Talking Digital Strategy at The Studio Museum in Harlem: Interview with Destinee Forbes, Marketing Coordinator
By Sapphire Hilton
The Studio Museum in Harlem was founded in 1968 by a diverse group of artists, community leaders, activists, and philanthropists with a vision to create a space that promotes inclusivity, visibility, and centered artists of color at the forefront of the canon. The Studio Museum, founded during the Civil Rights Movement was vital in playing a part in continuing the decades-long movement to end institutionalized racial discrimination, disenfranchisement, and racial segregation in the US. The mission of The Studio Museum “is the nexus for artists of African descent locally, nationally, and internationally and for work that has been inspired and influenced by Black culture. It is a site for the dynamic exchange of ideas about art and society.” The Artist-in-Residence program is a testament to the way that the Museum championed artists of color. As one of the Museum’s founding initiatives that give the Museum the “Studio” part of its name; the program has supported more than one hundred emerging artists of African or Latino descent, many of whom have established cogent careers.
As a staff member who works in the Education Department at The Studio Museum I reached out to my colleagues over in the Communications Department to facilitate a conversation around digital strategies. I had a chance to speak with Destinee Forbes, Marketing Coordinator at The Studio Museum about all things digital. Destinee is a writer and arts administrator based in New York City. Starting at Studio Museum as Communications Assistant and shortly being promoted to Marketing Coordinator she has pioneered and fostered new digital initiatives and digital relationships in the year and half she’s been at the museum. In her current role she manages the museum’s social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube) and sends out a weekly newsletter, Studio Notes. She received a Master’s in Art History from The Courtauld Institute of Art in London and her Bachelor’s in Art History from Barnard College.
SH: Thank you once again for agreeing to speak with me about digital strategies.
DF: Let’s do it!
SH: What are some key objectives required to create a digital strategy?
DF: I believe an effective digital content strategy must show and tell the work of the institution. Personally, I love when organizations both share external updates as well as making visible the internal “behind-the-scenes” work of the institution. In addition to “showing the work” a digital strategy should be timely and relevant. This means being playful and nimble in order to share content that reflects the interests and wants of an organization’s targeted audience.
SH: In order to execute a digital strategy and its objectives, can you provide insight as to what workflow structures look like in your position at the Museum?
DF: The structure of the workflow is pretty sequential once a dynamic strategy has been created. Workflows are rooted in having a top-level understanding of, let’s say, a campaign’s goals and objectives for messaging that need to be conveyed to an audience, but then also having a refined and micro-understanding of the actual types of content that needs to be created and disseminated across all messaging and digital platforms. I find that workflows for creating any kind of digital content or campaign to be incredibly collaborative. From getting help with copyediting, creating a graphic identity, to making a suite of assets for promotion — it takes a village!
SH: Thinking to the future, what are some opportunities that you see in upcoming technologies in relation to your position as Marketing Coordinator at The Studio Museum?
DF: I see so many! I think this year, especially with the ongoing pandemic there’s been a pivot to digital space especially within the arts sector. I’ve seen a lot of job opportunities based in digital marketing and content creation across all sectors. I think what’s so great about digital spaces is that they provide an opportunity for play and they encourage collaborative and innovative thinking. New platforms are constantly emerging that will require that people know how to effectively use and engage with them. Digital space is expansive. It’s its own universe within a universe that supports constant play, opportunity, and variation.
SH: Speaking of new technologies and platforms, do you think there is a necessity for upkeep of skills or continual learning within a digital department in a museum?
DF: Definitely. I mean, technology moves and advances at what feels like an exponential rate, right? However, as new platforms emerge, and new updates installed questions of accessibility arise. Not everyone has access to the same technology. That is why it is so important to find communities for skill and knowledge sharing. Network and meet people who are experts in a particular field who want to help you! Create group chats with people to collectively learn how to use a new platform. Reach out and seek out your people!
SH: As the Marketing Coordinator for a smaller arts museum, how do you measure the success of your digital strategy?
DF: It’s two-fold. Success is both measured by metrics and numbers, but it’s also measured by impact through engagements like comments and direct messages from our audiences. These comments serve as a testament to the work that we do.
SH: How do you think about digital audience growth and maturation as tied to your position?
DF: It is about stewarding the audience that we currently have and working to maintain those relationships by building trust through reliable and creative messaging. Additionally, we want our audience to grow! So, it is also about sharing content that might yield a great reach. Cross-promotion is also an effective tool and tactic to introduce different audiences to the work of one’s organization as well.
SH: What are the main challenges you think Museums are facing in this current moment as they pivot to digital spaces?
DF: Speaking very broadly, I think institutions are working hard to create timely and relevant dynamic digital content. Since a lot of museums are still temporarily closed, institutions must rely on digital content to connect with their audiences.
SH: The pandemic forced arts institutions to shift the way they engage with audiences in the digital sphere. How has your job changed in this moment?
DF: We are messaging now more than ever! We’ve just been incredibly dynamic and flexible across the institution. It’s just so incredible to be a part of an organization where everyone is so committed to their jobs and roles. We are in a growing state and constantly finding new tools to show the work that we do. To my other point, technology is always growing and advancing, so I think it’s fitting that the museum is also in a digitally minded growth-state as well. That sets up the organization for success and abundance in the years to come!
Sapphire Hilton
Museums and Digital Culture, Pratt Institute
Email: shilt134@pratt.edu
