Oklahoma museums are contributing to #MuseumsFromHome activities in creative ways to increase online engagement during COVID-19 government-mandated closings.
Sweeping across the globe, museums and organizations have provided creative opportunities from behind-the-scenes virtual tours to collaborative Spotify playlists joining the #MuseumsFromHome movement. The Oklahoma Museums Association is highlighting the many Oklahoma museums that have contributed programs and unique opportunities.
The Myriad Botanical Gardens created Botanical Broadcasts featuring weekly virtual lessons and garden-in-place virtual lessons on their website available to the public. Also taking advantage of video, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is offering virtual museum tours as well as a social media takeover from their security guard, Tim.
In addition to tours, the Philbrook Museum of Art along with other museums are offering free coloring books to download. The Will Rogers Memorial Museum is contributing hands-on activities, student resources and teacher guides to encourage education at home.
Museums and cultural institutions are also highlighting pre-existing materials and resources the public may have not taken full advantage of while their brick-and-mortar doors were open including photos, oral histories, artist interviews, films and more from their archives.
“We are proud of our museums’ creativity, resourcefulness and camaraderie as we work together to entertain, educate and engage audiences virtually,” said Brenda Granger, Oklahoma Museums Association executive director. “We look forward to the development of new ideas and implementations that will continue and grow as museum doors re-open.”
To learn more about the many Oklahoma museums contributing to #MuseumsFromHome, visit okmuseums.org/oklahoma-museums/. To add a museum to the list, email info@okmuseums.org with its information.
The Oklahoma Museums Association is a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization founded in 1972. Programming offered by the Oklahoma Museums Association is important as the primary source of information and professional development for Oklahoma's 500 museums, historical societies, historic sites, zoos and botanical gardens, historic houses, living history museums, tribal cultural centers and other museum-related institutions.