Jay,

American society is, what we as Americans, make it.  To say that things are
"sadly, valid and necessary" is to give up any control over our own destinys
as Americans and human beings.  Our society is ill and we all are
responsible....but back to my original question: What happened between then
and now?  What has happened, specifically, that justifies a jump from
donation to $12.00?  These museums survived since their inception until only
fairly recently...what happened?

At 12:06 PM 02/25/2001 -0600, Jay Heuman wrote:
>Frank:
>
>        Cultural institutions have done what they must to survive.  Times have
>changed, Frank.  Priorities of the average American have changed, too.
>To relate cultural institutions to entertainment venues is, sadly, valid
>and necessary.
>        The way I look at it is this:  Families come in droves to Joslyn Art
>Museum on Saturdays from 10 am to 12 pm because we are free.  We are
>free becasue a national construction company -- with national
>headquarters in Omaha, NE -- funds the free saturday mornings.  But the
>rest of our week, we have only school groups, with teachers literally
>dragging their students -- who would rather be playing Nintendo --
>through the museum, trying to teach the kids about the important history
>of their country.
>        If movies were free, I'd go more often . . . wouldn't you?  If
>amusement parks were free, I'd go more often.  If baseball games were
>free, I'd definitely go -- considering I live three blocks away from
>Rosenblatt Stadium, home of the "College World Series."
>        The reason this is a valid concern is that the general public views art
>museums as entertainment.  If it's not entertaining, they will not come.
>After all, "Field of Dreams" was about a baseball diamond . . . not an
>art museum, history museum, maritime museum, etc.
>        American society tends to favor easy and instant gratification.
>Museums were not traditionally sources of easy and instant
>gratification, but are becoming that . . . because museums must compete
>with entertainment venues for visitors.  Parents often feel that taking
>their kids to a movie or an amusement park is easier than taking their
>kids to museums . . . further, the parents of these children, when they
>themselves were children, may not have been taken to museums by their
>parents.  (Surveys show that children taken to museums often by their
>parents will be regular museum visitors once they grow up.)
>        Reality is more harsh than some ideological fantasy.  Museums can be
>free to all if the government is willing to fund them and if corporate
>donors are willing to donate without the forethought to the "advertising
>impact per dollar of charitable investment."  After all, isn't the
>government supposed to do what is best for the nation which, according
>to experts in the field of education, includes funding museums?  Tell
>the government that, Frank.  Isn't charity -- from corporations and
>individuals -- about giving for the sake of giving, to improve daily
>life . . . not to pad one's pocketbook?  Tell the companies that, Frank.
>        Frank . . . you seem to have a fundamental problem with American
>society -- not, actually, a problem with museum finances.
>        What more can be said . . . ?
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Jay Heuman, Visitor & Volunteer Services Coordinator
>Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68102
>342-3300 (telephone)     342-2376 (fax)
>http://www.joslyn.org
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
>> Behalf Of (Frank Gregory)
>> Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2001 11:12 am
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: $admission$
>>
>>
>> A postage stamp was 3 cents in 1932, 10 cents in 1974.
>> Minimum wage was
>> $2.00 in 1974, $5.25 now (and some studies suggest worth less in real
>> dollars)...I assume you make more than $5.25 now.  A new car,
>> ski tickets,
>> movies and other entertainment are not the same as access to and a
>> connection with a human and national culture.  This access is a truly
>> American egalitarian ideal and it's effective denial can be directly
>> connected to the dissillusionment and alienation felt by many
>> of todays
>> youth, who did not grow up with it.  When cultural history is
>> equated with
>> entertainment and diversion only, present culture becomes
>> inbred. Critical
>> thinking and taste sink to the bottom like a rock.  The
>> National Museums are
>> treasure for their access and one that I fear for with the current
>> "privatization " bandwagon.  We are witnessing the
>> "privatization" of public
>> dollars in public education as we speak, the most cherished
>> egalitarian
>> ideal...could the museums be far off?  Why should the Fogg
>> Art Museum charge
>> an admission other than to keep people out.  What might the
>> endowment of
>> Harvard University be?  Do they need my admission to pay for
>> the janitor?
>>
>> As you can see. . . I have a passion about this issue also!
>>
>> Frank Gregory
>> artist/educator
>>
>> www.frankgregory.com
>
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