Reconsidering Museum Visits
Museum visits can be inspiring for some, a drudgery for others, and an activity some feel they “should” do more.
The common expectation is that they are places to go, learn and appreciate the art the museum set forth because if the museum said it’s great, then it must be great. To be honest, I don’t go to learn, appreciate and accept, and I definitely don’t visit museums regularly, taking my kids along every moment we have. I’ve adopted another set of goals and expectations around museum visits that make the activity infinitely more appealing. Here are some ideas:
Go to a museum to just zone out.
Museums can be a place to practice your own version of meditation. You don’t need an audio guide, and you are not obligated to read a single word. You are allowed to use the art as a simple prompt to think about something other than your To Dos, embrace a sense of escapism, and simply notice how certain art makes you feel (which is often the artist’s intention, anyways). Just seeing and experiencing the art that you are drawn to is the ultimate exercise in staying present, and it’s a mindset that can be helpful in countless parts of your life.
Image courtesy of Visit Westchester County NY
Consider the curation.
Curations take a lot of time determining precise pieces for a museum show, their location, the research shared around the show and more. While understanding a curator’s vision may be interesting, you are also allowed to simply form your own opinion. Do you think certain bodies of work by one artist are stronger than others? Is it interesting to you that she used such a wide range of materials? How do you feel about the XL landscape being exhibited along on the wall? Does the smaller work have a stronger impact when shown on the navy blue wall, and paired with 3 other works? Forming your own opinion about the works is a key way to develop your own eye, and simply make the experience more personally relevant.
Image courtesy of Katonah Museum of Art
Notice emerging artists shown at smaller museums.
The numerous small museums around the country serve an important and unadvertised purpose in the art world - they are the breeding ground for artists often on the cusp of greater exposure and more career success. Checking out shows at places like Katonah Museum of Art, Everson Museum of Art or Rose Art Museum, can give you an early peek at whose names you can expect to see on a broader scale soon. If you are a collector, this can be hugely helpful as you choose when to buy. Acquiring artist works when they are shown at small museums will be significantly more affordable than when they are shown at major museums (and their inventory becomes reserved for only specific buyers).