Are Influencers Changing the Museum Experience?

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Are Influencers Changing the Museum Experience?

WikiCommons

Crowds in front of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris. License

Influencer marketing has been a mainstay of consumer brands for years, but only recently have museums embraced the trend with the same enthusiasm. With about 300 million people globally considering themselves content creators, there are plenty of partners to choose from.

While only a small portion of those accounts are dedicated to art historical topics, the influencers behind them have amassed dedicated and engaged followings. Their efforts, as well as those of museums themselves, to engage with potential visitors on digital platforms have created new opportunities for bringing art to a wider audience.

WikiCommons

Michelle Zauner at the Neptune Theatre in Seattle. License

Perhaps the most notable example of the impact high-visibility individuals can have on museums is the Louvre’s surge in visitorship after Beyoncé and Jay-Z released a music video filmed in its galleries. The Parisian museum welcomed 1.2 million people in 2018, which was 25% more than in 2017. No wonder Mona Lisa is smiling.

However, when enlisting a musical power couple is not in the cards, up-and-coming influencers can also be effective in creating buzz. The Metropolitan Museum of Art worked with musician-author Michelle Zauner to narrate a visitor guide for their recent Monstrous Beauty: A Feminist Revision of Chinoiserie exhibition. Zauner appeared in at least one of the museum’s promotional videos on social media and shared the experience with her half a million followers on Instagram.

Then, there’s the National Gallery in London, which engaged 200 influencers to help reach new audiences for its 200th anniversary in 2024. These ranged from former contestants on The Great British Bake Off to artists and comedians. All were encouraged to dust off the gallery’s image and welcome in a younger cohort of visitors.

WikiCommons, Michael Coppins

The National Gallery, London, UK. License

On the other side of the equation, influencers who focus exclusively on art history like Katy Hessel and Mary McGillivray have developed active followings by shedding light on a side of old paintings and often-overlooked treasures that can be hard to access otherwise, both literally and figuratively. Some museum professionals, such as the Guggenheim Museum’s former Chief Curator Nancy Spector, have also become influencers. Their access to behind-the-scenes material allows for a glimpse into the inner workings of cultural institutions that might not be found elsewhere.

Despite its downsides, social media and the influencers who make careers out of developing content are not doing any harm in bringing the joy of art history to more people. Museums are increasingly recognizing the power of online personalities as they endeavor to stay relevant and maintain visitorship in a digital world.

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