The Contemporary is taking part in Bank of America’s Museums on Us® program. This program allows Bank of America customers free admission during the first full weekend of every month to over 120 cultural, arts, and education institutions nation-wide. All customers have to do is present their ATM, credit or check card and a valid ID. Admission to the Contemporary is already free every Wednesday and Saturday, so Bank of America customers now get an extra day one weekend a month. The next free Museums on Us® free day is this Sunday, November 8.

Click here to see the full list of participating institutions.

Today the Contemporary has a featured promotion on Groupon.com. “Groupon features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in a variety of cities across the United States.” The site just recently launched in St. Louis and we are one of the first in the city to offer a deal! For today only, the public can purchase an individual membership to the Contemporary for $20, which is 56% off the original price of $45. Purchasing the membership through Groupon gets you all the same benefits as purchasing through the museum! Benefits include free admission for a year, discounts, guest passes, an annual subscription to MESH magazine and more! Each day, Groupon provides information on the institution, restaurant or shop offering a deal. Each deal also includes images, links, highlights, and reviews, so you have lots of information on what you might purchase. There is also an hour glass and a countdown, letting you know how much time you have left to purchase the deal, as well as a box letting you know how many people have purchased the deal so far (each Groupon deal requires a certain amount of purchases for it to take effect). Check it out today to read the reviews on the Contemporary, then you can sign up to become a subscriber (to whatever city you wish), and get emails with deals like this each day.

On Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 6:00 – 8:30 pm, the Contemporary will host the third of a series of Thursday night events. This one is titled DJ/FORTUNE: A Night at CAMSTL. Guests will experience Mmmelt, an audio/visual performer who blends electronic compositions into video clips. Mmmelt will be performing one composition specifically for the event and inspired by the current exhibition, For the blind man…, and Coffee, the video installation by Ayse Erkmen. Guests can also take a look into their future with fortune teller, Victoria Michaels and snack on chocolate covered strawberries, which will be served in inspiration of the piece, One Pound Strawberries by the conceptual artist, Hans-Peter Feldmann. Guests receive free admission, and there will be free beer and wine. Just another way to experience contemporary art!

No doubt, communications has always been a necessity of life, but as technology advances, the user is confronted with more user-friendly interfaces and old sources of media die out or become less relevant.  This phenomenon is not new by any means. During the past couple of years, technology, and younger generations developing and using the technology, has started a revolution. People no longer consider printed newspaper, radio, or television as their only source of information. The user, now more than ever, is able to choose media sources relevant to them. Many of the more traditional media sources have recognized this growing trend and have adapted to the consumer’s needs by creating RSS Feeds, building a social network, and using these as a free marketing tools. Some have even changed their method of communication completely. A website was once a cornerstone in the emerging technological era, now with the birth of Web 2.0, the Internet and all methods of communication have been radically transformed.

So in a world of change, where do museums fit in? Where does a museum stand? I would argue the museum exists for the people and the people are definitely changing. So in an effort to adapt to visitor demands, museums must evolve, just like all the other industries being forced to adapt. One might think a museum is a place of tradition, existing solely to preserve or present culture, but this view is shifting with the times. An object is simply not enough. A collection is nothing without a curator as the interpreter, and it is worthless without the public’s interest. Objects, collections, and art are valuable things and if museums do not rapidly adapt; museum professionals could quickly lose the public’s interest. 

The new buzz word is “experience.” Museums, science centers, and zoos are being asked by their visitors to give them an experience. Let us not forget where the first seeds of museums existed. Cabinets of curiosities held objects yet to be classified and artifacts of wonder were displayed for a select view to enjoy. As more people are allowed access to culture and items of significance, knowledge spreads and people are able to experience more than they ever have. The challenge becomes how to give the visitor an experience that is still of “wonder” or even find objects that exist in that “unclassified” realm. Time is valuable and people do not wish to waste it on things they have already seen.

People will always have an interest in history, art, and culture, but to really appreciate the foundation of a museum, the person must feel like they belong. A person must feel a connection to the space, to the museum professionals, and to what is being presented. Exhibitions and objects must be relevant to them and their lives. So how is this achieved if so many artworks were not meant to be relevant to future generations, but instead only function for the people living in the timeframe an object/artwork was manifested? It is achieved with open source systems and Web 2.0 technologies. Through these two resources, people are able to mold the museum into their lifestyle. The museum no longer molds the public, instead, the roles have been reversed and people are getting more control over the content in which they wish to view and what they feel is most relevant to their lives. For a museum to thrive, it must continue to challenge a visitor on every level of communication and be an innovative space that is connected and alive.

As museums move into the technological era, the Contemporary is keeping up with the fast paced environment with the launch of their new cell phone tour. Unlike the typical cell phone tour that guides you through an exhibition via an educated professional speaking about what you are viewing, this tour allows visitors to explore the museum and the current exhibition in an interactive way. Upon entering the museum, the visitor is encouraged to use their personal cell phone to text a keyword to the number provided to them. Do not worry about compatibility, this tour works with all cell phones (i.e., smart phones, androids, and standard non-video phones). Within moments, the user receives a text welcoming them to the museum and asking which tour they would like to pursue. Currently, the options are the current exhibition and an architecture tour and other tours are in the design process.

