Social media, by its very nature, can spark conversations – some topical, some witty and dangerous, others curious and informative.
In 2010 a new initiative was launched in the Museum and Gallery sector to harness the power of the Twitter network to create direct engagement with curators around the globe. Today it has moved far beyond Twitter to embrace all social media platforms.
What used to be known as “Ask a Curator” day has taken a turn this year – perhaps in part on the appeal around rethinking collecting institutions globally.
Today, Wednesday, September 14, is Ask a Museum Day.
Read: 20 questions you’ve always wanted a curator to answer
Jim Richardson at MuseumNext explained: ‘The idea was that an inquisitive public would be able to ask cultural heritage keepers about the objects in their care and what they do with them.’
He continued that the change in name/focus was ‘to better reflect the number of museum workers.’ So check out your favorite cultural or heritage institution’s social feed today and hit them up with a question.
How to ask a question
Richardson says the easiest way to get involved is to search the #AskaMuseum hashtag for questions and join the conversation. Alternatively, you can send questions directly to the Museums.
Stuck for ideas? Try these:
- Which object did you miss the most during the isolations?
- Did the pandemic force you to rethink the role of museums?
- What is your museum doing to diversify your collection?
- What is a surprising fact about your museum?
- What is your favorite museum to visit other than your own?
- Which item would you most like to take home and why?
- How is it 21str century museums changed for the better?
- How are you making your museum youth-friendly?
- Which artist, living or dead, would you like to know?
- Is your museum haunted?
10 museum stories from the ArtsHub archive
- Some Practical Steps for Telling the Truth in Museums (No Pickup, 2022)
- What Every Museum Reveals About the Past, Present, and Future (Kristin Alford, 2022)
- Why Museums Still Matter (George Dunford, 2019)
- What the digital future means for galleries and museums (Celina Lei, 2022)
- Ten warm Australian museums (Penny Craswell, 2020)
- Experts say our galleries and museums need to go greener (Gina Fairley, 2021)
- How Museums Can Stay Relevant in the 21st Century (Kim McKay, 2019)
- How social justice and a pandemic are shaping Museum leadership (Gina Fairley, 2021)
- Ready to travel: new international museums for 2022 (Gina Fairley)
- Principles or pragmatism: does it matter where arts sponsorship comes from? (Not Caust, 2021)
