30 Americans Exhibition
30 Americans was a dynamic exhibition of contemporary art by African American artists, on view Oct. 18, 2015–Jan. 18, 2016. 30 Americans included 55 paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs and videos by many of the most important African American artists who rose to prominence in recent decades by exploring racial, gender, political and historical identity in contemporary culture.
Goal.
Develop interpretation that supports the artwork’s intention of showcasing multiple perspectives of what it means to be American, while provoking others to think about their own perspective.
My Role.
As digital interpretation specialist, I collaborated with curators and exhibition designs to develop digital experiences that align with the exhibition’s mission.
Working closely with an audience research firm, I participated in focus group testing and observational research. Based on the research, I developed a three-part digital strategy aimed to enhance the exhibition’s experience:
Engage local high school students in a visual-thinking exercise of the artwork. Then create videos of their conversations to be used for tailored education plans and in-gallery app tour guide. I worked with curatorial to develop the lesson plans, edited the videos and co-wrote the narrative script for the digital tour.
Develop a social media strategy that encourages participation from non-visitors. Working with the communication department, I created a content calendar with copy tailored to each channel.
Create a response station that allows visitors to explore their own emotions around being American by taking photos of their expressions and showcasing it in the gallery on a photo wall.
Artifacts
Courageous Conversations: Identities View the lesson plan.
Courageous Conversations: Perspectives. View the lesson plan.
Courageous Conversations: Histories. View the lesson plan.
Courageous Conversations: America. View the lesson plan.
“Hey DIA! I’m Robyn Apley, and I was one of the students in the student voices program. Being a part of the 30 Americans exhibits was one of the most influential moments of my life. The experience has expanded my mind on the role of art in social justice, and I am now using my own works of art to advocate for a better world and using it to give a voice to the voiceless. Thank you so much for the opportunity to really explore the impact of creation and sharing of art has in our America.”
— Student Participant, Robyn Apley