The cell phone tour sends hints to visitors and the visitor must search for the piece or place being described. Once the destination is located, the visitor is then asked a series of questions that can only be answered while in front of the piece or while in the specific place. Points are awarded for correct answers and subtracted for incorrect answers. In this respect, the tour acts as an interactive game that dubs the person with the highest score the champion. As the visitor moves through the space, questions are also complimented with interesting facts, so the experience becomes educational as well as self-motivated. The system allows the user to choose their own path and depending upon the answers given, it will take visitors in different directions or ask alternate questions.

From the user’s point of view, the game is simple and fun, but the internal complexity could only be developed by a company that is helping museums engage audiences in new ways, SCVNGR.

The goal of this project is to provide the visitor with an alternative way of exploring the museum, while also continuing to develop ways to help people better understand and appreciate the wonders of contemporary art.

The Contemporary would like to introduce two new staff members. We’re excited to welcome Tuan Nguyen as our new Museum Educator.  He will be in charge of expanding the museum’s education initiatives at the museum and in the St. Louis community.  He will plan and teach studio art classes (including the New Art in the Neighborhood teen program); work with universities and area schools; lead the museum’s school and public tour program; plan our Free Family Days; and program the Education Resource Center on the second floor of the Contemporary.

We are also excited to welcome Alex Elmestad to the team as our new Public Programs Coordinator.  He will work closely with our curatorial department to plan dynamic public programs that enhance our exhibitions.  This season, to go along with our For the Blind Man… exhibition, he will plan events like a “blind chess” tournament, a DJ/Fortune night, and a closing night piñata party.  Alex will also work with the museum’s digital media initiatives, and will continue to build and improve our podcasting program, as well as help launch new interactive programs.

We are happy to welcome these new staff members to take on such important initiatives. If you have any program ideas to pass along to them, let us know.  Look for future blog postings about their ideas and accomplishments!

As the staff makes plans, prepares and discusses all of the upcoming programming at the museum, we are all becoming more and more excited! One event we have been talking a lot about recently is Playing in the Dark: A Collision Of Art and Chess. For this event, we are collaborating with the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis to bring a day full of chess as a kick-off event to the U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. Of course, you won’t only be watching a normal chess game. Anna Zatonskih, the defending U.S. Women’s champion and Olympic Gold Medalist will simultaneously play five people blindfolded! (I am sensing a connection here) and there will be hulachess (which is exactly what it sounds like). Look for more info on this soon.
 

At the beginning of the summer the 5^th Anniversary issue of MESH Magazine was produced. MESH is the Contemporary’s magazine that is created annually to let the public know a little more about the exhibitions, events, and programs happening at the museum. The most current issue has received much positive attention. We would like to share the electronic version of MESH with you all. Click here to see images from past shows and programs, read quotes from artists and visitors, and learn more about what the Contemporary is all about.

Last week the CAMSTL crew took a break in the day to test out a small version of a piñata that will be part of the exhibition For the blind man in the dark room looking for the black cat that isn’t there. The piñata that we broke open was about ¼ the size of what the real one will be, which will be about the size of a car. Yes, we are going to have a car-sized piñata hanging from our ceiling and yes, at some point this giant piñata will be broken open. Will there be candy and other fun items inside? Maybe. Who is the artist behind this giant piñata? Mariana Castillo Deball.

Open Studios kicks off tonight, and let me tell you-there is excitement in the air. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes Open Studios such an exciting event. Maybe it is the overall community movement, or the intimacy of so many details coming together. It’s just such an amazing experience. My first year, I drove with friends to different studios throughout the studio. The second year, I hopped on a trolley (bus tour info here), last year I rode my bike in 100 degree heat (and it was awesome. Trek organizes the tours. Meet at the Contemporary at 10 am this Saturday or Sunday and embark. You can even drop out part way through if you aren’t able to commit to the whole day). This year, I may do a little of each. With so many artists all over the city, there’s certainly not a lack of opportunity.

Recently, our info email account received a request from a MESH reader, pleading to know who had created a artwork pictured in the magazine. Serendipitously, I had visited that studio two years ago and remember the experience so vividly that I knew exactly who the artist was and could connect them. While I was chatting on the phone with the artist this week (as a result of this email connection), He mentioned that around fifteen people visited his studio last year. I was going to apologize for the light traffic and hope for more this year-but he stopped me in mid-sentence and told me he sold six or seven works that day. Holy Cow! Amazing! And although selling artwork isn’t a primary goal (it hasn’t been on our list at all yet), it’s certainly nice.

City-Wide Open Studios began as an attempt to promote a conversation between those who appreciate art and those who make it. The first year we started this program 37 artists joined us. Just four years later, we have more than 150 artists, from such varied backgrounds and practices. Does everyone understand the wealth of art being made in St. Louis today? It’s incredible. Go out. See art. Support the community. Just enjoy. A studio visit is a unique experience that will reside in your memory for years to come. Hesitant? For a taste of last year’s event (and to see some of the dialog happening) visit the video by Laurent Torno 3.

Tonight, the preview of work kicks off with a good old fashioned reception, complete with drinks and DJ. The work will remain in the museum for the rest of the week, admission free. And this weekend is IT: Open Studios 2009. Please visit the website for more info.