Museum Week Kicks Off With Even More Reasons to Get Virtual Culture
- May 11, 2020 00:53
Museum Week is live from May 11 to 17 with “7 days, 7 themes, 7 hashtags,” on the most popular social platforms around the world: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Weibo, WeChat, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, and YouTube.
The digital initiative #MuseumWeek first launched in Europe way back in 2014, years before the current explosive growth of culture online. Organizers called this collective effort, meant to stay relevant and reach new audiences, “the first worldwide cultural event on social media.”
Over 6000 museums participated in the last edition of #MuseumWeek. The current health crisis around the world has really upped the numbers of online culture seekers, possibly creating a moment to reach the widest audience yet.
Since California's shelter-in-place took effect in mid-March, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco reports that engagement on its Instagram has increased 744% and 59% across its social media platforms overall.
In 2019, the #MuseumWeek event overall received 1.8 million engagements, 4.4 thousand hashtag mentions, and a potential reach of eight billion people in total.
Check your favorite social media for #MuseumWeek to tune into museums, galleries, foundations, institutions, archives, and libraries worldwide as they spread culture over the Internet. Themes for 2020 include: #heroesMW on Monday, May 11; #CultureInQuarantineMW day inspired by the Getty Museum initiative #ArtInQuarantine on Tuesday; the flagship theme #togetherMW on Wednesday; #MuseumMomentsMW to recall memories on Thursday; Friday will be devoted to climate change with #climateMW; and Saturday to technology to showcase museums' digital platforms with #technologyMW. Sunday will be devoted to dreams and hope, with #dreamsMW.
It's #MuseumWeek & Day 1 provides an opportunity to celebrate key workers.
— The Hepworth Wakefield (@HepworthGallery) May 11, 2020
During the late 1940s, Barbara Hepworth made a remarkable series of exquisite drawings and paintings illustrating surgeons at work in operating theatres within post-war Britain. #HeroesMW #ThankYouNHS pic.twitter.com/x3XcMSUqjJ
