Museums of the Future

We’re in the new millennium and Dr. Elaine A. King’s Museum class, Museums Mission, Function and Audience have been studying and asking themselves where are museums today and what will be significant new museum of the future?  As a group this generation is aware that new technology is transforming all facets of our society and technology’s presence is continuously changing the museum platform.  They are aware that the new museum of the future will not only be about reaching more people but also it’s about deepening people’s relationship to them both on site as well as from a distance.  Furthermore, the students recognize that museums not only play a special experiential and educational role in the real world and but also increasingly do so in the digital world.

This exhibition in the Ellis Gallery running from 8 April through 19^th April showcases the concepts students have explored and developed for a thematic new museum for the future.  In working on this project students were asked to consider the following:

• Cultural, technological, political and economic trends of importance to museums today.

• How this museum will expand the dialogue about the subject/theme and how it connects to communities addressing the challenges of coming decades.

Three individual groups in the class have invented a new museum centering on a specific theme.  Students were asked to propose a museum that is fitting for our new technological age and to consider how it can reach a broader audience.  Also they were to consider how it is different from museums of the past 100 years. The three projects include: The Museum of Gender, the Arts and Technology Center,—they are museum proposals and investigations by undergraduate students— and the Museum of Public Art, is an innovative international art forum created by the Master of Arts Management students. 

On Wednesday 24 April and 1^st May the groups will present an in-depth analysis of their proposed museum project.

8 x 8 PHOTO PARTY

Silver Eye Center for Photography invites you to our first 8 x 8 PHOTO PARTY on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 7 - 11 pm at our Southside gallery. 

What is 8 x 8? It’s a fabulous social gathering, an exhibition and sale of hundreds of 8 x 8 inch square photographs submitted from around the world, and a festive celebration of the artist in all of us!

Ease into the evening with the Not So Square Cocktail Reception at 7 pm, which includes an hour of delicious, light hors d’oeuvres and cocktails provided by Wigle Whiskey. And you’ll be able to preview and purchase great artwork from the 8 x 8 exhibition (only $20 per photo) before the crowds arrive!

At 8 pm, the event swings into high gear with the electrifying beats of DJ Nate Da Phat Barber, a sampling of food, wine, beer, and spirits from top local restaurants and purveyors, vintage-themed photo booths, and much more. 

All proceeds from the 8 x 8 PHOTO PARTY directly benefit Silver Eye Center for Photography, Pittsburgh’s nationally-acclaimed non-profit space for contemporary photography.

Date: Friday, May 17, 2013

Time: 7 - 8 pm, Not So Square Cocktail Reception; 8 - 11 pm, General Admission

Location: Silver Eye Center for Photography, 1015 E. Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203

Advance tickets are $25 for the Not So Square cocktail reception from 7 - 8 pm, and includes the cost of admission for the rest of the evening. General admission tickets can be purchased in advance for $15.

Tickets can be purchased online until 12 noon on the day of the event at: http://www.showclix.com/event/eightbyeight

Tickets will be available at the door on the night of the event for $20 (beginning at 8 pm).