San Diego Museum of Art adopts new technology in reopening
How COVID safety measures paved the way for unique guest experiences
By Olivia Hunt / Asst. A&C Editor
Like other public institutions across the county, the San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) has established new policies to make people feel comfortable about their reopening to the public. With distance markers, temperature scans, limited capacities, and Plexiglas barriers, guests can enjoy some peace of mind when visiting these spaces.
The SDMA has gone a few steps further to provide guests with as “normal” of an experience as possible, while protecting public health and safety. First, the museum has introduced a new, free app called SDMA. Visitors are encouraged to download it before planning an in-person visit. The app is designed for mapping visits ahead of time, and contains extensive insight and perspective into the museum’s collections. Its appearance also mimics handheld brochures and maps, which, unfortunately, have become obsolete in the post-COVID world. One benefit of the museum’s recent embrace of the digital world, has been its adoption of augmented reality. Through the app, visitors can “bring art to life” by pointing their phone camera at specific exhibition pieces, such as Diego Rivera’s “Mandrágora” or John Sloan’s “Italian Procession.”
Overall, the app attempts to make up for the museum’s lack of interactive experiences. For instance, as guests walk through the galleries, location-specific content pops up for each exhibit. They can also access curator-led videos and custom audio tours whether in-person or online. If visitors wish to experience a sense of communal interaction, they can post and share museum personal tips and perspectives with others on the app. In this way, the app does its best to preserve the quality of an in-person visit while creating a valuable interpersonal experience
If guests do not want to visit the museum in person, another option is available. The San Diego Museum of Art has recently begun a fully-virtual collaboration with other local arts institutions called Virtual SDMA+. According to the SDMA’s website, the purpose of this is “to inspire a robust appreciation of the arts and a deeper exploration of the SDMA permanent collection.” This new initiative constitutes a series of free virtual arts performances from a variety of local sources, including Nateesha School of the Bharatanatyam, the San Diego Ballet, and the San Diego Shakespeare Society. Performances are aired on the SDMA’s Youtube channel every Tuesday at 6 p.m. With the help of these new digital resources, guests can still experience the cultural value of the museum, and the SDMA can provide the San Diego public with a safe distraction from pandemic woes.
