MASS MoCA seeks proposals from consultants who can work with us to craft a sustainable Digital Strategy and Technology Plan. Deadline: May 24, 2021
About MASS MoCA MASS MoCA is one of the nation’s largest centers for the visual and performing arts located in a network of 19th century brick mill buildings and courtyards on a 26-acre site. Our mission is to nurture artists and make possible the creation and presentation of new art, while catalyzing and supporting the economic revitalization of our hometown of North Adams, Massachusetts and the region. We bring artists from across all disciplines to our campus, providing spacious galleries, state-of-the-art rehearsal and workshop spaces, scalable stages, abundant time, and, crucially, talented production, fabrication, and technical support staff. Most importantly, we are committed to connecting broad, diverse audiences to our mission and vision. Our Vision & Guiding Principles MASS MoCA is globally known and respected for being a laboratory for artists and all forms of art making, and for creating learning opportunities and social experiences that engage diverse audiences. Our priorities, programs and aspirations are guided by these principles: Connection. Connect our audiences, staff, sponsors, community, and public to who we are and what we do, infusing every touchpoint with MASS MoCA's mission and core values Duration. Enable audiences of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities to engage more deeply with artists, art-making, and each other, whether virtually or on our campus Solidification. Ensure a solid foundation of institution-wide information systems and operations, providing reliable and equitable access to information and content The Opportunity: A Digital Strategy Framework for MASS MoCA MASS MoCA requires a digital strategy and technology plan that establishes a stable foundation of information systems, fosters efficient and capacity-building institutional operations and outreach, and supports our strategic goals of engagement and inclusive and equitable access to our programs for artists, patrons, staff, sponsors, and the public. While our spaces and support staff are second to none, we regularly struggle with critically aging technological infrastructure —donated equipment, slow connection speeds, and lack of a secure archive of our institutional history—as well as limited staffing to care for it. Implementing new technologies and applications can be compared to building a new wing of a house on a crumbling foundation — we first need to build a stable, robust, and sustainable infrastructure, establish institutional best practices, and ensure that information systems are both efficient and scalable and enable equitable and meaningful access to information and content across stakeholder groups. The opportunities and challenges presented by COVID-19 and the museum’s response to them have created a welcome momentum in the digital arena. We are discovering the possibilities and understanding the necessity. Technology enables access, and can build community. Digital tools for engagement and storytelling will never replicate the multi dimensional physical experience of a museum visit, but will complement and drive it, opening the world of MASS MoCA and art that is made and shared on our stages and in our galleries to a world-wide audience. MASS MoCA seeks proposals for consultant services that would produce a sustainable road map for our digital future, in line with our size and 12.8M operating budget, and prioritizing the areas of: Infrastructure: What elements of our current infrastructure do we replace, and what do we build on in order to operate efficiently as a cohesive, interconnected, and dynamic system, provide reliable and equitable access for staff, artists, and patrons, and provide a consistently engaging experience to visitors of all backgrounds. What additional staffing do we need to maintain that infrastructure and the digital transformation it supports? Engagement: What systems and services do we need in order to better connect our programs to our audiences, on- and offsite; facilitate learning for all ages; create a space for fostering community; and engage more deeply with visitors, artists, and both local and more distant constituencies. Touchpoints for engagement include: 1. Informational and experiential pre-visit communication that serves as a prompt or a starting point for taking part in all that MASS MoCA has to offer 2. Deep and meaningful interactions while at the museum regarding the exhibitions and performances, and their interpretation; the complex of buildings and its history; and other relevant and impactful "entry points" for the content 3. An online experience that both drives visitation and tells MASS MoCA's story, availing its rich trove of content, current and past, to a virtual audience 4. Post-visit communication that reactivates and complements onsite engagements and "extends" any visit Archive: As a non-collecting museum, our most valuable resource is our extensive audio, video, and photographic library that documents the institution's vibrant history and programs. This collection is currently in an unsecured state, in both analog and digital formats. How can we secure, organize, and leverage our archive and identify a documentation system to bring our mission, history, current and future programming to our audiences (including scholars, museum colleagues, and students of the arts) while creating new connections and thus new content across the archive? MASS MoCA seeks the expertise of consultants who can work with us to build a sustainable digital strategy to better support our operations and our goals to nurture and provide platforms for boundary-breaking new art, create an inclusive, educational culture that provides equitable access to our programs for diverse audiences, and to grow those audiences locally and globally, on-and off-site. Please send proposals and inquiries to: r...@massmoca.org by May 24. Responses must include: Clearly articulate approach, specific to the needs of MASS MoCA Itemized fee structure Estimated schedule and list of deliverables Examples of expertise in the 3 areas identified as priorities For information about MASS MoCA’s campus and programs, visit massmoca.org. MASS MoCA Strategic Plan Summary MASS MoCA Master Plan Summary Susan Cross Senior Curator, MASS MoCA scr...@massmoca.org t: 413.664.4481 x8102 <(413)%20664-4481> pronouns:she/her/hers massmoca.org <http://www.massmoca.org/> | massmoca reel <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3NiwbTpPHU> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3NiwbTpPHU&authuser=0> _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l@mcn.edu To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: http://lists.mcn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l The MCN-L archives can be found at: http://www.mail-archive.com/mcn-l@mcn.edu/
