museu mVIEWS A quarterly newsletter for small and mid-sized art museums Spring 2010 ?????????MYSTERY IN AR T A MAN AND A MYSTERY: the 14th century that culminated in the works of Michelangelo. The second edition (the one which GIORGIO VASARI has been most often translated) added biographies of contemporary living artists and his autobiography. The Man In this, his most famous work, Vasari wrote in a Architect, painter, and author of the most style that was anecdotal and engaging. Missing facts famous, and probably the most engaging collection were easily replaced through his flair for the “story.” of biographies of artists, Giorgio Vasari began life in And his bias toward Tuscan art is clearly evident 1511 in Arezzo, Italy. When he traveled to Florence when ultimate perfection in art, as expressed in the as a young man, he studied in the workshop of final pages of the first edition, is embodied in the Andrea del Sarto, with other pupils such as Rosso Tuscan Michelangelo (his is the only biography of a and Pontormo. And it was in Florence, where he living artist). was befriended by the Medici family, that he Vasari died in Florence in 1574, six years after became an enthusiast, in fact an idolater, of the publication of the second edition of Lives. Michelangelo, whose work he attempted to emulate. He soon was spending a busy and productive life The Mystery between Florence, Rome, and Arezzo painting unin - [As described by Konstantin Akinsha in spired frescoes and portraits in palaces and church - ArtNews magazine] es. (Frescoes by Vasari survive in the Sala Regia and the Cancelleria—the so-called 100 days fresco—of In October of 2009, the mayor of Arezzo was the Vatican, and in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. informed that the archives of native son Vasari were A portrait of Lorenzo Medici hangs in the Uffizi, being sold to a Russian company that offered to pay and other paintings remain in his house, a museum, some $225 million to the seller, a descendant of the in Arezzo,) He found his true métier in architecture: Spinelli family, once prominent in Florence. his most celebrated and most inspired work, begun According to law, the mayor had 90 days to block in 1560, was the magnificent Uffizi, designed by the sale by making a counteroffer. However, the him for use as offices ( uffizi ) by the Florentine state. offered price being five times the annual budget of It is surely one of Italy’s most beautiful Renaissance the city, a counteroffer was out of the question. structures. Other well known buildings showing the Appeals were made to the prime ministers of influence of Michelangelo in the Tuscan Mannerist Italy and Russia; to allow the archives to leave Italy style are the church, monastery, and palace created was an abomination, and especially when the town for the Cavalieri di San Stefano in Pisa. was preparing to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Above all these accomplishments, however, is his Vasari’s birth in Arezzo. chef d’oeuvre and the primary source of his fame, The press was rife with the scandal. Citizens his book Le Vite de’ piú eccellenti architetti, pittori, were outraged. Some claimed that the papers were et scultori italiani… (1550; 2nd ed., 1568; transla - worth far less than the figures mentioned and tion, Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors, charged that the claim of purchase was a scam and Architects , 1850-54). Dedicated to Cosimo de’ aimed at persuading the state to buy the archive. Medici, the original edition is a compendium of The Vasari house and archives had been trans - prefaces that offer a critical history of Western art ferred to a charitable foundation in 1678 following and artist biographies from the three periods of artis - the death of his last descendant. A Spinelli, the tic development in Vasari’s lexicon: the perfection of executor of the estate, deposited the papers in his classical antiquity; the decline during the Dark palazzo in Florence where they remained for the next several centuries. In 1908, a Ages; and the renaissance of the arts in Tuscany in Continued on page 4 of attendance that were equal to or higher than higher than usual. Dia: Beacon (NY) recorded THE ATTENDANCE the years before the recession. A survey by The higher attendance as did the Massachusetts MYSTERY : Art Newspaper of 20 museums across the coun - Museum of Contemporary Art. try showed that two-thirds of those included In Chicago, Director Madeleine Grynsztejn’s Increases Despite Recession recorded increases in visitor numbers over the take on the attendance phenomenon includes the past three years. Surprisingly, there was no dif - usual factors as well as a few new ones: An Why has attendance risen at many muse - ference in numbers for institutions that charge increase in “staycations”; a heightened interest ums despite the tanking of the economy? admission