The Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles Create Puzzles for the People

At the beginning of June, MOCA updated its online store to include items relevant to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. I have several screenshots of different puzzles, masks, books, etc. but I thought this one was particularly interesting. In the articles I’ve read about museums creating an effective online presence, the main idea is providing the user an opportunity to engage in a transaction. Here MOCA is giving the user an opportunity to buy a puzzle from them and also engage with their focus on contemporary art. While doing the puzzle, the purchaser will be thinking about MOCA, even on some kind of subconscious level. In a sense this helps to build community and, in the future, will serve as a token of the time spent in quarantine. One day the puzzle will serve as an artifact. To state the obvious, selling puzzles is relevant because at the beginning of quarantine this was an activity a lot of people did. I think for a small time was difficult to get your hands on a puzzle. MOCA is not only providing an online user with the opportunity to engage in a transaction, but it is a relevant transaction. This demonstrates MOCA’s ability to effectively adapt to the changing social landscape. My submission is important to me because in pre-COVID times I loved going to the museum and I think it's great to see how they're still trying to build community.

This is a screenshot of three puzzles available for sale at the online gift shop for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.

June 9, 2020

The Museum of Contemporary Art of Los Angeles

Lindsay McConnell

Screenshot

English Art & Design

English Consumer Culture (shopping, dinning...)

English Museums & Libraries

Museum of Contemporary Art

Los Angeles

California

puzzle

activity

online shop

MOCA

puzzles

art

quarantine

past time

fun

12/14/2021

01/11/2021