Dear McNay Art Museum:
Dear McNay Art Museum
You have a stunning collection of art from a wide variety of time periods and styles. You are not the average small, struggling art museum with a couple of good pieces and a bunch of "stuff" by obscure local artists of dubious talent and renown. You have Monet. You have Picasso (in several media). You have an outstanding collection of theater stuff. You have the Burgers of Calais (a small scale set). You also have the most hideous security guards and docents we have ever had the misfortune to meet. We've been in a LOT of art museums over the years. It's a family hobby.
Look, I totally understand that with a world class art collection comes strict rules of decorum and such. But if you want children to love art, treating them with rudeness and condescension is not the way to go. We had one security guard rush in from another room to say that although she didn't see our children standing too close to the paintings, they might have been and they might, so please to stay at least 12 inches at all times! My 12 year old and 15 year old were at the time quietly and respectfully looking at paintings. They weren't running, walking quickly, engaging in horseplay or even talking. Or standing closely. At all. Then another guard stopped us to comment on the children's hair and give us all a "stay in school, stay off drugs" lecture. Yes, my children have peculiar hair. They were also in the museum with both their mom and dad, touring as a family unit. If that isn't going to keep them learning and off of drugs, I'm at a loss to grasp how impertinent remarks from strangers are going to help.
Also, some poor young woman got questioned by the guards because she went around one room of paintings more than once. The museum was very lightly populated, there are no suggested flow routes, and she wasn't acting peculiarly, just interested. She looked like a college art student. She looked like a person who probably won't want to visit your museum again soon.
These are *bad* *things*. Perhaps you could rethink your docent and security training.
Sincerely,
Me.
You have a stunning collection of art from a wide variety of time periods and styles. You are not the average small, struggling art museum with a couple of good pieces and a bunch of "stuff" by obscure local artists of dubious talent and renown. You have Monet. You have Picasso (in several media). You have an outstanding collection of theater stuff. You have the Burgers of Calais (a small scale set). You also have the most hideous security guards and docents we have ever had the misfortune to meet. We've been in a LOT of art museums over the years. It's a family hobby.
Look, I totally understand that with a world class art collection comes strict rules of decorum and such. But if you want children to love art, treating them with rudeness and condescension is not the way to go. We had one security guard rush in from another room to say that although she didn't see our children standing too close to the paintings, they might have been and they might, so please to stay at least 12 inches at all times! My 12 year old and 15 year old were at the time quietly and respectfully looking at paintings. They weren't running, walking quickly, engaging in horseplay or even talking. Or standing closely. At all. Then another guard stopped us to comment on the children's hair and give us all a "stay in school, stay off drugs" lecture. Yes, my children have peculiar hair. They were also in the museum with both their mom and dad, touring as a family unit. If that isn't going to keep them learning and off of drugs, I'm at a loss to grasp how impertinent remarks from strangers are going to help.
Also, some poor young woman got questioned by the guards because she went around one room of paintings more than once. The museum was very lightly populated, there are no suggested flow routes, and she wasn't acting peculiarly, just interested. She looked like a college art student. She looked like a person who probably won't want to visit your museum again soon.
These are *bad* *things*. Perhaps you could rethink your docent and security training.
Sincerely,
Me.