Illustrated Audio Opportunities

(above: George Inness (1825-1894), Early Autumn, Montclair, 1891, oil on canvas, 28.9 x 45 inches, Delaware Art Museum. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons*)

"Behind the Scenes" presentations

Motion picture companies almost universally produce DVD versions of their movies. The DVDs often contain a menu of options including playing the movie, viewing out-takes and behind the scenes information. Movie studios include this supplemental and contextual content beyond the actual movie because they have learned that viewers like it and that it helps sell DVDs.

While a meaningful museum experience transcends entertainment, museums, like the movie studios, seek the attention of -- and financial support from -- the public. A segment of potential museum visitors will likely be further persuaded towards physical visitation of exhibitions by including "behind the scenes" content on their web pages which explains the context within which an exhibition was created. Also, as people's expectations are raised for inclusion of additional content alongside movie presentations, museums should consider whether those expectations are to some extent transferable within the minds of museum audiences.

Both illustrated audio and full motion video are means of providing online contextual content to the descriptive information on exhibitions now commonly contained on museum web sites. Museums should consider cost/benefit factors concerning allocation of staff and financial resources to behind the scenes material against the estimated increase in visitation, membership and financial support deriving from such expenditures.

Content can include:

narrative by curators on the selection process, biographical context, interviews with artists, and background on art techniques and movements for art objects in the exhibition
narrative by artists on the rationale for and creation of exhibited works
description of any conservation activities conducted prior to the exhibition
narrative by sponsors on the evaluation and decision process leading to financial support
introduction of and narrative by lenders of art works
introduction of the curators and other people involved with the creation of the exhibition
imagery tracking the physical installation of the exhibition

In this general vein the Getty Museum in Los Angeles provides on a web page excellent "Behind the Scenes" contextual content such as individual videos on the thought process of an artist, the installation process of an exhibition and conservation processes.

(above: Chauncey Bradley Ives (1810-1894), Undine Rising from the Waters, ca. 1880-1882, Yale University Art Gallery. Image and text source: Wikimedia Commons - public domain*)

go back to Illustrated Audio Opportunities

TFAO catalogues:

American Representational Art links to dozens of topics in American Representational Art
Audio Online a catalogue of online streaming audio recordings
Collections of Historic American Art notable private collections
Distinguished Artists a national registry of historic artists
Geographic Tour of American Representational Art History a catalogue of articles and essays that describe the evolution of American art from the inception of the United States to WWII.
Illustrated Audio Online streaming online narrated slide shows
Articles and Essays Online substantive texts published outside of Resource Library
Videos Online a comprehensive catalogue of online full motion videos streamed free to viewers
Videos an authoritative guide to videos in VHS and DVD format
Books general reference books published on paper
Interactive media media in CD-ROM format
Magazines paper-published magazines and journals

Links to sources of information outside of our web site are provided only as referrals for your further consideration. Please use due diligence in judging the quality of information contained in these and all other web sites. Information from linked sources may be inaccurate or out of date. TFAO neither recommends or endorses these referenced organizations. Although TFAO includes links to other web sites, it takes no responsibility for the content or information contained on those other sites, nor exerts any editorial or other control over them. For more information on evaluating web pages see TFAO's General Resources section in Online Resources for Collectors and Students of Art History.

*Tag for expired US copyright of object image:

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