>Deb Baroff, Museum of the Great Plains  Lawton  OK wrote:

>I can see how art in museums can stand on their own, though it's always nice
to learn >about the artists.

The importance of interpretation in an art museum goes far beyond the basic
information on an artist's life.  It is my opinion that a major contributing
factor to the "Culture Wars" we are currently engaged in is that art museums,
among others, did not interpret contemporary art.  This vacuum provided
certain people with an opening to place their own interpretations on the
works, interpretations that often have little or nothing to do with the
artists intent.

Interpretation is a vital aspect to what we do in museums and controversies
such as the Enola Gay brouhaha should serve to reinforce the importance of
intelligble interpretation, not scare us away from it.


Frank Thomson, Curator, Asheville Art Museum