Social Media and New Technology Strategies

The Association for Public Art (then known as the Fairmount Park Art Association) built on the success of its Museum Without Walls cell phone tour and leveraged the power of social media and smart phone technology to engage audiences in an online dialogue about Philadelphia's vast public art collection. Whereas the Museum Without Walls project tells stories of significant artworks using pre-recorded messages that are accessible via cell phone, this new project has encouraged viewers to share in the dialogue by posting their own stories and impressions via social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. The Association for Public Art (aPA) worked with social media consultants to determine this strategy and develop a sustainable system that is responsive to rapidly moving advances in technology and digital media. aPA staff also created a new position of new media manager to oversee its new online initiatives, which have included a "flashlight mob" and Foursquare check-ins for public sculpture. The aPA hopes that this endeavor will result in greater interaction with both tourists and residents, enhancing their experience of the city's historical and cultural assets. [fn]Management grants, through the Philadelphia Cultural Management Initiative, were awarded from 2009 through 2013.[/fn]