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The Changing Institutional Role of the Art Museum in the United States

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The Changing Institutional Role of the Art Museum in the United States Skidmore College Creative Matter MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019 MALS 5-17-2014 The Changing Institutional Role of the Art Museum in the United States Evelyn Ramirez-Schultz Skidmore College Follow this and additional works at: https://creativematter.skidmore.edu/mals_stu_schol Part of the Arts Management Commons, Communication Commons, and the Nonprofit Administration and Management Commons Recommended Citation Ramirez-Schultz, Evelyn, "The Changing Institutional Role of the Art Museum in the United States" (2014). MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019. 101. https://creativematter.skidmore.edu/mals_stu_schol/101 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the MALS at Creative Matter. It has been accepted for inclusion in MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019 by an authorized administrator of Creative Matter. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Changing Institutional Role of the Art Museum in the United States By Evelyn Ramirez-Schultz Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Degree The Masters Program Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY April 2014 Abstract This final project examines the changing role of the art museum in the United States in the last half century. The goal is to show how external and internal forces have influenced a sea change in museums resulting in more engaging and accessible institutions. Through an examination of the forces that motivated these changes, the project explores and compares the two major institutions--the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago--in the areas of audience development and outreach; programming, collections and exhibits and education and outreach. Finally, the study evaluates the future of museums and predicts how museums will continue to evolve based on current trends. Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 Thesis ............................................................................................................................... 1 Historic Role of the Art Museum ....................................................................................... 1 The Museum Paradigm Shift in Mission ...........................................................................3 Economic Impact 2006-2012.. ..........................................................................................9 Emerging Technology ..................................................................................................... 11 Arts Education Policy .....................................................................................................13 Democratization of Museum Professionals .................................................................... 13 The Los Angeles County Museum of Art ........................................... 15 Audience Development and Community ........................................................................ 16 General Admission ......................................................................................................... 17 Hollywood and the Entertainment Industry .................................................................... 18 Children and Young Families .........................................................................................20 Teens ..............................................................................................................................21 Latino Community ..........................................................................................................22 Young Professionals .......................................................................................................24 Programming, Collections, and Exhibitions ....................................................................25 Exhibitions ......................................................................................................................26 Music ................................................................................ ..............................................28 Film ................................................................................................................................29 Technology .....................................................................................................................30 Research Library ............................................................................................................32 Education and Outreach .................................................................................................32 Art + Film Lab .................................................................................................................33 Arts for NexGen ..............................................................................................................34 On-Site ...........................................................................................................................35 The Art Institute of Chicago ................................................................ 38 Audience Development and Community ........................................................................39 To urism ...........................................................................................................................39 Families ..........................................................................................................................40 Free Admission for Illinois Residents .............................................................................41 Teens ..............................................................................................................................41 Holiday Programming .....................................................................................................42 Programming, Collections and Exhibitions .....................................................................42 Exhibitions ......................................................................................................................43 The To uch Gallery ..........................................................................................................45 Te chnology .....................................................................................................................46 Libraries ..........................................................................................................................47 Education and Outreach .................................................................................................48 Teachers .........................................................................................................................48 Teens ..............................................................................................................................49 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................. 51 Audience Development and Community ........................................................................51 Programming, Collections and Exhibitions .....................................................................52 Education and Outreach .................................................................................................53 The Future of Museums .................................................................................................54 A New Gender Gap ........................................................................................................55 Digital Advancements .....................................................................................................56 Multi-ethnic America .......................................................................................................56 A Creative Renaissance .................................................................................................57 Cone Ius ion ............................................................................................ 58 Bibliography ......................................................................................... 60 Introduction Thesis This project will examine two large-scale, encyclopedic art museums, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago, and will provide evidence to show how these museums, in the last few decades, are operating differently in the following areas : 1) audience development and community - attracting visitors and developing relationships to build museum visitor attendance 2) programming, collections and exhibitions - providing programmatic content that enhances the museum's offerings 3) education and outreach - providing continuing education, professional development and enrichment activities for museum visitors. As such, they and fellow museums are challenging the initial concept of what a museum means. Historic Role of the Art Museum In the last century, the role of the art museum in the United States has changed dramatically, particularly in the areas of audience development and community; programming, collections, and exhibitions; and education and outreach. The traditional role of museums was to collect objects and works of art, preserve and research them, and then present them to a limited public for their pleasure and education. Because the concept of the museum grew out of personal "cabinets of curiosity" made possible by wealthy, educated collectors as a way of showing off their means to their peers,
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