There are many different technology tools that museums or galleries can use to create and promote their online exhibitions. We have provided you with a few of the “most used” choices by museums in the Indianapolis area.
Services and Technology
- Social Media – Utilizing social media platforms such as Facebook Live and Instagram Live can be a cost effective and accessible solution for your institution in regard to virtual exhibits. These social media features are well known and intuitive; they can help you present your exhibit virtually to a large audience. When you go “live,” a notification will be sent out to your audience, alerting them to join your tour.
- Matterport https://matterport.com
- Many museums and galleries use Matterport to create their virtual exhibits through scanning objects and spaces on their iPhones or cameras. Matterport is an immersive 3D modeling tool with many different packages, ranging from free to $700, which consumers can choose from.
- CONTENTdm https://www.oclc.org/en/contentdm.html
- CONTENTdm is a digital collection management software service that allows for the access of digital collections. CONTENTdm can be used with your pre-existing website to showcase your collections digitally with the inclusion of label information. However, entry level CONTENTdm packages start at $4,300 annually.
Webinars
In today’s COVID-19 world, museums have struggled to adjust to utilizing social media and other technology for their exhibits. Below are some webinars that can help inform you about how to successfully make the transition to online exhibiting.
- Webinar/Midwest Museums – How to Create Online Exhibits https://www.midwestmuseums.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Webinar-PPT-Online-Exhibits.pdf
- A webinar, presented by Cathy Hamaker, Kartik Rsamkumar, and Charity Counts, about the nuts and bolts of creating online exhibits. The webinar provides useful information about creative ways institutions can transition their creative content to the online platform.
- Powerpoint format
- Cuseum – Webinars/Succeeding with Virtual Events etc. Webinars
- This is a collection of webinars from Cuseum. It will provide an updated list of upcoming webinars, but also provides past webinars to be utilized. These webinars are useful for problem solving issues that might lie ahead as well as the trials and tribulations of the pandemic era that we are in. Many but not all webinars featured on Cusem relate to virtual exhibits, but we found it to be a good source of information.
Resources and How-To Guides
If you still have questions or need a how-to guide for creating virtual exhibitions, below are a few sources that may be useful to your institution.
- How To Create A Virtual Reality Exhibition https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Create-a-Virtual-Reality-Exhibition/
- Instructables present a step-by-step guide for creating a virtual exhibition through CoSpaces.
- AAM – Staying Connected with your Audiences https://www.aam-us.org/programs/about-museums/using-digital-platforms-to-remain-connected-to-audiences-during-quarantines/
- The American Alliance of Museums has put together a list of resources for museums who are trying to stay connected with their audiences during the pandemic. Within this list of resources you will find many links that are useful for developing an online exhibition.
Examples of How Different Museums are Framing Virtual Exhibitions
Museums and galleries are developing unique ways to frame virtual exhibitions to fit the needs of their institution. Through taking a look at how other museums are presenting their virtual exhibits, you can decide what format will work best for your institution.
- Old Barracks Museum https://www.barracks.org/votes-for-women.html
- The Old Barracks Museum has taken on a “choose your own adventure” format for their online exhibition. In doing so, the visitor can decide for themselves what part of the exhibit they would like to go to next.
- The B&O Railroad Museum https://www.boliveson.org
- The B&O Railroad Museum is a great example of how well-thought-out graphic design on a webpage can be considered a virtual exhibition.
- Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site https://fb.watch/3UKudUhoVo/, https://fb.watch/3UKxsbmjtG/
- The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site has taken advantage of Facebook Live to host their virtual exhibit through using minimal technology to provide live content for visitors unable to attend. Here you can take a virtual tour of the historic home and exhibit spaces.
- Herron School of Art + Design Galleries https://herron.iupui.edu/galleries/exhibitions/index.html
- If you follow this link you will be directed to the current exhibitions taking place at the Herron galleries. Through the use of Matterport, you can explore the exhibitions in a 3D space that is high quality.
