Presentation given on Dec. 2, 2008 to the Cultural Connections group at SFMoMA. In it I discussed our use of YouTube to both promote and feed an interpretive element of the Road Trip exhbition.

1. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Road Trip
San Jose Museum of Art

2. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Challenge
Create something that would both act as both
an interpretive element to the exhibition “Road
Trip” and act as a marketing tool.

3. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Putting it together
๏ Wanted to center the video around a quirky roadside attraction.
๏ Researched online California based options
๏ Castroville - Giant Artichoke
๏ Started storyboarding an idea
๏ Story of someone on a road trip traveling to this attraction to
photograph, purchase a postcard, write a message to the viewer
to send a card, and mailing it at the end
๏ To give the video a uniqueness all the sounds on the video would
be dubbed in and none of the sound recorded during the filming
would be used.

4. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Putting it together
๏ Did all the video creation in-house
๏ For filming we used our Canon HG10 HD video camera
๏ Shot at various locations on the way to Castroville
๏ Footage brought back to SJMA and edited using Final Cut
Express
๏ Posted on YouTube, available via iTunes, and put on our
handheld tour in the gallery

5. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Road Trip - Video
Video Available at:
www.youtube.com/sanjosemuseumofart

6. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Blog Contacting

7. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
YouTube - Featured Video
๏ Video uploaded on June 22, 2008
๏ Featured on YouTube Homepage on
August 15, 2008
๏ Comments started pouring in
๏ Comment spam a-plenty
๏ Video responses
๏ Presented a whole other aspect of
participation we never thought about
๏ Global reach achieved
๏ Has a little over 81,000 views currently

8. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
YouTube Comments
“OH MY GOD THE GIANT ARTICHOKE!!! I LOVE
THAT PLACE. Me and my family lived about a half “First thing I noticed: the girl's jeans were too
hour or so from there, and used to go like every short.”
Friday.
Best deep fried artichoke hearts ever!” -undiscoveredjulie
-generalducttape
“Kool. But dont give out ur info on the net like that.
Hope that was a fake address.”
-5starsproduction
“Crazy looking heels.” “am i the only one who watched this video again
for those shoes? lol”
-janeyB7
-naomiknowsnaught

9. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Postcard Station
๏ Originally wanted to have a mailroom type feel
๏ Adjusted vision after seeing card quantity (too
few for the effort)
๏ Comfortable chairs to sit and peruse
๏ Mailbox slots
๏ Video viewing station.

10. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Postcard Examples
“Mindless Shopping! Fake Streets! Go America!
-Undecipherable

11. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Postcard Examples
“We left Devon, England (our home) on 9th Sept. on a Road Trip thro France (Orlean, Macon) to the Alps. Was cold in
the Alps with snow on the high passes. We are now in Italy in the Cinque Terre region which is amazing. Will go on to
Lucca and on into Tuscany before returning home thro France. We are driving a Renault Scenic and camping.”
-David Yard and Lesley Remie

12. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Postcard Examples
“This is the location of the bridal suite for the wedding I never showed to - the
proposed wedding to my second lover, the uranium mine baron. Life is too
beautiful for a long engagement to fissile material.”
-Josefina B.

13. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Postcard Examples
“Belle Fourche - Center of the Nation”
-onebentwodavids
http://web.mac.com/onebentwodavids

14. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
One Ben, Two Davids
http://web.mac.com/onebentwodavids

15. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Follow-up Video Series
๏ Wanted to capitalize on the success of
Road Trip
๏ Came up with a 4 part serial following the
shoes
๏ 2nd installment available, more to follow
๏ Video to promote the exhibition “This End
Up: the Art of Cardboard”
๏ Artist Scott Hove’s art piece “Cakeland”
๏ Commercials for exhibitions?
Video Available at:
www.youtube.com/sanjosemuseumofart

16. Let Them Be Heard: Visitor Participation in the Museum Experience Chris Alexander - SJMA
Contact Info
Chris Alexander
Manager of Interactive Technology
email: cmalexander@me.com
web: www.chris-alexander.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/sanjosemuseumofart
Presentation: www.chris-alexander.com/category/presentations/