metmuseum.org | @metmuseum
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, located in New York City, presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world and provides abundant online materials for exploring their collection. Art at Home offers a timeline of art history and 360-degree views of the Museum’s famous spaces. #MetKids is an online game where children learn about art and history.
The Museum is featuring new materials on their YouTube and Facebook channels. These include interviews with artists; performances by the Museum’s resident quartet, ETHEL & Friends; and an iconic American opera, The Mother of Us All (YouTube and Facebook). A family favorite, “Storytime in Nolen Library” is available weekly, hosted by museum educators, librarians and guest readers. Sketching and drawing classes led by artists and educators can also be found on their YouTube channel.
The Public Gets Creative
The Met is also encouraging the public to show their creativity. #MetTwinning challenges followers to recreate their favorite works in the collection, using objects, pets and people available in their homes, with some amazing results.
Each May, the Museum holds the Met Gala, a fundraiser for their famous Costume Institute. It is a glamorous event, filled with celebrities, and showcases stunning and provocative creations by fashion designers. This year, they issued the #MetGalaChallenge, asking followers to recreate their favorite costumes and the results were breathtaking.
Other social media initiatives include #CuratorTag, where Met curators share thoughts about a work in the collection relevant to them now and #CuratorChat, where followers can submit questions on a particular topic. For book lovers, they offer #AllByYourShelf, highlighting a free new Met publication available daily on the Museum’s website. In addition, MetPublications will continue to regularly release out-of-print titles for free download.
Watch for new posts as Alessandra Pozzi and I bring you stories of how museums in Italy and the US continue to support the public during the quarantine.
