At 04:55 PM 2/6/97 +0000, you wrote:
>Two questions, we would like comments on:
>
>1).  Do you allow wedding receptions in your galleries?
Not at this time, and I hope not in the future.  We do however, throw large
"galas" in the galleries, complete with food and drink, music and dancing.
However, we remove works of art in any immediate/imagined danger (those
hanging low on the walls, those on pedestals, those without protective
glazing..).  And we make sure that all food and drink remnants are removed
from the building before closing the building after such an event.

I don't necessarily think that such food related/high activity events should
take place in the museum, since they pose a potential threat to the safety
of the artworks on display, and the collection in general.  It poses
potential threats in several ways - the obvious being that food and drink
remnants can promote pest infestation, and of course the drinking encourages
people to be less careful in what they do, and what they may walk or bump
into..such as an artwork.  Also, just having the doors opening and closing
so much,  for the caterors and guests, can allow pests (mice, bugs, etc.) in
the building, stress the climate control system indoors, etc. Whew, think
about it.

Since these galas are big fund-raising events for the museum, and are
largely organized by the friends (read: big or potentially big donors) there
is not much I can do to stop such activities, which I know, does promote
goodwill between the museum and its "customers".  So I just mostly grin and
bear it, and keep a careful eye on what I can.

>
>2).  What do you think of wedding receptions in galleries?
depending on your institutions motivation to allow such a thing, and their
plans to make it a one-time or regular event, there may be not much you can
do.  But I don't like the idea.

Allison
(formerly of UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies, and of
white-out fame, now Registrar at the Haggerty Museum in Milwaukee...glad to
be back)

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Allison A. Smith                ***
Registrar                          ********
Haggerty Museum of Art  ***
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