fees and those that do not. In addi - in the city due to President Obama; the draw of Speculation gives rise to a multitude of theories. tion, institutions that show contemporary art the newly opened modern wing at the Art But no one really knows for sure. Is it because a indicated the most marked increases. Institute of Chicago. museum ticket is a relative bargain compared The Museum of Modern Art (NY), for exam - Some expansion projects boosted attendance. with other diversions? Is it because of the ever ple, with its high ($20) admission fee reported At other museums, which undertook expansions growing interest in and taste for contemporary 2008-09 to be its best year in its 80-year history, in the boom years, there was no gain in numbers art? Is it the result of inclement weather—rain, with an equivalent rise in membership. The of visitors. Some even had steep drop-offs. snow, wind? Is it because of particular block - Guggenheim Museum’s (NY) Frank Lloyd The blockbuster still proves to be a reliable buster shows; rotating exhibition schedules, or Wright retrospective helped to break previous booster of attendance: the High Museum (GA), perhaps loan exhibitions? attendance records. The Museum of for example, recorded its highest attendance to Whatever the root causes, a majority of art Contemporary Art Chicago’s Olafur Eliasson date with the inception of its three-year revolv - museums in the United States have shown levels retrospective also boosted attendance records ing loan agreement with the Continued on page 4 Susan Watkins, Margerite (detail), 1906. Oil on canvas. In “Women of the Chrysler,” Chrysler Museum of Art, VA A VOICE OF EXPERIENCE prompt, and financially stable enough to donate Although this too is useful, it is not engaging, an Training Volunteers: loads of time to the museum. But when important element of the outreach effort. Educational Outreach swamped by hundreds of festival-goers, there are on the Gulf Coast times when I would settle for a few warm bod - Educational advocacy by Howard McPhail ies; due to careful planning that situation hasn’t • Answering questions about the art arisen as yet. Although volunteers are invited to activity/activities. The Mobile Museum of Art (AL) take part in almost all outreach programs, there • Handing out informational resource sheets participates in a variety of outreach education is generally more of a need at outdoor events. In about the art activity to participants or their programs each year, some of which are weekly the past, the museum has had members of the parents. and monthly events in off-site locations. As out - Docent Council take part in outreach events. • Being familiar with any relationship between reach coordinator, I oversee, plan, and imple - Ideally, with their training and knowledge of the the activity and the museum’s exhibits or other ment each of these events. Attendance can range museum’s collections, docents are better utilized programs. anywhere from 15 participants in a seated group for in-house events. art activity, to over 1,500 visitors streaming in to But, who are the volunteers? Where do they General problem solvin g/ Logistics complete “make & take” projects in an all-day come from? Why are they here? What do they • Knowing what to do when a wall of people festival setting. do? Anyone who works with volunteers ulti - is waiting; knowing ways to maintain the flow The Mobile Museum of Art is fortunate to mately asks these questions in hopes that the of activity. have on staff a volunteer coordinator who is able answers can help them successfully recruit an • Knowing what to do when there are no to develop a body of volunteers for the muse - effective group of workers in the future. people waiting; knowing ways to invite um’s ongoing activities, including those initiated Consequently, our efforts this past year have participation. by the Outreach Education department. As out - been focused on developing a younger group of • Having flexibility in adapting physical reach coordinator working with the volunteer teen- and college-age volunteers who can specif - settings during the event: avoiding or limiting coordinator, my duties lie in the interaction with ically work the weekend outdoor events. “bottlenecks,” maintaining art materials, the volunteers after they are recruited—a com - Members of our staff have attended local volun - preparing for impending rain, etc. plex task. For example: outdoor events are teer and college festivals, career expos, and have met with high school service groups in an effort Developing volunteers’ recall of information …outdoors—the weather may be hot, cold, about the museum is an important skill to windy, or stagnant. Volunteers are sometimes to bolster our number of young volunteers. Understandably, this particular demographic, address in orientation training: reviewing infor - asked to stand for long periods of time.