The rise of the smartphone, social media, and a new age of photography has created opportunities for museums to highlight exhibitions and collections, appeal to new audiences, and nurture creativity. Museum visitors want to take and share photos of their visit. But how can museums help facilitate photography in the galleries and social sharing when loan agreements and tight budgets get in the way? This talk will explore how an interdepartmental team at Columbus Museum of Art worked to reshape the visitor photography policy before the opening of a 50,000-square-foot new wing; how several pilot projects have brought user-generated content into the galleries; and how photography can be encouraged even in a blockbuster Picasso exhibition. Presented during the 2017 Museums and the Web Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.

1. Jennifer Poleon, Columbus Museum of Art
@ohiofoodlovers @columbusmuseum
Photography Encouraged: Reshaping
Museum Photography Policies

2. Welcome to Ohio!

3. Is Your Museum Iron Man or Captain America?

4. The Rise of Digital and Social Media
In 2016
- 3.4 billion web users
- 2.3 billion social
media users

5. New Wing, New OpportuniHes to address Visitor Policies

6. CMA: Visitor Centered, InteracHve, CulHvaHng CreaHvity

7. NOT Visitor Friendly

8. Photography Brings People Together from all Backgrounds

9. Build on RelaHonships with Photographers
#MobilePhotoNow ExhibiHon at Columbus Museum of Art

10. #MobilePhotoNow Results
• 45,000 Instagram submissions
from 5,000 photographers in 89
countries
• Reached 50 million people on
Instagram
• Featured in NYT, Newsweek and
dozens of internaConal news
outlets with press reach of 90
million
• Increased Instagram followers by
40%, 25 percent increase in
internaConal web visitors
• Named one of “Coolest, Must
See Exhibits of 2015” by Brit &
Co

11. Gather Your Team
Curatorial
MarkeCng
Visitor Services
Registrars
FaciliCes
Learning
AdministraCon
ExecuCve Director

12. The challenges: Selfie SHcks

13. What we can learn from the French
www.culturecommunication.gouv.fr/tousphotographes
Dés son arrivée,
le visiteur désactive
son flash et range
les accessoires (notamment
les bras télescopiques)
de ses appareils mobiles
afin de ne pas gêner
les autres visiteurs lorsqu’il
photographie ou filme.
Article 1
Des pictogrammes
compréhensibles de tous
les publics sont installés
tout au long du parcours
favorisant un confort
de visite partagé.
Lorsqu’il
photographie
ou filme, le visiteur
veille à ne pas porter
atteinte à l’intégrité
des œuvres.
Article 2
Le règlement de visite
est affiché et les articles
concernant la photographie
sont disponibles sur
simple demande ou
téléchargeables.
Le visiteur
peut partager
et diffuser ses photos
et ses vidéos, spécialement
sur Internet et les réseaux
sociaux, dans le cadre
de la législation en vigueur.
Article 3
L’établissement met
à disposition gratuitement
sur son site internet
des reproductions numériques
de ses collections avec mention
claire des conditions d’utilisation,
conformément à la doctrine du ministère
de la Culture et de la Communication
en faveur de l’ouverture et du partage
des données publiques culturelles.
Le visiteur
évite de prendre
une photographie d’un
membre du personnel
de l’établissement en tant
que sujet principal identifiable
sans son autorisation formelle.
Article 4
Une véritable information
sur le respect du droit d’auteur
et de la vie privée des personnes
est disponible sur simple
demande ou téléchargeable.
Pour une prise
de vue nécessitant un
matériel supplémentaire,
le visiteur doit faire une
demande d’autorisation
spécifique.
Article 5
Des activités artistiques
et culturelles autour
de la pratique
photographique
sont organisées pour
tous les publics.
TOUS
PHOTOGRAPHES!
Issue d’une coopération
entre le ministère de la Culture
et de la Communication,
les musées et les monuments
nationaux, et différentes
associations représentant
les publics, cette charte repose
sur 5 engagements réciproques
entre les établissements et
les visiteurs-photographes.
Elle concilie les nouvelles
formes de visite, les règles
de civilité dans l’espace public
et la sécurité des œuvres.
Elle s’inscrit dans une
démarche de partage et de
diffusion des expériences
culturelles.
CHARTE SYNTHÉTIQUE DE L’USAGE DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE
DANS UN ÉTABLISSEMENT PATRIMONIAL
conceptiongraphique:ThierryBadin/Hite
• No flash
• Protect the art
• Sharing is encouraged for
personal use
• Respect privacy of other
visitors & staff. Photograph
the art or building.
• Photo shoots with lights
and tripods need prior
authorizaCon.

14. Researching Photography Policies
Whitney Museum of American Art
Non-flash photography is allowed for personal,
noncommercial use, except where noted.
Cooper Hewi
Is photography allowed inside the mansion?
Yes, non-commercial photography without flash
is welcomed. No tripods or selfie-sHcks, please.
Can I use my phone?
Feel free to text, take photos, and tweet about
your visit, but please keep your phone on silent
or vibrate and make calls outside as a courtesy
to other visitors.

15. Old CMA Photography policy
SHll photography is permiRed for private, noncommercial use
only in the galleries devoted to the artwork owned by the
Museum. Works of art on loan from private individuals or
other insHtuHons may not be photographed including works
in special exhibiHons. The use of a flash and tripod are
prohibited.

16. New CMA Photography policy
Photography is Encouraged
• For personal, noncommercial use
• In the galleries, and in most special exhibiHons
• Please no flash, tripods, or selfie sHcks.
• Share your photos: @columbusmuseum #myCMA.

17. Influencers and CreaHvity

18. Selfies

19. Photography as Memory and Connector

20. Pictures in blockbuster exhibiHons

21. Pictures in blockbuster exhibiHons

22. Pictures in blockbuster exhibiHons

23. Other interacHve photography examples
V&A’s #BoZshellfie
Abba Museum in Stockholm, Sweden

24. Loan Agreements
New Columbus Museum of Art Loan Agreement
It is understood that during the loan period this work may be
photographed, telecast, and reproduced for publicity,
publicaHon, and educaHonal purposes connected with this
exhibiHon, including but not limited to reproducHon on the
museum’s web site, on social media sites where the museum
maintains a presence.
__Permission granted __Permission denied
Works on loan may be photographed by the general public
for their private, noncommercial use (non-flash, hand-held
devices only).
__Permission granted __Permission denied
Photos are now allowed in almost all special exhibiCons at
CMA since we changed the loan agreement. This includes
loans from private collecHons, as well as, other museums.

25. Signs: the next fronHer
ROM Toronto
Children’s Museum Indianapolis

26. Be a liUle more Captain America

27. Thank You!
Follow @columbusmuseum #myCMA
Jennifer Poleon, Columbus Museum of Art, @ohiofoodlovers