Hi Kim,
I agree with all the points you make in your article. The part of Ms. DeFranco's article that bothered me was the idea that museums will be following patrons around and watching what we look at and for how long. Just because people don't spend a lot of time looking at a particular painting, should it be relegated to storage? I ask this because I stumbled across a small (approx. 12" by 16") ElGreco stuck in a dark corner of a gallery at my local art museum and nobody else was near it!
While I certainly understand that museums have to generate revenue, and the public has a right to displays and shows they're interested in, I also think that museums have a responsibility to educate and inspire. If all the blockbuster shows do is show things that are rare, what happens to the education? Just because the general public doesn't know much about art, do we produce shows about kindergartners crayon drawings or do we attempt to educate the public?
I hope the education and inspiration aren't lost in the race for funding and attracting the public.
