
question
becomes,
what
is
in
being

in
the
presence
of
objects
that
…
what
does

that
provide
to
you
that
a
network
experience

43

can’t
provide.

SOT
MARK
ALLEN,
EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR
OF
MACHINE

PROJECT

[16:01:47-‐
16:02:07]

Hammer
shots

Public
is
more
interested
in
experiences
that

happen
with
other
people
in
a
specific
moment

of
time.

And
my
thesis
is
that
it
is
a
corollary

response
to
the
shift
to
consume
culture
in

virtual
forms.

NATS

Hammer
Nap-‐in

Exterior
shots
from
CAFAM

NATSOUND,
INSTRUCTOR

“There
are
two
easy
stiches.
One
that
is
a
solid

line,
that
is
the
back
stitch…”

VO
NARRATOR

CAFAM,
craft
night

INSTRUCTOR
KC
SEARS
IS
SHOWING
HOW
TO

MAKE
EMBROIDERY
ON
A
PIECE
OF
PAPER.

ETSY
CRAFT
NIGHT
IS
ONE
OF
THE
MANY

EVENTS
THAT
THE
CRAFT
AND
FOLK
ART

MUSEUM
ORGANIZES
FOR
ITS
VISITORS.

SOT

HOLLY
JERGER,
DIRECTOR
OF

PUBLIC
PROGRAMMING,

CAFAM,
LOS
ANGELES

[15:03:09-‐15:03:16]

We
look
at
our
place
for
people
to
come
to

have
an
experience
that
goes
beyond
just

looking
at
the
artwork.

SOT

HOLLY
JERGER,
DIRECTOR
OF

PUBLIC
PROGRAMMING,

CAFAM

[15:03:33-‐15:03:41]

Our
goal
would
be
able
to
offer
everyone
some

sort
of
experience
that
relates
to
their
personal

interest
and
journey.

VO
NARRATOR

CAFAM,
close-‐ups
from
Etsy

craft
night

THE
EVENTS
AND
WORKSHOPS
ARE
OFTEN

RELATED
TO
THE
ONGOING
EXHIBITIONS.

TONIGHT
THE
INSTRUCTOR
USES
IMAGES

FROM
THE
CURRENT
TATTOO
EXHIBITION.

IN
THAT
WAY
PEOPLE
ARE
ENCOURAGED
TO

44

VISIT
THE
ACTUAL
SHOW.

SOT

HOLLY
JERGER,
DIRECTOR
OF

PUBLIC
PROGRAMMING,

CAFAM

[15:04:07-‐15:04:23]

I
think
for
a
certain
segment
of
the
public
given

their
interest
and
upbringing,
they
naturally

view
museums
as
something
that
is
valuable
to

them.
But
I
think
that
the
vast
majority
of
the

public
doesn’t
do
that
automatically.

SOT

HOLLY
JERGER,
DIRECTOR
OF

PUBLIC
PROGRAMMING,

CAFAM

[15:11:28-‐15:11:54]

Ending
with
footage
from

Pacific
Asia
Museum

When
there
is
less
and
less
money,
people
are

questioning
the
value
of
things
and
I
think
that

many
ways
people
think
of
museums
and
the

arts
as
leisure
activities,
which
they
are
to
a

certain
degree,
but
I
don’t
think
that
they

credit
them
for
the
kind
of
educational
and

even
critical
thinking
as
skills
that
are

developed
by
experiences
like
this.

VO
NARRATOR

Pacific
Asia
Museum
shots

IT
IS
THE
MID
AUTUMN
MOON
FESTIVAL
AT

THE
PASIFIC
ASIA
MUSEUM
IN
PASADENA.

HERE
THE
SPECIAL
EVENTS
PLAY
A
VERY

IMPORTANT
ROLE.

SOT
AMELIA
CHAPMAN

CURATOR
OF
EDUCATION

PACIFIC
ASIA
MUSEUM

[15:29:56-‐15:30:05]

05:43:
Missing
appearance

release
on
the
girl
behind
the

man

We
of
course
have
fabulous
world-‐class

exhibitions.
But
when
you
have
programs,
it

brings
in
new
people
that
might
not
think
they

are
interested
in
art
museums.
They
come
for
a

free
day
and
they
realize
that
they
are

interested
in
art
museums.
It
really
helps
us

with
our
outreach,
especially
with
the
families.

VO
NARRATOR

THE
LARGEST
VISITOR
GROUPS
OF
THE

MUSEUM
ARE
ASIAN
AMERICAN,
CAUSASIAN

AND
HISPANIC.

