Thank you for participating in the 2018 Annual SIG Chairs Elections. Join me in congratulating each one of our SIG Chairs.
Eric Longo, Executive Director
Data & Insights SIG
Chair: Angie Judge, CEO, Dexibit
A kiwi technology entrepreneur with a background in computer science, Angie leads an award winning team at Dexibit, the company she founded to transform decision making in the arts. Named the 2018 Woman of Influence for Business Enterprise, Angie developed her passion for analytics in the telecoms industry with over 10 years in a corporate career as an Analyst at Hewlett Packard and Israeli software company Amdocs. Prior, she started her career in marketing for a merchant bank across a portfolio of brands.
Angie is also the Chair of the American Alliance of Museum’s Technology Board and host of a tourism analytics think tank network across the US. In her spare time, Angie mentors young women into technology careers, lecturers in data science and is a keen water skier.
Co-Chair: Keith Laba, Chief Information & Analytics Officer, Arizona Science Center
Keith Laba joined Arizona Science Center as their Chief Information & Analytics Officer (CIAO) in March of 2017. With a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Master’s degree in Optimization and Applied Mathematics from The College of William and Mary, Keith has been delivering advanced analytics solutions and developing data-informed strategies for over 20 years. He has experience with a wide range of organizations, in areas such as financial services, travel, and post-secondary education. In his current role, Keith leads a technology and analytics team that collaborates with departments across the entire organization, to establish a data-informed culture and help transform Arizona Science Center into a global leader through research, technology, advanced analytics, and strategic insight.
Digital Asset Management SIG
Chair: Susan Wamsley, Digital Asset Manager, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
I have worked for over ten years in the field of digital asset management setting up DAM systems from analog photography libraries for global companies. In my current role, I work closely with all museum departments to facilitate digital media asset submissions into the museum DAM system. Following the museum’s archival and metadata standards, I ensure the integrity and reliability of the information in the system and provide support to all users. I also research and provide recommendations on best practices for software, asset preservation and digital rights management. I have encountered and solved many implementation, workflow and user adoption issues over the years and am excited to share my knowledge.
Co-Chair: David Garfinkel, Senior Digital Asset Manager Technician, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
I grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and my dad thought that someday I’d like to be a computer programmer, so he bought the family an early Macintosh. Turns out I liked MacDraw better than programming, but somehow twenty or so years later I found my first full-time job doing Mac Support work for Penguin Books. Seems I liked fixing computers and that started my career. After leaving IT for a couple of years do get a graduate degree from Teachers College I worked at a small private high school in Manhattan, where wrote a grant for, and ended up starting a program in Media Arts designed for students to use digital video and audio equipment as tools for learning within individual and group projects. In 2003 I left the high school and took a job doing IT consulting work at MoMA and in 2006 I was asked to take the lead on the DAM project at the Museum of Modern Art. At the time I didn’t know what Digital Asset Management was, but with some help, a good team and some stumbles along the way, we managed to choose a vendor, create a plan and eventually set up a speedy and stable system. In 2018 I left MoMA to take a job doing DAMS work at The MET. I work on NetX, processing engines, Jira, Jira Service Desk and Confluence and the challenges and learning opportunities at the new position are many. We are working on 3D ingest and preservation, film archiving and restoration, agile processes for project management and other larger initiatives.
Digital Imaging SIG
Chair: Ben Cort, Collections Photographer, Portland Art Museum
Ben Cort graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2011 with a degree in Professional Photographic Illustration and a minor in Imaging Systems. Upon moving to Portland Oregon that May, he began working as a freelance digital tech/lighting assistant in the commercial and advertising photography markets. He also began working at the Portland Art Museum where he was tasked with constructing and implementing an in-house digital photo studio, with associated workflows, processes and procedures. As responsibilities increased from the initial grant based funding, Ben came on full time in 2016 and was additionally tasked with exhibition documentation and working with Conservation to develop a conservation imaging workflow. Ben has expanded the studio’s capabilities to include UV/IR imaging, photogrammetry and RTI in addition to continually growing the traditional capture potential of the space. Ben remains committed to further developing the imaging program at PAM, and is active in several professional imaging organizations, as well as attending conferences, workshops and seminars on cultural heritage imaging.
