The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust has selected Fastspot, an interactive agency based in Baltimore, to design and produce the Museum's new Website. Fastspot was chosen following a national search of leading interactive agencies as part of the Museum's re-invention of itself. In addition to renovating its Website, the Museum is constructing a new building to house its permanent exhibits and rich archives.
"We are thrilled at the possibilities the LAMH project brings to the table", said Fastspot's Principal and Creative Director, Tracey Halvorsen. "Not only is the material compelling and critical, the clock is ticking on preserving the stories of Holocaust survivors, and the unstable world we live in provides a constant reminder that Museums such as the LAMH are extremely important cultural institutions which will shape the attitudes of all who visit and experience the stories they preserve."
The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMH), founded in 1961 by a group of Holocaust Survivors living in Los Angeles, was the first Museum of its kind to open in the United States. Today, it is an important cultural institution in Los Angeles, built around the stories and artifacts of its founding survivors. Part of the interactive redesign process is slated to coincide with the opening of the new building, designed by award-winning architect Hagy Belzberg. Construction of the much anticipated new building is to be completed in summer 2010 and the Website roll out should occur in the spring.
"For over four decades the Museum served Los Angeles and Southern California as the only regional institution devoted exclusively to the events of the Holocaust. Thanks to Fastspot's innovative design, technical expertise and vast experience the Museum will now have a Web presence worthy of its long history, critical mission, and new home," according to Mark A. Rothman, the Museum's Executive Director.
Fastspot, a nationally recognized agency specializing in unique and experience-driven interactive projects, has a track record of partnering with museums and cultural organizations. Fastspot's roster of clients includes institutions such as The Smithsonian, The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, The Walters Art Museum, Baker Artist Awards and Visit Baltimore. The new site is to be powered by Fastspot's own content management system, BigTree CMS, which focuses on customized and integrated solutions suited for highly interactive experiences.