The New Museum has received $250,000 in funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for its technology incubator program, NEW INC. The funds will help the program expand its purview through an effort to find new members investigating technology’s impact on the future of art museums.
Now in its third year, NEW INC is a “cultural incubator dedicated to supporting innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship across art, design, and technology.” With the new funds, it will introduce a 12-month professional development program for up to ten people geared toward creating technology that encourages museum attendance and interest. Costs for participation in the program will be covered, and the prospect of $10,000 in seed funding will also be made available through the program.
In a statement, NEW INC’s director, Julia Kaganskiy, described the current market for museum technology innovation as “underdeveloped and underserved.” With the additional funds, she said, “These NEW INC members will explore new exhibition design ideas, audience engagement tools, cost-effective products, and more efficient services to meet this need.”
Applicants can apply during an open call running through April 30 at the NEW INC website. The program will run from September 2017 through August 2018.