The New York Timeseses‘ Chloe Veltman is thinking that maybe “Fun is Trumping Art” at the bay area’s cultural institutions. Check it out, if you’d like.
Leave us begin:
“It’s hard to talk about museums’ after-hours programs without getting confused.”
I don’t know, maybe. I mean, our Asian Art Museum has Matcha and our CalAcademy has Penguins and Pajamas. But, it’s not a bad idea to have the word ”night” (or “nite”) in there somewhere, just to get the point across. Is that a bad thing?
“To stand out, the programming should make the art on display come to life in ways that are not necessarily possible when visitors are walking through exhibition halls during normal hours.”
All right, I’ll bite. Museums should try “to stand out” for the benefit of big newspaper art critics, to satisfy them, because, because why? And what, for example, should the CalAcademy do – take the Morrison Plane’arium audience outside for a look at real stars?
That’s one big fish, but is it Art?
Leave us continue:
“Generally, the evening events that provide the instant gratification of a lively social atmosphere are not ultimately the most memorable.”
I don’t know, if you meet your life partner at one of these events, that could be considered memorable…
“The events might bring in more young people, but…”
I’ll have to interupt to say, “Sold!” This is all you need to say to sell the idea of having a night program at a cultural institution. I mean, our museums shouldn’t have night programs because that kind of thing’s has been done already? How does it benefit San Francisco to concern ourselves with what they think in New Yawk? Maybe they do things differently on the floors of Tokyo or down in London town’s a go-go, but that’s O.K., right?
“D.J.’s, henna tattoo artists and artisanal cheese makers add atmosphere, but…”
This is pure gold - let’s get Arizmendi on the horn, stat!
“…unless more is done to distinguish these programs from one another, visitors may soon opt to spend their free evenings not at the museums, but at actual parties.”
Read the whole thing, there’s no support cited for this conclusion. I don’t know, maybe, as another possiblility, visitors will soon opt to spend all their free evenings at the museums? There’s a chance of that too, right?
And the CalAcademy’s perennially crowded nightLife program is not on a sustainable journey? Actually, it looks to be able to go on forever. And it’s too much like a party so people would rather go to a party? Does that make sense? Perhaps the throngs of young people will soon start cocking their Glocks to go to Club Suede instead?
If there ever comes a point when bay area youth get confused due to their attendence at a bunch of similar night-time programs, well, that would be like a dream come true to workers at our museums, particularly the smaller ones having trouble during this Great Recession.
Just saying.
