The grant narrative has become one of the most high-stakes tools of communication in the nonprofit fundraising space, driving more than $150 billion in global expenditures. As grant writers adapt their appeals in response to changing funder values, this narrative network gives shape to the nonprofit ecosystem in which many arts organizations operate.
Exposure to nature can positively influence one’s mental well-being. As VR technology seeks to recreate elements of life, its developers and prospective adopters must keep asking one very important question: how deeply can VR impact us? And, what might the implications be for museums?
It is always fun to take a moment as we close out a year to compare our favorite content to the popularity contest of the web. AI, Sustainability, and Preservation with technology led the charge. Keep reading for the most popular articles and podcasts.
As AI continues to integrate into our everyday lives, how does it impact our creativity? Many researchers and scholars agree that the technology may promote significant opportunities in this space. By introducing novel ideas and opportunities to users, it may be most effective as a tool to augment, rather than replace, human creativity.
Many museums have gravitated towards utilizing XR (VR, AR, or other extended reality modes) in numerous ways to enhance visitor experience. While there are successful ways to support visitor experience, it is possible that XR can have negative impacts. This article explores case studies of two museums who have integrated XR into their exhibitions: the Cleveland Museum of Art and Illinois Holocaust Museum, discusses the positive and negative facets of these technologies on visitor experience, and analyzes implications for the arts field.
VR exhibitions have been on the rise for the past decade and are a continuous hot topic. Many metrics can be measured and leveraged when it comes to the evaluation of a museum’s exhibition. However, when it comes to leveraging a VR exhibition in a physical museum, what metrics are currently being assessed and valued in the museum field? What are the factors that make or break a VR exhibition? These are the questions that this article aims to address and explore.
In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has emerged as an engaging tool for museums, offering visitors immersive and interactive experiences that go beyond traditional exhibits. However, while VR promises enriched engagement, museum professionals still face multifaceted challenges. So far, most of the research conducted has focused on how museums utilize VR to attract more visitors and, as a result, raise their revenue. But VR is not only about that. Museum professionals and curators face multiple challenges that include integrating technology, curating content, and maintaining the authenticity and educational value of exhibits while meeting the demands of modern-day audiences.
Staff Researcher, Venetia Liao, attended the 2023 Museum Computer Network Conference (MCN), and wrote about her four key takeaways: (1) Audience Engagement & Visitor Experience In Apps, Websites, Research, and Design, (2) AI, VR/XR/AR Usage & Concerns, (3) Data & Database Management For Collections Management & Marketing Strategy, and (4) Cybersecurity.
Fundraising is a vital part of a nonprofit’s ability to achieve its mission. Cultivating relationships with individuals and institutions in this way can help an organization gain economic support, as well as important relationships and visibility. In order to create and maintain these relationships in development departments, organizations need to meet potential partners where they are and inspire them through their mission and projects. Today, and in the near future, these potential donors may likely be in a virtual space, specifically augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
Virtual reality (VR) has quickly become a mainstay for exhibiting arts and cultural organizations. When looking at it as a concept, “VR has the potential to simulate imaginative and existing physical environments along with their processes. The simulations can be tuned to a highest level of multisensorial realism in order to affect users' visual, auditory, tactile, vestibular, and even olfactory and gustatory senses.” But what does it mean to museums and cultural organizations, and how can it help the arts?
Our world is becoming increasingly digital - in the past year, the metaverse and NFTs have become household buzzwords, causing a massive “gold rush” into developing cutting-edge innovation surrounding immersive experiences. This article primarily focuses on the use of AR in the fashion industry and how more established, traditional brands are embracing this immersive technology in comparison to those born in the Web3 era.
The application of Virtual and Augmented reality in music has been around for a while. From collaborative creation and interactive music videos to its incorporation in art museums, it seems as if the arts industry is competing with itself to enhance the audience experience. As concerts are a highly user-oriented experience, these technologies have started gaining more traction in the live music space. The demand for interactive and immersive experiences has called for innovative models to be incorporated within music. Thus, the application of such models is added to the concert experience with the implementation of VR and AR technologies to help maximize its interactivity.
Those who have a vested interest in the arts are often curious: how is art impacting its audiences? The Americans for the Arts Arts + Social Impact Explorer presents ten categories for how art can impact the people in its communities, and it is the ultimate challenge of arts organizations to build innovative programs that improve their reach in all ten. To measure impact against this challenge, organizations may analyze ticket sales, subscriptions, donations, and audience surveys. Between income spreadsheet lines, however, there are more questions about how to improve engagement, and – central to this piece – when and how to incorporate new technologies into classic offerings to boost innovation.
Virtual Reality technology puts the user in a computer-generated environment, allowing them to interact with simulated elements via a headset. On the other hand, Augmented reality incorporates elements that are generated, be it visual, audio, or other sensory elements into the real world via technology. AR technology lets the user position his or her smartphone to a point in the physical world and bring it to life by adding virtual components via this technology.
When it comes to the widely discussed topic of mental health, the arts have proven to play a significant role in healing. In fact, artists and scientists have been researching impacts of art on the brain and body for nearly 75 years. The founding hypothesis in art therapy research emerged from the projects of two women curious about how art could help the severely ill, but extensions of their work continue to grow. Like much in our lives, art therapy research is now increasingly embracing immersive technology.
As museums and heritage attractions are restricted by distancing and capacity rule during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital strategies undoubtedly gather more interest than ever before. Virtual Reality (VR) has been put to use in the cultural sector a way to deliver exciting and immersive exhibitions. The communication between archaeologists and technicians is critical for the accuracy of the VR reconstruction and museums should work closely with their technology team and emphasize their obligation to public education in these creations. This insures that museums can keep the integrity of cultural heritage exhibits while providing an exciting and immersive educational experience of the past with technology that looks toward the future.
MR, or Mixed Reality, is appearing across the arts world, but its actual meaning is not well understood. A strong beginning includes a foundational understanding of the concepts of reality and virtuality. The future application of MR technology is unlimited, increasing the possibility of creating experiences that reflect what is seen in sci-fi films. While many practitioners believe that MR is the future, the technology lacks popularity in the consumer market. However, with the continuous development of MR technology, more cost-effective solutions will be found, and the future of a truly immersive experience will come.
In the ever-changing and technologically advanced age that we are currently in, there are integrations of new technologies into our lives almost everyday, and the arts are no exception. The world of theater, especially that of immersive theater, has been experiencing a technological revolution of its own thanks to advancements in and the adoption of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Contributor Amelia Stevens explores this in her research.
The pandemic has advanced the discussion for a faster expansion of 5G, a new generation of the wireless network that is believed to revolutionize industries and facilitate the new remote work environment. What can the art world expect to gain from adopting this new generation of wireless network and how can it be most efficiently utilized to support the goals of each individual and organization? This research examines the potential implications and caveats of 5G adoption in the arts and cultural industry.
