Robert,
I agree completely, but perhaps that is part of the problem. We who work in
art museums are very likely to be among the small percentage that was
graced with enough of whatever it takes to be interested in and understand
the depth of art. Maybe we can not see the forest for the trees, to
improperly quote the aphorism.
I too wonder why this phenomenon occurs, when we are exposed to all forms
of art throughout our lives in innumerable forms. Maybe it is in the timing
and presentation of that information that generates interest later in life.
Surely some of it is our fault, but I was trying to avoid blaming all
galleries/museums for whatever it is we are doing wrong. Surely we are not
all making exactly the same mistake. Perhaps the problem is also far too
complex to put into quite so simple terms as I would like to.
Mark Janzen
Registrar/Collections Manager
Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art
Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection
Wichita State University
(316)978-5850
Robert Steven
<robertsteven@GMA
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Mark,
I'm not an expert but as I understand what I've read and been told,
highly educated people are overrepresented at all types of museums, as
I'm sure they are in many activities, but the problem is worst in art
museums. Science centres are said to be the most accessible. I have a
hard time understanding why so many people feel that they don't
understand art, they understood art when they were children didn't
they? You don't need an education in film studies to enjoy movies, why
should you need an art education to enjoy art? I agree that people
don't enjoy art galleries, but I'm just wondering if part of that lack
of enjoyment is the art gallery's fault.
Robert
On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 11:43:03 -0600, Mark Janzen <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Robert,
>
> It sounds like the symptom has already been clearly defined, and I
suspect
> the cause is part of the "problem". We all work very hard to attract the
> general public with programs, advertisement, and quality exhibitions, yet
> we all have the same symptom. The wealthy and educated are by far the
> majority of our non-student group visitorship, and those visitors who do
> not fall into those categories do not return on any regular basis.
>
> In my personal opinion, the reason the general public does not come into
> art museums at the same rate as other museum forms is not because the art
> museums are doing anything wrong. It is because the general public does
not
> understand/value what we do in the same way. It is a cultural
bias/failure
> that is not going to be easily overcome, not an exclusion of any
particular
> group from participation.
>
> That was the point of my previous post. Even when we get members of the
> general public interested enough to come in once, the vast majority do
not
> come back. It is not because they did not learn/enjoy/get something out
of
> it, nor does it have anything to do with their wealth. It is because of
> their education. It is because the general perception of art does not
> include the understanding that it is more than colors on a canvas(or
> whatever media), and most still feel ovewhelmed by art theory or that the
> art is over their heads. People "get" history and science at a much
higher
> level because of pre-existing education as well as interest and exposure.
> History and science are perceived as "factual" where art is rather
nebulous
> in its interpretation. People do not get art without that advance
> understanding, which they lack from early on. I am certain that is a
> massive oversimplification of the issue, but it is the way I tend to look
> at it.
>
> Throwing more money at programs will not help significantly, because the
> problem is not within the museum or the art. Blockbuster exhibits bring
> lots of the general public in, but only for that exhibit and most will
not
> return until the next blockbuster. Such a theme-park approach only
supports
> the problem, and does nothing to undermine the failure at the basic
> educational level. Most people are neither stupid nor incapable of
getting
> it, but they definitely do not like to be put into situations where they
> perceive themselves as such, they therefore avoid such situations.
Perhaps
> we can find a way to get that education out to the public in such a way
> that they are both informed and interested before they come into the
> museum.
>
> I would be very intrested to see if the many studies indicate whether the
> wealthy and educated also attend/fail to attend history, science, and
> natural history museums at disproportionate rates, or whether the
cultural
> bias is more focused on art.
>
> Mark Janzen
> Registrar/Collections Manager
> Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art
> Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection
> Wichita State University
> (316)978-5850
>
> Robert Steven
> <robertsteven@GMA
> IL.COM> To
> Sent by: Museum [log in to unmask]
> discussion list cc
> <[log in to unmask]
> SE.LSOFT.COM> Subject
> Re: Art Gallery Problem
>
> 03/01/2005 10:25
> PM
>
> Please respond to
> Museum discussion
> list
> <[log in to unmask]
> SE.LSOFT.COM>
>
>
> I apologize for my lack of precision in my earlier post. When I
> mentionned attendance levels, what I should have said was
> participation levels, but in many cases these go hand in hand. There
> have been numerous studies in Europe, North America, and Australia
> since Bourdieu and Darbel in 1969 that have all confirmed that art
> galleries almost always draw a smaller audience than other types of
> museums, and that the art gallery audience is almost always far
> wealthier and more educated than that of other types of museums.
> Approximately 75 percent of the population in these areas does not
> attend a public art gallery at all in any given year. In effect, art
> galleries are less "public" because virtually none of the "general
> public" attend. Some authors who have described this are J. Mark
> Davidson Schuster, David Halle, and Tony Bennett. The remarkable point
> is that over the past 35 years art galleries have been aware of the
> large and recognizable group who have been historically excluded, and
> they have tried to become more inclusive with no recognizable success.
> Does that help to clarify why I'm researching what the problem is? Why
> do only unusually wealthy and educated people attend public art
> galleries? Should institutions that somehow exclude the large majority
> of the population from participating receive public funds?
> Thanks for all of the comments so far, I would love to receive more,
> Robert Steven
>
> On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 09:45:04 -0500, Diane Gutenkauf
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > Why do you believe "public art galleries" receive lower attendence than
> > other types of museums? What evidence do you cite for this assumption?
> > Aren't you generalizing a tad? As my college philosophy professor used
to
> > say "Define your terms."
> >
> > Many factors determine a museum's attendence level, I would not
attribute
> > a low attendence simply to the museum's "type."
> >
> > Diane Gutenkauf
> >
> > On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 00:01:03 -0500, Robert Steven
<[log in to unmask]>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >Do you think there is an intrinsic problem with the insitution of the
> > public art gallery that causes it
> > >to receive lower attendence in general than other types of museums?
What
> > do you think that
> > >problem is? Is there a solution? Your advice will inform my research
on
> > this subject.
> > >Thanks very much,
> > >Robert Steven
> > >
> >
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