In the age of social media, everyone is a curator (or at least they think they are). Media-rich networks have empowered anyone with an interest in art to both disseminate and publish their own creative images and groupings of artworks—essentially, creative Internet users have the ability to assume the roles of curator, artist, and critic, all at the same time. Where do museums fit into this picture, and how can traditional museum curators align their practice with social media users to create meaningful cultural experiences with a public hungry for new ideas and personal resonance? This panel will discuss the ways in which technology can enhance or strain against museum conventions, with a focus on digital projects that have fostered engaging art experiences. We will also examine how these projects point the way towards new methods of fulfilling the ultimate museum mission of being a place of insight and inspiration.

1. Everyone’s a Curator
Do Museums Still Matter?

2. These days,
Museums look like this:

3. #SFphotohunt

4. And
this

6. And
this

8. And
this

10. And of course,
sometimes this

12. So how does that
relate to this?

14. Examine the notion
of curation with:

15. The Asian Art Museum
The Contemporary Jewish Museum
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art)

16. And how a museum
online or in-person

17. Approaches its role
as a place of
inspiration and delight