How some NY museums used social media to stage an art event

People often ask me, "Why Twitter?" What's the point? And why should my museum be on Twitter?" If it wasn't for Twitter I would have had no idea about an amazing event that happened last night in Queens, NY.

Artists Duke Riley, Jade Townsend, and Kitty Joe Sainte-Marie staged a semi-mock naval battle/art event called "Those About to Die, We Salute You." He built several scale model boats and enlisted four museums (each from one of the boroughs of New York) as warriors: The Queens Museum of Art (also the hosts), Brooklyn Museum, The Bronx Museum, and El Museo del Barrio. The battle took place in Flushing Meadows, Queens, in a reflecting pool that hadn't been flooded since the 1964 World's Fair. (You'll recognize the World's Fair globe from its role in several movies, like Men in Black.) I have a personal connection to Flushing Meadows, as my mom and grandmother lived there. I have many memories of driving by and seeing the globe from the expressway. I was also at the 1964 World's Fair (yep, that's me in the car-shaped stroller).

As the day drew nearer, the Tweets grew more combative, with Queens Museum and the others often simply writing, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

People posted links to photos so we could watch the progress of the boats as they were built, like this one from TwitPic.

They also posted links to photos like this one, via TwitPic:

An entire photostream was built on Flickr, so you can simply go to Flickr, put in the tag DukeRiley and watch all the photos and videos via slide show. This was coordinated in the sense that people learned to use the common tag, and then posted the link to the slide show. Anyone who attended can upload their pix using that tag and they are automatically added to the photostream. (This photo courtesy of TwitPic.)

Had I been in New York I absolutely would have been there in my toga, after viewing this video posted on YouTube and Tweeted in advance.

A helpful Tweet from the hosts:
for those attending tonight, yes we have parking, here are directions http://tinyurl.com/rxqjz3 and yes you must toga #dukeriley

Just a year ago, I probably would not have heard about this event. I might have read about it afterwards in a blog (here, here, at the Reuters blog or the NYTimes blog.)

But because of Twitter I was looking forward to it, I felt like I was there, and I feel I know these four museums much better. I'm also far more likely to visit these museums next time I'm in New York.

So my Tip of the Day is Just Say Yes to Twitter. If you need help getting started, check out my Twitter tutorials. And to all of you in New York and especially the artists, We Salute You. :) Here's the video by Bryan Derballa: