Arianna on Museums and Social Media Technology

Huffingtonpost has an editorial,-"Museums 2.0: What Happens When Great Art Meets New Media?"--commenting on the use of Social Networking by museums.Most of her examples are art museums, rather than cultural/historical museums, but the same points would apply.  She notes that

At their best, social media build community and enhance communication. In the case of museums, they can provide access to a much wider audience, and can extend the museum visit by allowing a user to continue the aesthetic experience after leaving the museum.

but warns

if museums forget their DNA and get their heads turned by every new tech hottie that shimmies by they will undercut the point of their existence. Too much of the wrong kind of connection can actually disconnect us from an aesthetic experience. As Sontag summed it up: "contemplation... entails self-forgetfulness on the part of the spectator."

I suspect that technology will only add to the museum experience.  Those who enjoy museums and the contemplative aspect of viewing art or artifacts in a museum setting will not stop going because they have an app for a museum.  The technology will bring more people to the table--perhaps some of those people who don't share my enthusiasm for a traditional museum visit.

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

 The Museum at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center  in Albuquerque, New Mexico is part of a large complex of educational and meeting facilities.  We arrived, unfortunately, about an hour before closing time, so our visit was a little rushed--it's another museum that I would love to re-visit before long to spend more time.

At entrance to the Center

Visitors are greeted at the entrance from the parking lot to the museum by a larger-than life statue of a figure carrying a tablet and draped with a blanket bearing crosses.


Inside, the museum has an informal atmosphere.  One room near the entrance displayed dozens of dolls representing different groups of Pueblo Indians.  The figures were beautiful and detailed, set off in groups against a very blue background.  One emphasis of the museum seemed to be an appreciation of the unique character and culture of each different group, so this exhibit and the rest of the museum provide an interesting lesson in the diversity of Pueblo cultures.


The rest of the museum is a little complicated to follow, at least if you're on a time constraint, as we were.  I would definitely recommend reviewing the map/layout material and some of the background information before navigating the museum.  The artifacts and information are displayed in a series of hallways doubling back and forth, and I wasn't always sure what the connection between exhibits was.  Later in the hotel room, I found the map, and was able to piece together what I'd seen earlier.  If possible, plan ahead, visit the website, and find out what other events and tours are available.  We could see that the museum had several interactive and dramatic displays, but these were shut down by the late afternoon.


A large part of the material we saw focused on the work of contemporary artists, with some rather stunning murals, painting, and sculpture.  This seemed to be a departure from many other institutions dedicated to Native American culture that focus almost exclusively on historical artifacts.  We also saw a contemporary exhibit called "Saints of the Pueblos," depicting the patron saints of all the different Pueblos.  I found this interesting again, because it was contemporary, and because, as a native of California, I had always associated the Catholic Church with Mission Indians.  I hadn't realized their role in the culture of the Pueblos.  This exhibit will be running through 2011, according to the website.


Some of the area seemed to be under construction (in July 2010), so we had a little trouble figuring out where to go once we exited the main exhibit area and found ourselves in a courtyard.  Perhaps the late time was also a factor, as guides or docents may have left for the day by the time we made our visit.


The gift shop was extensive, and rather upscale.  A large collection of beautiful shirts and other standard souvenir collections was available, but the shop also had a fine jewelry counter.  The shop also featured an extensive display of books for all levels and educational materials, along with crafts and fine art.

So, if you are going to be in the area, plan ahead and spend some time here, probably about 2 hours for a family with school-aged children. The Harvest Cafe and Bakery was closed when we visited, but it looks like a great way to finish out a visit to the center.    Hope we can try it out next time we're in the area.

Mural on display at museum

From the Museum Website:

 Hours:

Cultural Center & Museum: M-Sun 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Closed major holidays

Gifts: M-Sun 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Closed major holidays

Pueblo Harvest Cafe:  M-Th 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Fri, Sat  8:00 a.m.  9:00 p.m.

Admission Prices: 

Adult (18 and over): $6.00

Senior (62 and over w/ID): $5.50

New Mexico residents (w/ID): $4.00

Students (w/ID): $3.00

Children 5-17: $3.00

Mississippi River Museum/Mud Island, Memphis TN

The Mississippi River Museum is part of the Mud Island River Park in Memphis.  Visitors purchase tickets to the complex, then take the monorail to the Park.  The walk to the Museum covers one of the most informative displays I've come across:  the Mississippi River Walk, a scale model of the lower Mississippi River.  It's quite a walk; signs along the way highlight important historical and geographic features of the great river.  My 12-year old aspiring engineer was fascinated with following the course of the river--and trying to figure out how to stop it, and what would happen when the water was dammed then released.  For me, the park's layout made the phenomenon of the Mississippi River, and its role in history, more clear than any book or paper map ever did. 

The Museum thoroughly covers, as one would expect, the Riverboat era, highlighting the culture that grew around the river in the 19th century. Artifacts, models, and films complete the experience.  Visitors can examine engines and weaponry, then  learn about the personalities of the time.  One exhibit recreates a riverboat experience, with cabins,deck, and a night sky.  The flip side of the exhibit brings visitors to a similar recreation of the warships that briefly clashed in the Mississippi.
Mark Twain makes an appearance in a mural outside the Riverboat exhibit. 



The museum also introduces visitors to the music of the Mississippi Delta, with instruments, sheet music, and information about the music originating from the area. Biographies of musicians from the Delta provide a history of the Delta Blues.

View from the monorail on the way back from the park

An exhibit and film on the dangers associated with living and working on a major river provided a dramatic (and perhaps a little frightening to young children?) look at the flip side of the economic and trade benefits that bring populations to the river: floods, shipboard fires, and epidemics enabled by travel and climate conditions.

Visitors also learn about pre-19th century culture, as exhibits about trappers and explorers--and before them, Native American inhabitants of the era--show how the river served as a population center for centuries before the grand showboats made an entrance.

 The museum is only open from April-October; we went in July of 2010, and it was quite hot.  Be sure to bring sunscreen for the River Walk--and perhaps water pistols.  Note that there are cafeterias and restaurants at the Musem area, but they were quite crowded, so you might bring snacks to keep everybody happy.  Give the family several hours for the whole experience.  I'm not sure how much preschool or primary-age children would get out of the visit, but older school aged children who have studied some U.S. history will have a great time and have the chance to enhance their understanding of what they learned in school.

On edit:  Julia Keller recently posted a review of Wicked River: The Mississippi When It Last Ran Wild, which sounds like a great follow-up for anyone who enjoyed the River Museum.  I think I'm going to put it on my summer reading list.

From the museum website:

Open April - October 31
Will open for 2011 season on April 9, 2011

April 9 – May 27 10:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m
May 28 – September 4  10:00 a.m - 6:00 p.m
September 6 - October 31 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

Last Admission is one (1) hour prior to closing.
Closed Mondays throughout the season.
General admission and Skybridge access is free
Roundtrip Monorail Ride Only - $4.00 per person, all ages
   (free with a Museum Package purchase!)
Museum Package includes:
*Mississippi River Museum Admission
*Grounds/Riverwalk access
*Roundtrip Monorail Ride
*Optional Guided River Walk Tour

Adults (13-59) - $10.00
Seniors (60 Plus) - $9.00
 Youths (5 – 11) - $7.00
Children (4 and under) - FREE  

Call for group rates, school discounts or education programs !

901-576-7241 or 800-507-6507