This slide deck created by Don Undeen is from a MIDEA Connect webinar that took place May 1, 2013. Don Undeen is the Media Lab Manager at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York & spoke about how museums are in a great position to engage the maker and hacker communities. In June of 2012, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in cooperation with MakerBot Industries, invited 30 digital artists into the museum to photograph collection sculptures, turn those images into digital 3D models, make new works based on those models, and print them on MakerBot's 3D printers. Undeen explained in the webinar how the Hackathon is a springboard for considering practical possibilities in any institution. He also discussed inexpensive software and hardware that opens up new possibilities for engagement with art lovers of all ages and abilities, and delved into the DIY spirit of cooperation.

1. 3D
Hackathon
The Met /
Makerbot
Brought to
You by
MetMediaLab
Practical Lessons for your Institution

3. Survey Questions

5. Redacted

6. Redacted

9. Jonathan Dehan

10. Lessons
• Show, don t tell
• Go where the interesting people are
• YOU are interesting!
• Ask for stuff for free!

11. Redacted

13. Lec Maj

14. Free!

15. Game-Changer
$0
+
$0
= Priceless

16. Let s have a Hackathon!
More Artists = More Ideas!
speculative problem space?
unclear metrics for success ?
unfamiliar technology?
big community of smart creatives?
cool content?

18. Lessons
• Leave room for ideas to change and grow
• Find good partners
• Community!
• Trust younger staff, support risk-taking
• Steal ideas (give credit) !

19. What s a Hackathon?
• Compressed time period
• Smart people who make things
• Caffeine
• Broadly defined problems
• Intrinsic reward

20. Hackathon in THE MET?
logistics?
communications?
press?
budget?
tradition?
curators?
cultural
sensitivity?
physical space?
catering?
security?
wifi?
visitor servces?

21. Erin
Jackie
Me

23. Lessons
• Listen to the voices of experience.
• Be prepared to compromise

24. American
Oceania
Arms and Armor
Asian

25. I Bless This
List

26. • No Acquisition
• Share your work
• Use Approved Objects, Please
Artists:

27. • No Pre-Press
• Insurance!
• No promotional activity at event
Makerbot:

28. Swallow the Bitter Pill

36. Have a Documentation Plan
• Operating Systems
• Tools
• Software (free? expensive? ease of use?)
• Techniques
• Resources

37. Survey Results
• Openscad
• 3D Studio Max
• Maya
• Mixology Modo
• Zbrush
• Mudbox
• Wacom Tablets
• Windows and Mac
• MeshMixer
• Netfabb
• MeshLab
• Sculptress
• Rhino
• Cinema 4D
• Blender
• Replicator G

39. Lesson
• Printing is SLOW

41. +
=

42. +
=

44. We Met Heads On
By Matthew Plummer-Fernandez

45. Success?

46. We all learned a lot!

47. Good Press

48. thingiverse.com/met

51. Relationships

54. Main Points
• Not a core museum skill (new tech thing x)
• Not a huge museum priority on its own
• Uncertain, surprising results
• Enthusiastic Community
• Data sharing
• Inspiration is a two-way street

55. Community
Culture
Inspiration
Museums
Creative Technologists
Content
History
Knowledge
Authority
Expertise
Enthusiasm
Curiosity
Time

56. Community
Culture
Inspiration
Museums
Creative Technologists
Content
History
Knowledge
Authority
Expertise
Enthusiasm
Curiosity
Time
$$?
Vendors

59. Principles
• Get Involved and Make Things ™
• NOT Museum Agenda-Driven
• Intrinsic Reward
• Open Data, Code, Results
• Play along at home

60. Potential Pitfalls
• Acquisition?
• Free labor?
• Favoritism?
• Intimidation?
• Overpromising?
• Bad Actors?

61. Making it Work for You
• Relationships are #1, #2, and #3
• Low expectations, budget, commitment
• Build on small wins
• Share

62. Questions?
@donundeen
Don.undeen@metmuseum.org