45

THE
INVITATIONS
TO
THE
EVENTS
ARE
SENT
IN

SEVERAL
DIFFERENT
LANGUAGES.

SOT
AMELIA
CHAPMAN

CURATOR
OF
EDUCATION

PACIFIC
ASIA
MUSEUM

It
echoes
the
demographics
of
our
community

pretty
strongly.

SOT
AMELIA
CHAPMAN

CURATOR
OF
EDUCATION

PACIFIC
ASIA
MUSEUM

[15:30:35-‐15:30:44]

We
design
our
programs
to
reach
different

audiences.
Today
we
are
reaching
a
family,
all-‐

ages
audience.
We
also
have
programs
that
are

designed
more
for
adults.

SOT
AMELIA
CHAPMAN

CURATOR
OF
EDUCATION

PACIFIC
ASIA
MUSEUM

[15:31:57-‐
32:11]

I
think
art
museums
are
increasingly
important

in
our
community
because
people
are
so
used

to
digital
and
cyber
things
and
virtual
reality,
so

it
is
nice
give
people
a
chance
to
have
reality,

real
things.

SOT
MARK
ALLEN,
EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR
OF
MACHINE

PROJECT

[16:11:37-‐16:12:10]

Yoga
finishing,
“namaste”

I
think
the
experience
of
[a]
cultural

organization
is
constituted
by
a
lot
of
things.

Some
of
it
the
might
be
looking
at
art,
but

some
of
it
is
looking
at
things
with
other

people
at
the
same
time
and
some
of
it
maybe

eating
pie.
I
think
it
is
not
so
critical
to
define

what
is
the
right
way
to
use
the
museum
and

what
is
the
wrong
way
or
what
is
the
good
way

to
use
the
museum
and
what
is
a
bad
way.
I

don’t
think
it
really
matters.
It
is
just
a
space

for
people
to
get
together
and
think
about
art.

SOT
SELMA
HOLO,

DIRECTOR
OF
USC
FISHER

MUSEUM
OF
ART

[16:58:29-‐16:58:50]

Yoga
class
getting
empty

We
have
to
make
a
case
for
our

indispensability
to
society.
Hospitals
we
know,

we
will
be
dead
if
we
don’t
have
them.
But

libraries
have
to
make
the
case
–
in
the
time
of

the
Internet,
do
books
really
still
matter?
And

they
are
working
to
make
the
case.
The

museums
have
to
make
the
case
that

authenticity
of
experience
in
the
face
of
works

of
art
are
important
to
your
lives
and
will
help

46

you
to
become
a
richer,
a
more
inquisitive,
a

more
creative
person
yourself.

47

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50

Appendix:
Screenshots
of
the
website
on
different
devices

MacBook:

51

IPhone:

Android
tablet:

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This thesis explores the role and relevance of art museums in todays’ society through nine online video interviews with Californian museum directors, programmers and a curator, as well as, architects and other experts. These videos live on a website I have created, The Relevant Art Museum. ❧ My interest in the subject of museum relevance began when I moved from Finland to Los Angeles for ten months on a fellowship for a Master’s degree program at USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism. In Finland, recent public debate had been raging over whether or not Helsinki should acquire a Guggenheim museum. When I landed in Los Angeles in August 2012, the local art world there, too, was in turmoil because the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) had just forced the resignation of its long-time chief curator, Paul Schimmel. Even though the two discussions seemed at first worlds apart, I realized there were many commonalities – one of them being the question of museums’ “raison d’être.” ❧ The relevance of a cultural institution is hard to measure, as it means different things for different museums depending on their mission, audience and location. For this project I chose to look through the lens of Southern California. California is home for 135,000 arts-related businesses, organizations and institutions (Americans for the Arts 2012). In comparison to Finland, Southern Californian museums experiment a lot with audience engagement and offer a wide range of public programming from yoga classes to concerts in order to acquire and sustain relevance. Of the nine interviewees, most do not view the art in their museums as a sufficient public program. Most believe that it is their obligation as museums to provide additional services surrounding their exhibitions and permanent collections that contribute toward making their museums essential to civic and public life. By asking people to participate in a variety of activities, California museums hope to be effective institutionally for adding value to people’s lives. ❧ In alignment with the museums I have covered in this journalism thesis project, I too invite the audience to participate. Visitors to my website may comment and share their views, as well as add to and follow its Pinterest board created in collaboration with the existing Pinterest users. The Internet and social media extend the journalism story, and enhance the visit to museums by collecting and sharing relevant – as well as random – information.

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