Exploring Three Different Approaches to Online Photography Competitions in Museums

This panel discussed three different approaches to the implementation of online photography competitions developed by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. and the Indianapolis Museum of Art in connection with the Snapshot exhibition that was hosted by the three venues at different times between October 2011 and September 2012. It was targeted at institutions interested in creating participatory experiences for their audience. Session Description: The Snapshot: Painters and Photography, Bonnard to Vuillard exhibition explores the competitive relationship between painting and photography at the dawn of the 20th century, when the first hand-held camera was introduced by Kodak. It was developed through a collaboration between The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and The Indianapolis Museum of Art, all of which hosted the exhibition at different times between October 2011 and September 2012. In connection with the exhibition, all three museums have launched online photography competitions encouraging museum visitors, as well as people interested in photography to submit "snapshots" that they have taken with their cameras or mobile devices. In addition, The Phillips Collection also developed a home movie contest asking amateur filmmakers to create short videos focusing on life at home with family and friends. Despite the common topic, the three competitions were very different in nature. Within the panel, each institution will provide an overview of their project, including objectives, overall approach to the competition and implementation, user participation and response, and lessons learned. Through the individual presentations and the questions and comments that will follow, participants will be able to get a better sense of what worked, what didn't, issues encountered and possible solutions. The hope is that this discussion will provide an orientation for other institutions that are interested in offering similar participatory experiences for their audiences. Competition URLs: http://www.give-it-a-shot.org/ http://www.phillipscollection.org/exhibitions/snapshot/home-video-contest.aspx http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/snapshotcontest/december www.imamuseum.org/mysnapshot (available from June 8, 2012) Presenters: Silvia Filippini Fantoni, Manager for evaluation and technology-based engagement, Indianapolis Museum of Art Edith Schreurs, Consultant Online Media, Van Gogh Museum Cecilia Wichmann, Publicity and Marketing Manager, The Phillips Collection Presented Thursday, Nov 8, 2012 at the Museum Computer Network Conference in Seattle, WA. mcn.edu