American Museum Of The Moving Image

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE ADVANCES THE UNDERSTANDING, ENJOYMENT, AND APPRECIATION OF THE ART, HISTORY, TECHNIQUE, AND TECHNOLOGY OF FILM, TELEVISION, AND DIGITAL MEDIA BY PRESENTING EXHIBITIONS, EDUCATION PROGRAMS, SIGNIFICANT MOVING-IMAGE WORKS, AND INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS, AND COLLECTING AND PRESERVING MOVING-IMAGE RELATED ARTIFACTS.

EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTIONS:ALTHOUGH THE MUSEUM'S PHYSICAL SITE WAS CLOSED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS DURING FISCAL YEAR 2021 DUE TO COVID-19, WE CONTINUED TO REACH AUDIENCES, AND DEVELOP NEW ONES, THROUGH ONLINE EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS, AND THROUGH THE PREMIERE OF AN OUTDOOR SCREENING VENUE. THE ONLINE EXHIBITION THE LIVING ROOM CANDIDATE: PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN COMMERCIALS 1952-2020 PRESENTED MORE THAN 400 COMMERCIALS FROM EVERY PRESIDENTIAL RACE SINCE THE INCEPTION OF TELEVISION CAMPAIGN ADVERTISING IN 1952, AND SERVED AS A FREE, VIRTUAL RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND JOURNALISTS. WHEN THE MUSEUM'S BUILDING REOPENED IN SPRING 2021, OUR PERMANENT EXHIBITION BEHIND THE SCREEN ONCE AGAIN WELCOMED VISITORS TO AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE THAT EXPLORES THE CREATIVE PROCESS OF MAKING MOVING IMAGES. FEATURING OVER 1,400 ARTIFACTS, FROM NINETEENTH-CENTURY OPTICAL TOYS TO VIDEO GAMES, AND SEVERAL INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES IN WHICH VISITORS CAN CREATE THEIR OWN STOP-MOTION ANIMATIONS OR RECORD THEIR OWN VOICES DUBBING FAMOUS LINES FROM CLASSIC FILMS, BEHIND THE SCREEN REVEALS THE SKILLS, RESOURCES, AND ARTISTIC DECISIONS THAT HELP TO CREATE MOVING IMAGES. THE JIM HENSON EXHIBITION ALSO REOPENED, INVITING VISITORS TO EXPLORE THE CREATIVE PROCESS AND CAREER OF THE BELOVED AND LEGENDARY ARTIST. ANCHORED BY THE DONATION OF ALMOST 500 ARTIFACTS BY MR. HENSON'S FAMILY, THE JIM HENSON EXHIBITION FEATURES HISTORIC PUPPETS, ORIGINAL ARTWORK, CHARACTER SKETCHES, AND RARE FILM AND TELEVISION FOOTAGE, DEMONSTRATING HOW THE ARTIST AND HIS TEAM OF BUILDERS, PERFORMERS, AND WRITERS BROUGHT TO LIFE THE ENDURINGLY POPULAR WORLDS OF THE MUPPET SHOW, SESAME STREET, THE DARK CRYSTAL, AND FRAGGLE ROCK. A TRAVELING VERSION OF THIS EXHIBITION OPENED AT THE DURHAM MUSEUM IN 2021 AND IS BOOKED IN VENUES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY THROUGH 2023. ALSO REOPENING WAS THE TEMPORARY EXHIBITION ENVISIONING 2001: STANLEY KUBRICK'S SPACE ODYSSEY, WHICH EXPLORED THE DIRECTOR'S INFLUENCES, RESEARCH, AND PRODUCTION PROCESS IN CREATING THE PIONEERING FILM. MUSEUM STAFF CONTINUED EFFORTS TO FULLY DIGITIZE THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION OF APPROXIMATELY 130,000 ARTIFACTS RELATING TO THE ART, HISTORY, AND TECHNOLOGY OF THE MOVING IMAGE, AVAILABLE ONLINE.

SCREENINGS, EVENTS AND ONLINE PROJECTS:THE MUSEUM FOUND WAYS IN FISCAL YEAR 2021 TO BRING CURRENT AND CLASSIC CINEMA TO ITS AUDIENCES DESPITE THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF ITS BUILDING. IN AUGUST 2020, THE MUSEUM LAUNCHED, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TWO OTHER LOCAL INSTITUTIONS, THE QUEENS DRIVE-IN, AN OUTDOOR FILM FESTIVAL THAT PROVIDED NEW YORKERS WITH A SAFE AND COMMUNAL SPACE AT WHICH TO ENJOY FILMS ON A LARGE SCREEN. THE FESTIVAL SCREENED FILMS THREE TO FOUR NIGHTS A WEEK UNTIL ENDING IN NOVEMBER 2020 AND WAS BROUGHT BACK FOR A SECOND SEASON FROM MARCH THROUGH JUNE 2021. THE MUSEUM ALSO PARTNERED WITH INDEPENDENT FILM DISTRIBUTORS TO BRING VIRTUAL CINEMA, INCLUDING CURATED SERIES DEVOTED TO FILMMAKERS, TO HOME VIEWERS, AND HOSTED WEEKLY VIRTUAL DISCUSSIONS FOCUSING ON THE STATE OF CINEMA, CRITICISM, AND CULTURE. IN SPRING 2021 AUDIENCES WERE WELCOMED BACK INTO THE SUMNER M. REDSTONE THEATER FOR SUCH SERIES AS THE COMPLETE KUBRICK, SEE IT BIG: THE RETURN!, AND WOMEN IN 80S HOLLYWOOD. THE MUSEUM'S ONLINE JOURNALS REVERSE SHOT AND SLOAN SCIENCE & FILM CONTINUED TO PUBLISH CONTENT DURING THE PANDEMIC, WITH THE FORMER FOCUSING ON INTERVIEWS WITH FILMMAKERS AND FILM REVIEWS, AND THE LATTER ON ARTICLES EXAMINING THE INTERSECTION OF SCIENCE AND CINEMA.

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS:THE MUSEUM PROVIDES CURRICULUM-BASED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES TO APPROXIMATELY 70,000 STUDENTS EACH YEAR, AS WELL AS AN ARRAY OF DYNAMIC, ENGAGING TOURS, TALKS, WORKSHOPS, AND SCREENINGS FOR CHILDREN, TEENS, FAMILIES, ADULTS, AND SENIORS. THE MUSEUM PIVOTED ITS EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO AN ONLINE FORMAT DURING THE PANDEMIC; LIVE-STREAMED VIRTUAL TOURS, TUTORIALS POSTED WEEKLY ON THE MUSEUM'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL, AND ONLINE SUMMER MEDIA CAMPS BROUGHT THE MUSEUM'S EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS TO STUDENTS DESPITE THE MUSEUM BUILDING CLOSURE. UPON REOPENING IN SPRING 2021, THE MUSEUM RESUMED PRESENTING ITS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN-PERSON; SEVERAL ONLINE OFFERINGS WERE CONTINUED, HOWEVER, TO FURTHER REACH THOSE UNABLE TO VISIT THE MUSEUM IN PERSON.