When you think of an art museum, what do you usually think of? I always picture people walking around, examining every piece of art very closely. Back before technology was introduced to the art scene, this is what would happen. No one ever thought of it ever being so interactive. Nowadays, this is the norm. Shelley Bernstein, chief technology officer at the Brooklyn Museum, gets hits everyday on either Facebook Twitter about the museum. Her goal is to keep people visiting the museum and the website. The article explains how a decade ago, museum websites were no more than online advertisements. They displayed the hours, admission, and directions. Today, people like Shelley Bernstein are changing that. Not only are museums fun to visit, but social networks are turning them into virtual communities. On Facebook and Twitter, everyone has a voice to speak about them. Some however think art online isn't really art because the people may not really be seeing the artwork. Shelley’s goal is for people to be able to have a voice so that if they think the museum needs improvements, their voice can be heard. As technology advances, the museums also have to. Their wireless internet must stay updated, demands of social media must be met, and what goes on the walls of Facebook must be handled. The idea of museums all around the world being more technologically advanced is brilliant, and Shelley Bernstein is really the motivator for it. I would not be surprised if one day, all art museums become interactive.
Sarah, when I think of an art museum, I usually think of a tour. A worker may walk around talking about the pieces of art, why they are significant to American culture, and how long it has been around. This article showed that websites do exactly this. After going to the museum, people get online to write about what they thought of the art displayed. I also had no idea that you can access art from the actual webpage now. When I went to the St. Louis Art Museum, I looked up exactly the information that people usually do; hours, admission, and directions to get there. I feel that Facebook would promote the art better because it is a social networking site that is known for pictures. Yes, people may say good things about the paintings on Twitter, but they can actually “like” the picture on Facebook which gives the workers an idea about what the people like. I actually think that someday all art museums will be accessible online which may upset some people. I am one of the ones that like to view the art firsthand, otherwise I probably wouldn’t view it at all. I do think it is a good idea to have the art online in case some people can never make it, but I really hope that they don’t get completely rid of them. I bet it is hard for old museums to keep up with the technology such as WiFi because I am sure in old buildings, it is harder to install.
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