Co-Chair: Christopher Ciccone, Photographer & Digital Asset Manager, North Carolina Museum of Art
I have been a Collections Photographer at the North Carolina Museum of Art since 2000, and an MCN member since 2014. My current duties also include digital asset administration and I am a member of MCN’s DAM SIG. Prior to my museum tenure I worked in a variety of commercial photographic settings. Having experienced the industry transition from film to digital has given me a broad perspective on the challenges and opportunities in the field. Membership in the MCN Digital Imaging SIG has been extremely helpful to me in my profession and I am enthusiastic about contributing to its ongoing success. I’m particularly interested in encouraging more practical and technical imaging presentations at MCN conferences as well as facilitating ongoing engagement and collaboration between large and small institutions. I look forward to the opportunity to serve and will do my best to sustain the excellent leadership of our current Chairs.
Human-Centered Design SIG
Chair: Seema Rao, Principal & CEO, Brilliant Idea Studio
Seema Rao has worked in museums for nearly 20 years at the interstices of visitor experience, education, and technology. She heads Brilliant Idea Studio, a firm that helps museums develop the best experiences for all their visitors. Trained as a UX Designer, her particularly focus is on content strategy. She has presented at MCN for many years speaking on social media in education, content development, and educational technology. She has been involved in many other aspects of MCN, including volunteering for MCN50, serving on the initial DEAI committee, and co-chairing the Volunteer committee.
Co-Chair: Cathy Sigmond, Research Associate, RK&A, Inc.
Cathy Sigmond is a Research Associate at RK&A, Inc., a firm in Alexandria, VA and New York City that partners with cultural organizations across the country on intentional planning, research, and evaluation. In her work as an evaluator, Cathy helps museum professionals think strategically about the audiences they intend to serve. She is a strong advocate for integrating research and evaluation into all aspects of museum work– particularly, exhibition and program development — to help practitioners understand how the interplay of design, messaging, and the built environment affect the visitor experience. Most recently, she evaluated approaches to digital interactives at a children’s museum, conducted message testing for an exhibition on fossils and climate change, and assessed usability and messaging for an exhibition on the future of New York City. Cathy has spoken about the value of evaluation and design research for museums at a variety of conferences and universities, including the Museum Computer Network, Visitor Studies Association, and the Fashion Institute of Technology. Prior to joining RK&A, Cathy earned her master’s degree in Museum Education from Tufts University and worked as an educator and researcher in a variety of science, history, and art museums.
Educational & Interpretive Media SIG
Chair: Alicia Viera, Interpretive Planner, Detroit Institute of Arts
Alicia Viera is currently an Interpretive Planner at the Detroit Institute of Arts where she continues to advance her goal of facilitating meaningful connections with art. While at the DIA, Alicia has developed interpretive plans for gallery projects and exhibitions, and has written content for analog and digital interpretive components. Most recently, she has worked on the award-winning augmented reality tour Lumin at the DIA as well as exhibitions such as “Making Home: Contemporary Works from the DIA,” “Church: A Painter’s Pilgrimage,” “Ofrendas: Celebrating el Día de Muertos,” and the upcoming “Ruben & Isabel Toledo: Labor of Love.” Before moving to Detroit, Alicia was arts administrator, director of cultural programs, and acting curator in San Antonio, Texas, where she organized “Contemporary Latino Art: El Corazón de San Antonio,” “Arte y Tradición de la Frontera: The U.S. – México Borderlands in the Works of Santa Barraza and Carmen Lomas Garza,” “The Texas Size Breach Collaborative: From El Paso to San Antonio” as well as “Absolute Resolution: A Participatory Photography Exhibition.” In these exhibitions, as well as those at the DIA, she explored the use of technology and social media for interpretative engagement—one of her current interests. Alicia holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Art Education and Arts Administration respectively from Florida State University, where she also completed graduate certificates in Museum Studies, Art Museum Education, and Program Evaluation. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. Her research interests include edu-curation, visitor-centered and multilingual exhibitions, supported interpretation (SI), and multiculturalism and inclusivity in art museums and galleries. She strives for developing exhibitions that are non-authoritative and that facilitate the understanding and appreciation of art by engaging new and current museum audiences in more relevant and meaningful museum experiences that can enrich their personal lives and those of their loved ones.
