(no subject)
this morning i walked around the speed museum after class, slowly, quietly, and completely alone. its such a great resource to have on campus- a source of creative inspiration, essay topics, art history information, and leisure. SO WHY ARE ALL OF THE CURATORS NINETY YEAR OLD ASSHOLES?!?! I think the Speed is the only art museum I've been to that feels completely devoid of creative energy. Senior citizens in stiffly starched uniforms man each side of every doorway. They stare with foreboding eyes, they chase you down for every movement or gesture. I walked in and they demanded that i take my coat off immediately and place it in the coatroom. It wasn't a polite request, i was approached by three curators and TOLD that removing my jacket in the galleries was prohibited, that i would surely break something if i tried. ok. i left my coat and continued, very slowly, and very quietly. i came across a lithograph that i wanted to look up later on and removed a pen and paper from my purse. a curator literally grabbed my wrist and shrieked in horror, "is that a pen?!?!?!?!? pens are prohibited in the gallery! you must use pencil!" she shoved a golf pencil in my left hand and before giving me a chance to move she exclaimed, "PUT THE PEN IN YOUR PURSE, GO ON, GO ON!" i turned in shock and tried to keep myself from screaming at her... attacked twice in a matter of 15 minutes. i'm not a child skipping recklessly between sculptures, i wasn't poised to draw a moustache on the mona lisa, i was just quietly walking. irritated, i walked downstairs to the touring exhibit with my student ID in hand for free admission. i walked up and was met by 5, count them 5, old scowling curators. i asked, "is the exhibit open?" "you need a ticket," snapped a grey haired redneck. i offered my student ID assuming that since admission is free with an ID that a ticket wouldn't be necessary. the woman looked me right in the eyes and piercingly said, "admission is granted by a ticket. show them your ID." MY GOD. IS IT A CRIME TO LOOK AT ART? i spent the rest of my time observing the way they treated children touring the museum as though they were cattle. i repeatedly heard them explaining works in vague and ignorant terms, "i'm not really sure why the artist did this, but this is what the artwork consists of." any moron can observe what the artwork consists of, a curator's job is to give it context and meaning. i was really, truly appalled. i mean, how do such hateful and ignorant old decrepit miserable people end up being the ones responsible for diseminating art into the public? what motivates them to go to work in the morning? it was a museum full of retired soccer moms whose appreciation for art obviously didn't extend further than what hung over their sofas at home.
i was so moved by my crappy experience that i came straight to the coffee shop and wrote an editorial for the courier-journal. i don't know if i'll submit it yet, but i've already submitted it as an anonymous email to the art museum's board of directors.
i hate having to bash an important institution to louisville's cultural community, but something really needs to change in that museum. maybe all of those dried up curmudgeons will die soon so someone can breathe life in to that place.
i was so moved by my crappy experience that i came straight to the coffee shop and wrote an editorial for the courier-journal. i don't know if i'll submit it yet, but i've already submitted it as an anonymous email to the art museum's board of directors.
i hate having to bash an important institution to louisville's cultural community, but something really needs to change in that museum. maybe all of those dried up curmudgeons will die soon so someone can breathe life in to that place.