Comments on: Big Questions for the Met’s Thomas Campbell…and you

By: On Museums and Museum Education | The Art History Blog

On Museums and Museum Education | The Art History Blog — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:46:26 +0000

[...] conversation continues to happen here on the Art Histoy Blog surrounding this nearly two-year-old post about the effectiveness of museums, inspired by Steven Colbert! Check it out, and please contribute [...]

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:24:33 +0000

William, thanks for your comment and for contributing to this conversation! I was playing off the terminology Stephen Colbert used on the show, but I see what you’re saying. Perhaps a better way to phrase it would be, how do we encourage museum visitors to be comfortable engaging with art?

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:22:31 +0000

Dorothy, thanks so much for your comment! I am with you, and since this post was posted a two years ago (!), the idea of curatorial authority has absolutely become a museum world debate. I am so glad you shared the 50/50 exhibition with readers here--I think it's become a bit of a game changer. My own museum is integrating a voting process for our anniversary which shares 50/50's goals. I'd also point readers towards the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum's Top 40 exhibition featured on Museum 2.0, another example of crowdsourced exhibitions in art museums. Thanks again for your comment!

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:18:45 +0000

Emilie, a great point! And a late reply to your comment: I absolutely agree that school-age children are an integral part of creating an art-curious and -enriched society. But I’d argue with you on your point about teens and college students–even if their first art experience is at that age, they are still absolutely game for being turned on to art. I interpreted the character Steven Colbert played in this episode as one who doesn’t or rarely go to museums at all, and certainly doesn’t spend time with a kick-butt museum educator while he’s there. I’d say an accessible, friendly facilitator is a powerful gateway to art, art history, and museums. Thanks again for your thoughtful comment!

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:11:35 +0000

Hi Ren, a very late reply to your comment! Thanks for your thoughts. The ideology behind your gallery reminds me a lot of ArtPrize--it's heartening to hear how positive the response was when the attitude was open and friendly and the interpretive materials accessible. Museums could take a leaf out of your gallery's book for sure! Thanks again for your comment and kind words.

By: William H. A. Williams

William H. A. Williams — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:55:21 +0000

This thread looks a bit dead, time wise, that is. But the comments are all excellent. Nevertheless, I am not sure I get the question about getting art. What is it we are supposed to “get?” If I throw a ball to you, do you “get” it or does it get you? You will feel it more if it gets you.

By: Dorothy

Dorothy — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 06:37:59 +0000

As a museum educator these are questions and conversations that I too grapple with on a daily basis. While Colbert was (presumably) joking, or perhaps just being tongue in cheek, I think that his comment about visitor’s voting about the art on view holds some weight. Institutions practically apotheosize the curator and their choices, but to what avail? I love the Walker Art Center’s “50/50″ initiative where visitors were able to vote on whether particular artworks should “definitely” or “maybe not” be included in their upcoming exhibition, 50/50: Audience and Experts Curate the Paper Collection. I wish more museums would push the envelope in this way and experiment with different models. I recognize that this discussion hasn’t been touched in almost a year, but I wanted to share the 50/50 exhibition!
You can read about the exhibition here: http://visualarts.walkerart.org/detail.wac?id=5808&title=Past%20Exhibitions

By: Emilie

Emilie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:34:59 +0000

I think a key part of this discussion should be what kind of art education kids get in K-12 schools in the US. There are massive variations among schools in what kids get to see and learn about in the visual arts while they’re still young, curious, and open-minded, but most of it sadly is very, very weak. If their first opportunity to have a meaningful interaction with art is as a teen or in college, you can imagine how many Steven Colberts we produce.

Museums, as you know, often bend over backward to get schools involved with them, but so often it all just comes down to funding, limited instruction time, and testing. I think the culture shift needs to happen among parents and in the schools. I personally won’t send my child to one where learning about art is any less a priority than reading or math.

By: Ren

Ren — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:49:23 +0000

Brilliant, engaging points. It’s telling that it takes a satirist to point out the glaring issues of art elitism and museum protocol.

There are a lot of people out there who like the concept of art, who wish they could get “into” art, but are put off by the idea that stepping into an art venue invites attack from art snobs. I owned a gallery which catered more to the “Joe Six Pack” crowd than the elites–with the goal of reaching out to more people, to awaken their interest in art. When I talked with visitors, they would comment about how welcoming, friendly, and “not snooty,” the gallery was, that they had long avoided galleries and even museums because they feared being teased or singled out when they didn’t “get” art.

We were able to encourage public curiosity while easing fear by being friendly, having informative cards and materials out on the more “complex” works (info which was not written for art elitists, but intended to be read by anyone, at any level). Attitude seemed to play a big role in making visitors feel at ease, rather than under the interrogation light, allowing them to arouse curiosity and explore the art.

As for the topic of what gets considered art, and who gets to claim or decide–that’s one I could write reams on. :-)

I just want to say I really enjoy this blog and think you’re doing an excellent job.

By: Alexander

Alexander — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:28:51 +0000

Gabby, I read the secnd article, and it’s very interesting indeed!
The Museum world is definitely full of “conflicts of interest” with collections, collectors, staff, artists, and trustees. For me, it really boils down to WHAT is shown vs. HOW it is shown.
I would go and see any show about Tintoretto, regardless of how it came about, but I would be much more critical of a show that I did not find as appealing, but had been curated by the artist and loaned by a Trustee/Collector.
While I think that the article did a good job of representing the pros and cons of the convoluted system, I’m not sure that there is an easy solution. In the end, what tends to bring visitors in to the museum are big names and blockbuster shows. They may not care that it was curated by the artist himself, or they may find it more interesting!