Co-Chair: Melissa Mair, Senior Interpretation Planner, Carnegie Museum of Art
In her current role as Senior Interpretation Planner at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Melissa Mair focuses specifically on visitor engagement in the permanent collection galleries. Working within an interdisciplinary core team, she concentrates on realizing the goals of the museum’s Collecting Experiences initiative, which prioritizes collaborating with audiences and embracing multiple narratives. Prior to coming to CMOA, Melissa worked for five years in the Interpretation department of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Throughout her career, Melissa has worked on a variety of educational and interpretative materials, from videos to interactives and immersive audio walks.
Intellectual Property SIG
Chair: Ama Iromuanya, Intellectual Property & Digital Rights Administrator, Dallas Museum of Art
In his current capacity as the Intellectual Property & Digital Rights Administrator at The Dallas Museum of Art, Ama oversees the management, distribution, and procurement of intellectual property and rights related information. He works cross-departmentally with publications, marketing, exhibitions, curatorial, and other areas within the institution. Ama has been instrumental to major projects such as the development of the museum’s Open Access Policy and has worked to streamline rights & reproduction workflows. He believes that IP presents a unique and engaging challenge that is relevant to every facet of a museum.
Co-Chair: Margaret McKee, Digital Asset Manager, The Menil Collection
Margaret C. McKee is the Digital Asset Manager at the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas. Her department oversees rights and reproductions, and she co-authored the institution’s internal fair use policy. Previously, she worked in photographic and imaging services at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. She holds an AA from Bard College at Simon’s Rock, a BAFA in Art History from the University of New Mexico, and an MS in Information Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. This spring she will complete a two-year term as co-chair of the Visual Resources Association’s Intellectual Property Rights Committee.
Information Technology SIG
Chair: Janice Craddock, Information Technology Director, Amon Carter Museum
As Director of Information Technology, Janice heads a department of three to provide technical support for about 120 staff. In her thirty years at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, she has seen firsthand how technology has changed, evolving into an increasingly vital role supporting the institutional mission—a change she has also witnessed during her twenty years involved with MCN. As IT SIG chair, Janice’s aim is to support new IT professionals and engage those with more experience in ongoing conversations about the fundamentals of IT operations and emerging technologies.
Co-Chair: Brian Dawson, Chief Digital Officer, Ingenium (Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation)
Brian is the Chief Digital Officer at the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation, which also operates the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum. As CDO, Brian drives the development and implementation of the strategy for digital platforms, content, distribution and engagement throughout the organization, leading a team of information technology, digital media and exhibition specialists. Prior to joining the museum, Brian worked at Nortel Networks in telephony software development and process improvement. Brian holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from the Dalhousie University (Technical University of Nova Scotia) and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Cape Breton. Brian is keen to help keep connections alive and conversations going through the year, with a regular rhythm of topic discussions, leverage tools such as the Basecamp platform more fully, and sounding out the SIG on additional ideas.
International Image Interoperability Framework SIG
Chair: Stefano Cossu, Software Architect, J. Paul Getty Trust
Stefano Cossu was Director of Application Services at the Art Institute of Chicago from 2012 to 2018 where he oversaw the implementation of a DAMS for the Collections and the publishing of 100,000 collection images online using IIIF. He recently joined the Getty Trust as a Software Architect, where he is collaboratively implementing a large-scale consolidation of the Getty’s visual materials, many millions of images from several Getty programs that will be served online via IIIF. Stefano is an advocate of open source, open access, open standards, and digital literacy in the humanities. He is currently a member of the Fedora Steering Group, the IIIF technical review committee, and chair of the MCN IIIF SIG. He has spoken at MCN and other digital cultural heritage conferences about Linked Data, repository technologies, DAM, and IIIF.
