A rousing plenary this morning by Max Anderson of the Indianapolis Museum of Art set the tone for MW2009 (complete with live twitter commentary, for better or worse). The IMA has set themselves apart during the three years that Max has been at the helm, cultivating a robust technology department, implementing an innovative site design, and striving to set a new standard for transparency in the museum world. The greatest example of this transparency is the IMA dashboard, which informs visitors of everything from the size of their endowment and the value of deaccessioned items to the average daily energy usage and number of plants on the grounds, plus much more.
You can view the speech in its entirety on ArtBabble, a recently launched art video sharing site and another one of the IMA's recent projects.
I agree with Max that museums would be well served to allow their visitors “behind the velvet rope” on the web. The idea of museum-as-sacred-ground that I grew up with inspires a kind of awe and reverence, to be sure, but not the kind of free-wheeling exploration, innovation, and engagement that builds a community. Everyone here at MW2009 is now anxious for the reception at the IMA tomorrow night.