What is YOUR relationship with a museum?
The Berkshire Museum (Pittsfield, MA) is embarking on a "reinvention" plan, which removes the emphasis of their mission from art to history and science. In order to make this reinvention come true, the museum decided to sell 40 pieces of artwork. These pieces, they argue, no longer fit their new mission.*
This isn't the first time a United States museum has sold pieces from its collection; however, it is often controversial. Art works are placed in the care of the museum for safekeeping and public viewing, not to be sold off to the highest bidder.
Despite my personal ideas about the Berkshire Museum's decision, I found their actions to be relevant to my current research. I am arguing that if museums were to lose federal funding (meaning the National Endowment of the Arts would cease to exist) they would have no choice but to resort to the funding models of commercial art galleries. In short, museums would become sellers of art instead of caretakers. If this were to occur, how does that change the public's relationship with art museums? What would communities lose if art museums began to sell pieces from their collection in order to remain financially stable?
I will debate this in more detail later, but think about these questions. What is YOUR relationship with an art museum? What would you lose if it sold its artwork?
Edgar Degas (1834-1917)
"The Dance Lesson" c. 1879 Oil on canvas
Note: this is a personal weblog and all posts are my opinion. Unless information is appropriately cited, everything I say is to be considered nothing more than ramblings as I conduct research.
