Ask a Curator Day 2016: The Best Tweets from Museums Worldwide

The sixth annual Ask a Curator Day took place on September 14, 2016, on Twitter. Using the hashtag #AskACurator, the public posed questions to curators from 1,330 museums across 53 countries. The initiative, which began in 2010, invites anyone to ask anything, from serious inquiries to behind-the-scenes curiosities. Among the standout exchanges, the Barbican Centre in London asked Francesca De Luca of the Uffizi Galleries which artwork she would bring to life. The Uffizi replied with a tweet featuring an image of a figure from a painting. The Horniman Museum in London answered how many curators it takes to change a lightbulb, posting a photo of curators holding a ladder. The Museo MADRE in Naples responded to a question about which artwork they would live in for 24 hours, choosing the Bayrle room from the exhibition "All in One." The MAXXI in Rome affirmed that the museum changed the city by offering a public space for creativity. The Corning Museum of Glass in New York shared a chess set by Gianni Toso as an example of art that is also a game. The Escher Museum in The Hague addressed a question about selfies in museums, promoting playful engagement. The Chicago History Museum countered the notion that curators sit in an ivory tower, stating they are active participants in their communities. World of Warcraft even joined in, tweeting an image of a curator equipped for gallery protection. The event highlighted the global reach of museum social media engagement.