Voices Heard
As a museum which sets a standard for other museums to follow regarding accessibility, it would be a shame to visit the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and not discuss its related initiatives. So, I’ll continue my exploration of sense engagement by the museums on the seminar schedule, this time looking at MoMA.
Hearing is a sense that has been wholly embraced by MoMA. This much is clear in my own visitor observations within the museum’s galleries.
To exemplify, as I explored the galleries, I happened upon groups of visitors congregated around various on display works of art. Each group was led by a staff member who encouraged discussion with the group by asking questions related to their perceptions of each work. To ensure that these questions were heard, headphones paired to a microphone worn by the discussion leader were dispersed to all participants. It was apparent that this microphone-headphone system successfully relayed information as participants appeared engaged in discussion.
This museum cares about the needs of its visitors! As shared by the MoMA professionals who graciously spoke with our seminar group, this is possible via efforts taken by staff to gather visitor feedback. This data, both quantitative and qualitative, informs in such ways that staff effectively can address visitor needs.
In her discussion with our seminar group, Sara Bodinson, who oversees Interpretation, Research, and Digital Learning within the Department of Education at MoMA, noted the strides taken by MoMA to offer museum content in 9 different languages.
It had not occurred to me why this focus on language would be important for MoMA. Then I started wandering the museum. I sat down for lunch at the museum cafe and the people sitting next to me were speaking a language other than English. As I walked out of the cafe I heard another language. This continued as I walked by visitors within the galleries. My minimal interaction with MoMA visitors quickly corroborated this need to translate.
Visitor feedback evidently is invaluable for museums focused on improving their accessibility. When needs are identified by the visitor, a museum can best serve its audiences.
References
Katharine Strobel. (2017, June 25). MoMA access programs [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOxLuHfjh4w&t=3s
