Event Title

FSA08 - Curating Culture in the 21st century: Orlando as a Case Study for Arts Participation and Engagement Among Millennials

Presenter Information

Wendy Givoglu, University of Central Florida

Location

NSC-116

Streaming Media

Start Date

3-11-2017 1:45 PM

Description

Deriving from the Latin curare, meaning "to care," according to Merriam Webster (2016), a curator is the "person who is in charge of the things in a museum." While the job of curator is indeed one that requires formal training and preparation, the word has been liberated from its contextual home within the museum and has become mainstreamed and democratized, now referring to the control and care that we have over our arts, media, and culture in the 21st century. This is largely due to technological evolution along with the proliferation of media choices and new media creation opportunities. We curate our Netflix queues, I-tunes playlists, Instagram photos, and affinity groups on Facebook and Twitter. We curate our identities, if we so choose, by our affiliations, causes, creations, likes, and tastes. The subject of arts participation discourse over the past decade has focused on the curatorial mindset and spirit of co-authorship of the arts experience that exists and is demanded by arts patrons of today, many of which are artists themselves. As aptly summarized by Ivey and Tepper (2008) "… citizens have developed the skills and expertise to be connoisseurs and mavens – seeking out new experiences, learning about them, and sharing that knowledge with friends" (p. 4). What does this shift in citizens' abilities and interests mean for traditional arts organizations that are striving for relevancy, sustainability, and the cultivation of audiences in the 21st century? And, how can arts organizations better engage Millennials? The Millennial generation, the first in human history to experience the presence of digital technologies since birth, is uniquely positioned to engage in artmaking and participation in arts and culture on a level that is vastly different in scope and scale than previous generations. Digital technologies not only afford Millennials a conduit for engagement in the arts but act as a vehicle to construct, create, and potentially control opportunities for engagement. The time is now for arts organizations to consider ways to incorporate the participatory culture that permeates throughout technology and mass media (Jenkins, 2008, 2013) – not doing so could result in extinction and obsolescence. Further, a July 2016 report from Americans for the Arts reveals that Americans find value in arts and culture – and they want to participate/make/do instead of just "watch." It is evident that the art-making and sharing that is happening online and within social media spaces can spill out into the physical space of the art museum and concert hall. Best practices for engaging Millennials and infusing a participatory format into the traditional model that arts organizations have adhered to for so long have already been developed and tested. This session will give an overview of the meaning, trajectory, and challenges of participatory culture while providing initial recommendations for arts organizations who are struggling with questions of access and relevancy – particularly among Millennials. Examples from doctoral research exploring the cultivation of millennial arts patrons in Orlando will be shared as both best practices and opportunities for improvement.