>        AVISO is a fine little news sheet and may be useful primarily for its
>listings and its classifieds, but it's chock full of tidbits about
>government and political things and I have found that it ends up becoming a
>throwaway for lots of readers.


I tend to use AVISO as a timely update:  I photocopy it, circulate it, post
it, USE the information for strategic planning, and pitch it when the next
one comes.  I leaf through MN once.  Although I do save Museum News, I
rarely look at it again but I will give stacks of it to new interns to
peruse as an introduction to the field.

I wish that MN was more hard-hitting:  I'd like to see a regular column of
new product reviews, some good research results a la CURATOR, but above all
some acknowledgement somewhere that yes, the museum world does have
controversies, debates, and differences of opinion.  I understand that it is
in AAM's best interests for its lobbying efforts to present the museum field
as unified and a model of efficiency and scholarship, but that doesn't help
those of us in the trenches where the situation may be less than perfect.

Sometimes I feel that MN serves the same purpose as Martha Stewart LIVING:
glossy and gorgeous, it portrays an admirable yet mostly unattainable goal
for institutions with insufficient income, staff, and community support that
ultimately makes one feel unworthy and mired at the bottom.


Julia Moore
Director of Exhibitions and Artist Services
Indianapolis Art Center