Evaluation of online works of art museums in turkey on community accessibility

Museums are recognised as important cultural institutions for the protection, access and sustainability of cultural heritage. Accessibility in art museums means that everyone has equal access to works of art and that individuals with different cultural, physical and mental needs can fully benefit from the museum experience. Online education methods enable museums to reach global audiences, overcoming geographical and social barriers and making it possible for art to reach wider audiences. Accessibility of museums includes making appropriate arrangements for people with disabilities, providing information in a variety of languages, and representing diverse communities. In this context, the adoption of the principle of accessibility by art museums enables a more democratic and equitable sharing of art and cultural heritage. Online technologies create a positive connection with art by providing access to disadvantaged groups who cannot physically visit museums. Online educational applications have contributed to the spiritual and intellectual development of society by maintaining interaction with art and culture during challenging periods such as the pandemic. The increase in museum visits with increasing education levels suggests that there may be limitations in the access of the general public to museums. However, online educational applications enable museums to become educational and information centres by providing interactive learning experiences. Online technologies create a positive connection with art by providing access to disadvantaged groups who cannot physically visit museums. Technological methods and online access applications have increased the potential of museums to expand intellectual access, contribute to public education and democratise aesthetic experiences. Online technologies create a positive connection with the arts by providing access to disadvantaged groups who cannot physically visit museums. The aim of this study is to understand how the online activities of art museums in Turkey affect the intellectual access of the public and how practices in this field can be improved. The study aims to evaluate the efforts of art museums to provide intellectual access to individuals from various social groups and to determine the impact of museums' online practices on their accessibility to the public. Research has been conducted to analyse the online practices of art museums in Turkey in order to effectively reach all audiences. The sample of the thesis includes art museums and art centres in Turkey that organise contemporary art exhibitions, carry out educational activities, have an online presence and have education and communication departments. In this context, the sample of the research includes Pera Museum, Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Odunpazarı Modern Museum and ARTER (Culture and Art Centre), which operates as a museum. In the research, firstly, literature review and case studies were conducted. Afterwards, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the officials of the art museums in order to obtain information about why these museums want to strengthen their ties with the society and what activities are carried out and planned for this purpose. In addition, a questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data on the views of audiences who have experienced online museum activities. Through these methods, the qualitative data of the study, which provided an in-depth understanding, and the quantitative data, which allowed for statistical analyses from a wide range of participants, were brought together. The findings of the study show that online museum work plays an important role in reaching large audiences and increasing intellectual access. In particular, Instagram was found to be the most effective platform, with lower interactions observed on other social media platforms. As a result of the research, differences were found in audience satisfaction with online browsing according to demographic characteristics such as gender, age and education level. For example, while women were more positive towards the online activities of art museums, users between the ages of 45-65 had lower satisfaction with online navigation. On the other hand, it was determined that the online navigation satisfaction and ease of access to art museums online were higher among college/university graduates. In order to improve online applications in museums, announcements of online activities should be made more effectively, interactive content should be increased and accessibility applications should be developed; In addition, since satisfaction differences were observed between different age groups and genders, it was determined that museums should design more accessible and user-friendly online platforms for users between the ages of 45-65. Key words: Art Museum, Online Access, Interactive, Accessibility, Museum Communication.