The Top 10 Museums On Pinterest

While some ignore the impact that Pinterest is having on the digital landscape, it's just become the third most popular social network after Facebook and Twitter, attracting 17.8 million visitors in February 2012 alone. Not just a site for moms and cooking enthusiasts, Pinterest has been populated by a crop of forward-thinking museums that have found creative ways to market their institutions.

Taking into account the quality of boards, user following, and distinctive creative approaches, we compiled a list of 10 museum Pinterest accounts that could teach you a thing or two about art, if not also the art of pinning.

The Top 10 Museums On Pinterest.

Location: Los Angeles, California

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lacma/

The LACMA takes a more historical and navigational approach to their Pinterest, highlighting "LACMA Through the Years," as well as "Places & Spaces" around the museum.

Location: Carp, Ontario, Canada

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/diefenbunker/

The Diefenbunker Museum's Pinterest is a testament to their efforts at creating a real community on their account. They have boards like "Education and Programming" (cool DIY ideas for in and out of the museum) and "Love Under Cover" (ideas for their annual Valentine's Day event).

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/imamuseum/

The Indianapolis Museum of Art brilliantly uses their Pinterest to highlight works of art from their collection of 50,000+ pieces. Divided into boards like "Decorative Arts" and "European Painting and Sculpture," their account takes you on a trip to the museum without ever having to actually go.

Location: Stuttgart, Germany

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/mbmuseum/

The Mercedes-Benz Museum's Pinterest promotes the beauty of the cars it houses, in addition to itself as an architectural masterpiece. It does a great job of showing a graphic history of Mercedes, as well as the uniquely branded museum store items they carry. They even have a board promoting other "Museums Around the World."

Location: Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/thewarholmuseum/

The Andy Warhol Museum Pinterest is more thorough and expectantly more active than other accounts, dividing his work into collection highlights and by the decade. Boards like "All About Andy" and "Andy Warhol - Entrepreneur" offer a biographical perspective that supplements the boards dedicated to his art.

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/chicagomuseum/

The Chicago History Museum does an excellent job of using boards to highlight exhibitions such as Crossroads of America and the Great Chicago Fire. Even cooler is their use of a Museum Store board to promote sales, in addition to their collaboration with the Chicago Architecture Foundation's "What building inspires you?" board, where users can submit Chicago-inspired pins. With 2,589 followers on that board alone, they must be doing something right.

Location: New York, New York

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/metmuseum/ + http://pinterest.com/mmateens/

The Met cleverly created boards that mix works of art from their vast repertoire based on themes and patterns such as red dresses for "Lady in Red," hands for "Connections l Hands," and dogs for "The Dog: Emblem, Performer, Friend." The Met Teens account is more collaborative, asking young people in particular to join discussions and attend events through pinning.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/smithsonian/ + http://pinterest.com/archivesamerart/

While the Smithsonian is collectively 19 museums, its main Pinterest account has boards for specific holidays and exhibitions, such as "Women's History Month" and "X-Ray Vision." Its Archives of American Art account is just as impressive, drawing on themes from their records of American visual arts. Boards include "Wish You Were Here," "Say Cheese!," "Pinteresting Printed Pages," "Color Me Happy," and more.

Location: Los Angeles, California

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/gettymuseum/

The J. Paul Getty Museum has 17 boards that serve as top-notch educational resources and inspiration. They've certainly made best creative use of combining artworks with similar themes (clouds, youth, trees, etc.), which shows the real breadth of their total collection.

Location: San Francisco, California

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sfmoma/

The San Francisco MOMA knows how to curate excellent boards and easily sets the highest standard for marketing themselves on Pinterest. They have themed boards that span across their collections, a Museum Store board, specific exhibition boards, a board that documents their events and parties, a boards that shows you the food and coffee at the museum (like their signature Piet Mondrian cake), and a board with press clippings. With 1888 followers on their account, it's clear that they've earned an audience by giving a fuller, funner perspective of their museum.