Spotlight on Digital Engagement

What works, what doesn’t, and how the pandemic changed the game

How has the pandemic changed the way audiences engage with museums, and the way museums engage with their audiences? How can digital tools enhance the visitor experience and help museums transition through what comes next?

Join the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and a panel of museum experts for this special summit on moving towards a visitor-centered, digital-enabled future. The session will include a review of recent research presented by Lee Groves Consulting, followed by a panel discussion on museum audience expectations and engagement around digital initiatives.

Whether your role is in curatorial, marketing, visitor experience or education, professionals from museums of all sizes and types will benefit from this exciting learning opportunity. Relevant content and tactics will be shared for beginner, intermediate, and advanced champions and users of digital tools.

The Panelists:

Moderator

Mark McKay, Digital Director, Art Gallery of Ontario

Mark McKay is the senior-most digital leader at the AGO and is responsible for developing and executing the AGO's digital strategy, including producing multimedia content, digital experiences, and innovative products. He is a transformational leader, innovator, and entrepreneur with a proven track record of helping global brands, non-profits, start-ups, and small businesses succeed.

Panelists

Ryan Doherty, Curator, Contemporary Calgary

Ryan Doherty is a curator, writer and administrator who joined the staff of Contemporary Calgary as Chief Curator in 2019. He received his MA from the Centre for Curatorial Studies at Bard College in New York (2007) and his undergraduate degree at the University of Lethbridge (1997). He worked at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG) as Curator beginning in 2008 and as Director since 2013.

Seema Rao, Deputy Director and Chief Experience Officer, Akron Art Museum

Seema Rao is currently the Deputy Director and Chief Experience Officer of the Akron Art Museum where she has been focused on transformative change in organizations and helping the museum survive the Covid crisis. With nearly 20 years of museum experience, Ms. Rao has extensive experience in interpretation and programming from leading content development for all audiences.

Graham Ruttan, Marketing and Communications Officer, Galt Museum & Archives

Graham Ruttan is the Marketing and Communications Officer for the Galt Museum & Archives. Since 2017, he and his colleagues have expanded the organization's online presence and increased its digital accessibility. In 2020, MuseWeb awarded Graham and the Galt's team a GLAMi Award for fully automating their online booking process.

Katharine Uhrich, Senior Social Media Manager, Field Museum

Katharine uses social media to connect the general public to the work and stories of one of the world’s largest natural history museums. You’ll likely hear her insisting social media is a telephone, not a megaphone.

Research Partner

Anne Lee Groves, Partner, Lee Groves Consulting

Anne Lee Groves is a partner at Lee Groves Consulting, a research and evaluation firm specializing in audience engagement and analytics for the non-profit sector. She works with institutions in arts and culture, education, and other social enterprises to listen to their constituents, articulate their missions, and amplify their impact.

This session is presented by the Canadian Museums Association and the Art Gallery of Ontario in partnership with Lee Groves Consulting. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.