The museum utilizes print and direct mail primarily in order to advertise upcoming museum exhibitions, as well as to provide visitors with additional information about the various exhibits through the printing of brochures and rack cards. Because we are a smaller institution, it is currently cost prohibitive for the museum to send out mailers to our members for every new exhibit that we open, which is at minimum twenty times a year. And although we utilize social media, the majority of our members skew 60 years or older. This demographic does not utilize social media as their main source of information. In fact, as we found out during COVID, many of our members don't even own a computer! Direct mailings are the most effective way of reaching this demographic.
Beyond the museum, our print brochures are placed at Welcome Centers, Visitor Centers and other tourist attractions along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. As a nonprofit, the printing and mailing of brochures to all of these various locations is a costly, but necessary, endeavor.
Additionally, the museum uses print and direct mail in order to advertise our fundraising events. As a nonprofit, our fundraisers are crucial for providing not only, general operating support, but also, as a means for the museum to be able to give back to the community. For example, our most recent fundraiser went towards providing 12 East Biloxi, MS children with full scholarships to the museum's summer art camp. The more people we can reach via direct mail, the more money we can raise in order to aid in community development and revitalization.
Lastly, the museum utilizes print and direct mail in order to give back to the community via the organization of community events. The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art has entered a new phase focusing on community development. In just the next month, the museum will be hosting a Juneteenth celebration in collaboration with several local nonprofits, a three-day Independence festival, and will be breaking ground on a community playground and garden. The community art garden, created in collaboration with the East Biloxi Community Collaborative (EBCC), seeks to address the issues of arts access and food insecurity in East Biloxi, MS. This project is part of a wider, ongoing partnership focusing on arts and community revitalization, with a specific focus on positively engaging local youth. Print and direct mail would help the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art and the East-Biloxi Community Collaborative reach its target audience, the at-risk children of East Biloxi, a population with limited access to the internet. Direct mailing would be utilized to target all residential structures within the neighborhood of East Biloxi, ensuring that no child is left behind.
Learn More About This Organization:
The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote and preserve the unique legacy of Biloxi potter George E. Ohr and the diverse cultural heritage of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This mission is served through compelling exhibitions and educational experiences viewed from a fresh perspective relevant to our community, the region and the nation, focusing on ceramic arts and other craft traditions. As an anchor institution, the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art aspires to embody and inspire the Gulf Coast’s dynamism and enhance its national profile while contributing to a healthy and vibrant community and enriching the lives of its regional citizens. With a renewed focus on community development, the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art seeks to aid in the revitalization of an area severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 Recession and the Gulf Oil spill.
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