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>Date:         Sun, 31 Jan 1999 22:16:16 -0800
>Reply-To: American Name Society <[log in to unmask]>
>Sender: American Name Society <[log in to unmask]>
>From: Grant Smith <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject:      Re: Naming Galleries
>X-To:         American Name Society <[log in to unmask]>
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>To: Multiple recipients of list ANS-L
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>>>Return-Path: <[log in to unmask]>
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>>>Newsgroups:   bit.listserv.museum-l
>>>Date:         Mon, 1 Feb 1999 12:24:43 +1000
>>>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Sender: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>>>From: "Thompson, Bronwyn" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Subject:      Naming Galleries
>>>Comments: cc: "Almond, Eve" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>>
>>>I am sending this message on behalf of a colleague who is interested in
>>>knowing how other museums and galleries have approached the naming of
>>>gallery spaces.
>>>
>>>Melbourne Museum is a large state museum which is currently under
>>>development and is due to open in 2000. There are a number of very large
>>>gallery spaces where up to 2 or 3 exhibitions will be housed. The question
>>>my colleague wishes to ask is:
>>>How do museums and art galleries decide on names for galleries, for example,
>>>is it by content, location/wayfinding or acknowledgment of sponsorship, or
>>>are there any other criteria?
>>>
>>>Any feedback is gratefully appreciated!
>
>An interesting question.  Of the ones I can think of at this moment, most
>are named after or by whoever endowed it, whether a governmental entity or
>an individual--Rijksmuseum, British Museum, Metropolitan (?), Getty Museum,
>National Gallery, Phillips, Huntington, Staatsmuseum, Frick, Guggenheim,
>Art Institute of Chicago.  Virtually every city and state in the U.S. has a
>museum which got its start at least with government funding and bears the
>municiple or state name.  Even the Museo Vaticano tells us who owns at
>least as clearly as where it is.
>
>Often the funding of the museum and the location coincide even in old
>European museums; e.g., the Mauritshuis in Den Haag started as a residence
>but also with the furnishings of the great man and resident.
>
>A small number, it seems to me, have a name describing content--e.g., the
>Museum of Modern Art in NY, Frans Hals Museum, Van Gogh Museum--and some of
>those are additionally labeled with a source of support or
>location--National Museum Vincent Van Gogh.
>
>Sometimes the endower chooses someone to commemorate--the Pompidou Museum
>of Modern Art (Centre National d'Art et Culture Georges Pompidou).
>
>Sometimes the name goes way back to a time when no museum was contemplated.
>The Prado simply means the meadow where the great house was originally
>built.
>
>But this is enough rambling.  It would be interesting to make a list and
>see how many indicated funding, commemoration, content, location, etc.
>
>Grant W. Smith, Pres, American Name Society     Phone:  509-359-6023
>Prof. English/Coord. Humanities                 Fax:    509-359-4269
>Eastern Washington University, MS-25            Email:  [log in to unmask]
>526 Fifth St.
>Cheney, WA  99004-2431
>
>