The limitless dissemination of networked digital information has forever transformed how knowledge is produced, managed, and consumed. These changes have provided museums with new opportunities to engage visitors online and have also presented many challenges to which museums must respond. This unstoppable shift towards the digital represents one of the most significant cultural changes that museums have faced in many decades.
The extent to which SJMA can benefit from new opportunities in the digital space to drive revenue, engagement, and innovation depends on its ability to leverage new technologies and agile workflows to support its mission. This document provides a roadmap for further infusion of digital activities into the museum’s operations and overarching strategic plan. This strategy will help the museum stay focused on the priorities and goals we have identified herein, from in-gallery interactive projects to our digital literacy staff. It will serve as a repository for tracking our progress along the way.
SJMA’s digital strategy for 2020-2021 is a real-time document. It is living and evolving as we deploy tactics to meet the goals contained herein. Each strategic thrust includes a Strategy in Action section, where we will make updates, additions, and notes about ongoing activities. A living document allows SJMA to respond to inevitable shifts in technology and real-time digital metrics reporting. A transparent record such as this also keeps the museum publicly accountable for progress and momentum.
Given that the world of technology is more fast-paced and dynamic than the museum world, it will be essential to scale our efforts in proportion to what our staff and resources can adequately manage at any given time. This digital strategy will outline what projects the museum is currently engaged in that support this strategy, plans for future projects, and identify the resources they require.
This strategy document is an open-source repository made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. You can find the source files on The San José Museum of Art’s GitHub account.
The San José Museum of Art reflects the diverse cultures and innovative spirit of Silicon Valley. Through its exhibitions, programs, scholarship, and collections, SJMA connects the present and past, the art of the West Coast and the world. The Museum fosters awareness of artists’ broad contributions to society and engages audiences with the art of our time and the vitality of the creative process.
In order to realize this vision, the museum has identified the following strategic goals:
Each department in the museum is approaching their work with this vision statement and set of strategic goals in mind.
It is also vital to bring attention to SJMA’s overarching goal of becoming a borderless museum and being essential to creative life throughout the diverse communities of San José and Silicon Valley. Digital and emerging technologies provide powerful tools for realizing these goals and acknowledging the increasingly important role of digital activities within the museum space. We offer experiences beyond the museum walls, in virtual and physical spaces, to broaden access to our offerings and to stay relevant to the daily lives of our community members and to deeply engage with a global narrative about human relationships with technology.
SJMA has identified several areas of intense focus for digital and emerging technology in the coming years. These areas of focus align with the museum’s broader strategic goals and are designed to compliment them.
Strategic thrusts for 2020-2021 include:
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