The new museum era: from curator to community manager

• Countdown: The Queen takes refuge in Guernica
• Reopening.The Prado Museum reopens with an unpublished lineup of its great masters
• Museum day.A morning in the empty museums

María Antonia López, restorer of the Prado Museum, says that what she has recovered after removing the rusty varnish that covered the portrait of María Tudor signed by Antonio Moro in 1554 is, no more, no less, the true character of the queen. "She has always been seen as a very tough woman, very severe, but that character was increased by the dirt in the paint," she says. "With cleanliness, now you understand a grin and a sparkle in the eyes that makes us see a closer, kinder queen . "

Disseminated on video through the Museum's Twitter profile, the restorer's work now transcends the stillness of the workshop, becoming visible to the three million followers who enjoy #PradoContigo's actions every day . According to the institution, since March 12, the date its doors were closed, the number of visits to its website has increased by 232% compared to the same period last year. Like the portrait of María Tudor, the image projected today by the Museum also seems closer, less rigid. The use of social networks contributes to this, which, for several years now, this and many other institutions have seen take root in their philosophy, thus making the public change from mere spectator to protagonist.

"From the beginning, we were clear that the Prado had to be kept open, even if it was digital, because it was more necessary than ever," argues Javier Sainz de los Terreros, head of social networks at the Museum, who will again receive visitors from June 6, along with Reina Sofía and Thyssen. Despite the desire to have been able to celebrate Museum Day in person, the community manager describes as "very positive" strategies such as the implementation on the occasion of this celebration.

The Prado has not been the only one to rethink its strategy, adapting its activity to a new framework whose margins are not yet palpable with certainty. Large and small museums have been forced to sharpen their potential and sharpen their ingenuity, expanding their digital resources registry to the maximum, which, clearly, will remain after the reopens. The virtual walks proposed by the Sorolla Museum serve as a brushstroke . "The first step was to reorganize the page based on a compilation of the resources that the Museum already had, rearranging and restructuring them so that they were more visible and accessible," explains Covandonga Pitarch, its head of social networks. "In addition, I have tried to enhance the dialogue, answering our followers faster and faster."

The high degree of interaction with the public is one of the most immediate indicators of the success or failure of this type of strategy. This is how Evelio Acevedo, managing director of the Thyssen Museum, considers it. "The news of the closure took us by surprise, as we all did, but fortunately the digitization of content was already part of our strategic plan," he says. "We saw that the need to stay close was an opportunity to accelerate the digitization process and to experience that model." In the last two months, sessions on the Thyssen website have reached 800,000 , 50% more than in the same period last year.

While the long-awaited moment of reopening arrives, which will bring with it measures such as paid visits, the use of face masks, the removal of information items on paper or the screens at ticket offices, Acevedo emphasizes remembering that this new model of activity « it does not have reverse gear ». “Now it is necessary to undertake a reflection exercise to take advantage of all the conclusions of our hasty experience. Applying a digital culture in our way of working is not just about posting things on the web. It is a model that requires a cultural change in the organization, "he says.

Estrella Martín, head of the Communication department of the National Archaeological Museum , says something similar . «Social networks will continue to be a fundamental communication tool. When we reopen the doors and activities resume, we will continue to have a lot to tell, "he says. If during the first week of closure they saw a peak of visits coinciding with the publications that online remembered their virtual resources, in total, their website has registered more than 47,500 visits in these two months.

When it comes to generating that sense of community between users and the institution, there are three lines of action that the person in charge lists: offering content that humanizes and brings the museum closer to the public, telling stories in a different way and involving users in such a way that they themselves can generate content, as they do through the #InterpretaMAN initiative, with which they reinterpret some of the museum's most iconic pieces.

The Museo Reina Sofía has also created its own hastag: #ElReinaEnCasa . "It is not just a way to identify ourselves, it has also been our goal," they say from the institution. In addition to getting to know the Museum's catalog and its philosophy in depth, getting the messages across in a clear, direct and attractive way, with creativity, imagination, common sense and the ability to react is key to not missing the mark.

Therefore, when asked if this strategy will last when museums reopen their doors , the answer is immediate. «This dynamic is consolidated and essential to continue creating synergies with the public and with other institutions. Networks are also a fundamental element of communication that aims not only to inform, but to create conversation with their followers and take their pulse. This relationship must continue to be fostered, maintained and cared for ».

In accordance with the criteria of The Trust Project

• art
• Prado Museum
• Reina Sofia Museum
• Thyssen museum
• culture

ArtThe Prado Museum, the Thyssen and the Reina Sofía: a day in the empty triangle of art

CultureThe Prado Museum expects to open on June 6 but not with all the rooms

ArtThe Prado Museum reopens with an unpublished lineup of its great masters

Close links of interest

• Last News
• English translator
• TV programming
• Quixote
• Work calendar
• Daily horoscope
• Santander League Ranking
• League calendar
• TV Movies
• Private schools
• Cut notes 2019
• Richest in Spain
• Universities of Spain
• Themes

• SV Werder Bremen - VfL Wolfsburg
• 1. FC Union Berlin - FC Schalke 04
• FC Augsburg - 1. FC Köln
• Rio Ave - Paços de Ferreira