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added layer of needing to be mindful and respectful of cultural
diff erences and making sure there’s something for everyone.
At the MCA there aren’t any security guards keeping
watch in each room. Instead there are hosts. When there
is more diffi cult work, they’ll ask visitors what they think
about the work rather than telling them what it is. Being
non-profi t can be a blessing and a curse, says Conrié. On
one hand, they can do things their way and be nimble and
innovative, but on the other, they don’t have the capacity
to grow more than where they are now which is 1.1 to 1.2
million visitors a year. So, what can be done? Her focus is
on deepening the engagement. “Instead of coming back
twice a year, we want them to come three to four times, and
to achieve that you have to consider the holistic experience
because we want to make sure they come for an exhibition,
then again for a workshop or a pop-up menu. We want
them to have meaningful interactions with us.”
She speaks with very great respect for and
understanding of her broad audience – whether it’s
tourists who wander in for 20 minutes or contemporary art
enthusiasts who spend hours in the museum. “Hopefully
they can walk away with an interesting experience and a
diff erent understanding of the Australian identity.” It’s her
ability to meet their needs at the same time as representing
what the museum stands for that has seen her shine in her
role. It’s also a responsibility that she doesn’t take lightly.
“We have to be extremely considerate about how we talk
about diff erent cultures in terms of emotional IQ and
cultural sensitivity. You have to be good at it. One of our core
principles is that someone isn’t an Aboriginal artist, they’re
a contemporary artist who happens to be Aboriginal.”
As part of redeveloping the MCA website, however,
the organisation worked on creating a dedicated hub for
such artists. The site is also one of the fi rst to display an
extremely prominent acknowledgment of the traditional
owners of the land. Unlike other galleries, the MCA doesn’t
have a separate section for Indigenous art – everything
is mixed together. “The sort of art that we show is very
contemporary, especially with Aboriginal artists. You canThe MCA describes itself as Australia’s leading museum
dedicated to exhibiting, collecting and interpreting the work
of today’s artists. Conrié explains what it’s like to work for a
non-profi t, contemporary gallery where a number of the staff
are actually artists in their own right as well. Contemporary
artists for the most part don’t enjoy fame in Australia, so
there’s a lot more to do to reach audiences, compared to, say,
a Picasso show at the more mainstream Art Gallery of New
South Wales where the show almost markets itself.
“Contemporary art pushes you out of your comfort
zone. There’s a stigma that people ‘won’t get it’ or they’ll feel
stupid, but there’s no right or wrong. It’s about how you feel
and the meaning you bring to it with your own experiences
and values,” she says. “We don’t shy away from tricky or
diffi cult work and it’s important to give people a choice.
So I have to ask myself: ‘how do I make it interesting and
relevant to locals?’”
When she fi rst started in the role, one of the most
surprising things was the amount of variety. “You assume
it’s just going to be arts and artists, but it turned out to be
diff erent in a good way.” The MCA has two restaurants
and a shop that Conrié’s department also has to consider.
Visitors aren’t only coming for the art, there are workshops,
pop-up menus and a bar. “A lot of what we do is really
complex project management, content development for the
website, magazine and digital channels.” She adds, “More
than half of my time is spent on non-exhibition projects- we have major sponsors like Qantas, Telstra. It’s not just
making it work for them, it has to work for us too.”
It’s not dissimilar to her previous roles, but there’s an
There’s a stigma that
people ‘won’t get it’ or
they’ll feel stupid, but
there’s no right or wrong.
THE TRUTH ISSUEConrié’s top fi ve podcasts
for marketers interested
in creativity, innovation
and leadership:
- How I Work, by Dr Amantha Imber
- Creative Confi dence Series, by Ideo
- The CMO Show
- Freakonomics Radio (especially the CEO series!)
- IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review