Everyone's a Curator: Do Museums Still Matter?

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In the age of social media, everyone is a curator (or at least they think they are). Media-rich networks have empowered anyone with an interest in art to both disseminate and publish their own creative images and groupings of artworks—essentially, creative Internet users have the ability to assume the roles of curator, artist, and critic, all at the same time. Where do museums fit into this picture, and how can traditional museum curators align their practice with social media users to create meaningful cultural experiences with a public hungry for new ideas and personal resonance?
This panel will discuss the ways in which technology can enhance or strain against museum conventions, with a focus on digital projects that have fostered engaging art experiences. We will also examine how these projects point the way towards new methods of fulfilling the ultimate museum mission of being a place of insight and inspiration.

Presenters

Jennifer Yin

Mgr, Mktg & Digital Engagement

Asian Art Museum

Having been at the Asian Art Museum for almost 10 years, I've worn many hats in the marketing and communications realm. Currently the Manager of Marketing and Digital Engagement, I take care of stuff like online advertising, media buys, marketing campaigns, project management, social media, and much more. Recently, I was instrumental in the award-winning, multi-channel "Lost Warrior" campaign for a terracotta warriors exhibition.

I'm a voracious information consumer who likes to dwell where art, culture, tech, and digital intersect. I'm also a professional photographer specializing in food, restaurants, portraits and events. The sloth is my spirit animal, and I'm an avid eater. For uplifting inspiration, I like to look up John Waters quotes.

Kathryn Jaller

New Media Mgr

Contemporary Jewish Museum

Kathryn Jaller is an artist and content professional with design skills and a sense for storytelling. She has worked for over 10 years at the intersection of visual culture and community, as an AmeriCorps volunteer and design education advocate, and also in tech, wrangling engineers and building websites. As New Media Manager at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, she founded this institution's online presence, established a digital video, blogging podcast publishing program, and led user engagement campaigns such as the highly successful Instagram initiative #SFphotohunt in support of an exhibition on street photography. Her work has been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and her experimental wearables have been sold all over the world.

Sarah Bailey Hogarty

Social & Digital Media Mgr

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

I am a digital storyteller with a curator's eye. With over seven years of experience working in museums, I have participated in nearly every aspect of institutional production, including digital media production and content strategy; social media management; blog writing and editing; digital marketing, communications, and promotions; web development and content strategy; curatorial research and collection management; exhibition planning; donor relations; and public and educational programming.

My current focus lies primarily within the digital media sector, providing engaging and innovative content (both online and onsite) associated with the varied offerings of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, comprised of the de Young and the Legion of Honor.

Willa Koerner

Asst Mgr Digital Engagement

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)

As SFMOMA's Assistant Manager, Digital Engagement, Willa Koerner works to engage in dialogue with the museum's robust and growing social media audiences. She also collaborates with colleagues throughout the institution to produce creative, relevant digital content for both online and in-person engagement. Highly interested in the intersection of art and technology, Willa is constantly thinking about the ways that the Internet, social media, and interactive technologies can transform the art world, as well as culture at large. Willa is also an active artist, designer, and photographer, and in the past she has worked as an independent illustrator, user experience designer, and copywriter for various art projects and publications.