Co-Chair: Emmanuelle Delmas-Glass, Collections Data Manager, Yale Center for British Art
Emmanuelle is currently the Collections Data Manager at the Yale Center for British Art, where she started working in 2006 as the Collections Catalog Specialist. In her current role, she oversees the creation of and access to the museum’s collections data. She plays the lead role in ensuring its intellectual and technical integrity. She identifies and implements new data standards and technologies to disseminate to as wide an audience as possible as well as to support the scholarly mission of the Center. She is currently the Secretary for the International Image Interoperability Framework, and has been an ICOM CIDOC board member since 2013. She previously worked at the Williams College Museum of Art and the Louvre Museum. She has a Master’s of Art History from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Media Production & Branding SIG
Chair: Kelsey Cvach, Digital Content Producer, U.S. Department of State
Kelsey Cvach is passionate about digital storytelling, communicative design and user experience. She’s also excited about leading museums in communicating their value and creating compelling, mutually beneficial experiences for their target audiences. In my past 18 months at the United States Diplomacy Center, a new museum in development in Washington D.C. telling the story of American diplomacy and inspiring discovery of its global impact. I lead our museum’s rebrand, built and implemented style guide, redesigned and launched our website in WordPress, and wrote our digital strategy and the digital components of our museum’s interpretive plan. I also led other projects, such as our first hackathon, and exhibit testing at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. In my three previous roles, I also led branding efforts, including implementing website redesigns, building style guides, leading mission and vision defining activities, and unifying sub-brands.
Co-Chair: Kelsey will be looking to appoint someone to join her as co-chair during 2019.
Social Media SIG
Chair: Alexis Light, Senior Manager of Media Relations and Marketing, The Frick Collection
Alexis Light is currently the Senior Manager of Media Relations and Marketing at The Frick Collection, where she has worked since 2007. Throughout her tenure at the museum, she has been deeply involved in the role social media has played in shaping the voice of the institution and how it is used to communicate to its various audiences. As Social Media SIG chair, she hopes to strengthen our community of members, continue an open dialogue between colleagues, and evaluate strategies for ongoing cross-institutional collaboration through social. She received an M.A. in Modern Art, Connoisseurship and the History of the Art Market from Christie’s, New York, and a B.A. from Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri. She has been actively participating in MCN since 2015.
Co-Chair: Jonathan Munar, Director of Digital Media and Strategy, Art21
Jonathan Munar is the Director of Digital at Art21, heading the organization’s digital presence across Web, social media, and related platforms. Previously, Jonathan was a member of the Website department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. He has served on the board of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Media & Technology Professional Network and has been a presenter, guest lecturer, contributor, and panelist for organizations such as New York University, Baruch College, Art Dealers Association of America, Museum Computer Network, Museums and the Web, the New Media Consortium (NMC) Horizon Report, and the New York City ArtsTech Meetup.
Strategy SIG
Chair: Douglas Hegley, Chief Digital Officer, Minneapolis Institute of Art
Douglas Hegley joined the museum sector in 1997, after previous stints in higher education and pediatric research. During 14 years at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, he helped create collaborative technology operations and deliver engaging digital content to visitors. In 2011 he joined the Minneapolis Institute of Art, where as the Chief Digital Officer he sets the vision and strategy for all digital media and technology efforts, and aims to deliver engaging stories to all audiences via digital channels. Mr. Hegley has been recognized by his peers as a leader in the field, and has served on the boards and committees of several cultural heritage organizations, including the Minnesota Association of Museums, and MCN.
Co-Chair: Mark McKay, Director of Digital, Art Gallery of Ontario
Mark leads a 10 person division made up of 3 departments. Responsible for developing and executing an action plan in support of the AGO’s Technology Strategy. Google Analytics and Adwords certified content marketer. 12 years experience creating branded content and more than 7 years leading corporate digital and social media strategy. Trained in Project Management and Business Analysis. Eleven years of experience in the entertainment industry. Hands on advanced production knowledge of web development, design, video, and animation set me apart from my peers.
Don’t belong to a SIG yet? Want to join one or more? Click on the SIG links above and you’ll find a signup form on each SIG’s page, you can join as many SIGs as you like!