Social media specialist and culture enthusiast Mar Dixon died at the age of 53 on Saturday, March 16, in Shropshire, England. Throughout his career, Dixon has driven several international social media campaigns focused on audience development for cultural centers, starting social media trends such as #AskACurator and #Museum Selfie and start 52 Museums network project, among others.
Originally from Pennsylvania and based in the UK, Dixon is best remembered for his singular goal of connecting the individual with the organization in the early 2010s during the rapid evolution of platforms like Twitter (now X) and Instagram, when smartphones became ubiquitous. and hashtags became the key to visibility. Dixon leveraged the popularity and accessibility of social media to help demystify museums for the public and encourage people to make personal connections with the arts.
Dixon’s work in the cultural sector included initiatives such as Teens in Museums, Kids in Museums and MuseumCamp, which focused on youth accessibility and attitudes towards institutions. “We’ve done tremendous work with babies and under-10s, but now we’re challenged to ensure that this strong, powerful generation recognizes the importance of museums in our society,” he said in a 2013 interview. “Cliché, but our next politicians are the ones who will make the future decisions about our culture.”
With Dixon’s love and passion for art, culture and connectivity, several of his colleagues at the institutions and organizations he worked with have publicly mourned his loss over the past week, sharing selfies and memories online, echoing his impact on social media. He was informed of his death Shared by her longtime friend and colleague Linda SpurdleHead of Digital Development at Birmingham Museums Trust.
“He loved being called the finisher, and it was always a good problem,” Spurdle said on X. “His reaction to a problem was always, ‘What can we do about it?’
From museum staff to digital advisors and friends along the way, they reacted with sadness to the news, noting that Dixon was always cheerful, full of life and a bundle of energy and ideas. The Museums Association and Museums + Heritage Advisor also published separate tributes to Dixon, collecting public messages from colleagues honoring his life.
Director of Manchester Museum Esme Ward described Dixon as “wonderful, a force for good, full of hope and humor”, and National Lottery Heritage Fund he highlighted his important work while appreciating his support for the Heritage Treasure Day campaign.
Dixon is survived by her daughter Charlotte Dixon, her partner Paul Hutchinson, her mother Faith Quinn, her siblings (Gene Anirina, Margaret Anirina, Darlene (Ebarb, Quinn) Cavalier, James Quinn) and many nieces and nephews.
