Jan27 – Staff Interview Notes

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1.27.08

Staff Interviewed:
Erin Potts (Shop Coordinator)
Dual Art History & Integrative Marketing BA
Over a year working at the MF

Mark Mangini (Associate Education Programs Coordinator/Café Dude)
Over a year working at the MF

Description of Process:
Two CMU team members spoke with MF staff in café. Asked questions to initiate conversations. Directed conversations to express or expand upon point’s staff made.

Interview Responses:
MF really engages people. People come into the shop to interact more. Enthused about what they saw upstairs.

Questions people usually ask her are about the following:
Garden
Tenels exhibit-what are they supposed to see
Turnover of exhibits/When is the next exhibit
Which building is open when
More about artists

People in Pittsburgh do not know about MF. Think it is literally a mattress store.

Location is awkward. No one comes to the North Side without a purpose. Not exactly a place to be. Had to know about the museum to come here. “Make it out here.” Once you are here, it is easy.

She explains MF as an Installation Museum of Contemporary Art. Has to explain what installation is.

Regarding artists, she does not get to see behind the scenes because she is in the shop. “Doesn’t affect me too much.”

She explains to people about the residency program. But most people do not ask about the program.

North side is a strange community. Lots of different people living here. Spans the gamut. Changes from house to house, not even block to block. Rich people next to hip young people next to families in single bedroom homes next to homeless people.

People know exactly what they are getting when they go to the Carnegie museums, such as Warhol. MF is more of a mystery.

MF is a mom and pop organization that snowballed into contemporary installation art museum. The experience is more up to the individual. Getting here is mysterious, less known. Exhibits are as well.

Warhol hold’s your hand through more of the experience.

MF is a happy middle ground between stuffy fine art museum and a fun house. You have to be here. You cannot look at a book and get the experience. The viewer completes the experience. You cannot take four dimensions and put them into two. The experience is the center of the place. The entire environment is what it is about: the people who work here, exhibits themselves, etc. It is very exciting and new to visitors.

I honestly believe in the mission statement of this museum. Everyone that works here does too. Everyone working towards something: Don’t know what it is. But working toward something.

The staff is in a cohesive place.

Staff puts jobs on hold a bit to help artists out to make what they need to get their piece done.

Hopeful that the artists and work gets across and translates to people.

Artists research and develop. The space becomes their studio.

Interesting as a patron. Annoying as an artists. Working on deadlines, so cannot stop to answer lots of questions.

Ron Muhal has a video playing of how he makes his work. There is also “Limited Editions” the artist sketches of their ideas is for sale in the shop.

Even the staff’s friends and family think they work at a mattress store.

People who come here are really speechless.

The brand of MF is coming here and experiencing the art.

Advertisements are ambiguous: can’t put a photo of an exhibit up and have people get it.

“We don’t do rock star exhibits”

We have a small nitch audience:
Hipsters, older crowd who donate to the arts and like to see what is new and happening in Pittsburgh, families and “Yinzers”

People here about the MF through word of mouth.

Artists get to take a chance. Pittsburghers want things they have heard about.

MF is Barb and Michael’s vision and we are all trying to make it happen.
Elevator throws people off, have to preface the experience at the front desk. Especially about interacting with objects and touching being allowed/encouraged.

“Leave your art baggage at the door.” Barb

Try to see it anew.

It is people who have different ideas of art that have the problems with MF. But you cannot come into it with expectations.

Artists presenting you with environments to live in and walk it and it is up to you.

Time of exhibits is a repeated question. Nothing to give people. Mailing list? Website?

People’s experiences are way more positive than negative. Some people hate it.

Focused on new/contemporary art. MF effects public’s conception and interest in contemporary art.

In the near future it would be good to have more buildings and build their permanent collection.

Facilitate people’s need to discuss what they have seen in an intimate situation.

Document the process. The story is not told enough.

Public Events:
Openings
Garden Parties
Community Garden Parties
Craft Factory-local market
Art Lab (Community lab and paid Art Lab)
Trunk Shows
Parties but hesitant to be hipster hook-up place
Installation in the neighborhood or city?