- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Princeton University Press; illustrated edition edition (27 Jan 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0691032157
- ISBN-13: 978-0691032153
- Product Dimensions: 23.7 x 16 x 2.5 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,274,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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These revelations of what the museum directors think of what [visitors] think of them are fascinating, and sometimes shocking. -- Maev Kennedy Art Quarterly
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During the economic boom of the 1990s, art museums expanded dramatically in size, scope, and ambition. They came to be seen as new civic centers: on the one hand as places of entertainment, leisure, and commerce, on the other as socially therapeutic institutions. But museums were also criticized for everything from elitism to looting or illegally exporting works from other countries, to exhibiting works offensive to the public taste. "Whose Muse?" brings together five directors of leading American and British art museums who together offer a forward-looking alternative to such prevailing views. While their approaches differ, certain themes recur: as museums have become increasingly complex and costly to manage, and as government support has waned, the temptation is great to follow policies driven not by a mission but by the market. However, the directors concur that public trust can be upheld only if museums continue to see their core mission as building collections that reflect a nation's artistic legacy and providing informed and unfettered access to them. The book, based on a lecture series of the same title held in 2000-2001 by the Harvard Program for Art Museum Directors, also includes an introduction by Cuno and a fascinating - and surprisingly frank - roundtable discussion among the participating directors. A rare collection of sustained reflections by prominent museum directors on the current state of affairs in their profession, this book is without equal. It will be read widely not only by museum professionals, trustees, critics, and scholars, but also by the art-loving public itself.
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I WOULD LIKE to address some of the problems related to the kinds of responsibilities that we, as directors, curators, or trustees of public collec , have with regard to our collections. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
I WOULD LIKE to address some of the problems related to the kinds of responsibilities that we, as directors, curators, or trustees of public collec , have with regard to our collections. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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2 reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Not a boring subject!
13 Dec 2006
Format:Hardcover
This is a compilation of essays written by directors of major art museums: Cuno from the Art Institute of Chicago, De Montebello from the Met, Lowry from the MoMA, MacGregor from the British Museum, Walsh of the Getty in LA, and Wood, formerly of the AIC. Each addresses how museums can cultivate public trust in cultural institutions, the kinds of authority museums have, and how they should manage their responsibilities. MacGregor's essay was my personal favorite; it includes two amazing stories of how art proves to be valued for its emotional power during times of crisis (specifically on 9/11 and during WWII). Walsh offers suggestions as to how museums can offer its visitors a more genuine experience through curatorial choices and placement of lighting and seats. Lowry and De Montebello write about the relationship of the entertainment industry to museums. A very accessible, jargon-free text that is surprisingly interesting.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Whose Museum Is It Anyway?
22 Sep 2007
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
With everything from motorcycles, cars, boats, Jackie O's clothes, Star Wars artifacts, elephant dung and more finding their way into the museum, this is probably a good time to examine just what the museum is and who it is for. Art Institute of Chicago director James Cuno has assembled a veritable who's who of major museum directors to hold forth on this topic. Taken together, the essays provide rare insight into how museums are being shaped in the 20th century. With sometimes surprising candor the directors make their case for how and why the museum is beholden to the public trust. A roundtable discussion at the book's end further amplifies the issues set forth in the essays. This is an important book.
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