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When first entering the museum, the walls appear to be painted spotlessly white, the paintings are housed behind massive frames, and security guards can be found at the turn of almost every corner. After becoming aware of the conservative ethos of the museum, I quickly understand who is meant to be here. Besides the paintings hanging on the wall (which is apparently why people have come to the museum,) you see the elite patrons and visitors dining in the fashionably elegant café. You see high quality jewelry and scarves on display for sale in the museum store. The museum does not cater to those of "lower class, blue collar existence." Like the structure of the museum, the accepted group of patrons and visitors are meant to mirror the persona and elite position that the curators enjoy and only hope to share with others of their class. While these facts are disheartening, I must say that I have quite an enjoyable time at the museum. Every time I go, I try to avoid noticing the imposed pretension of the place and just enjoy myself. I get a sense of cleansing when I go to the museum and experience the various paintings for how they are painted, for their meaning, for the admiration of the artist and craftsperson that created the work. At times some paintings can be rather intense for my mood, but somehow I experience a purging sensation when I get really involved with some of the paintings. I feel like I am diving into the work and I forget about my worries and thoughts. The museum appears, on a superficial level, to house "great" works that people with wealth and prestige decided to put there. While it is true that some beautiful and awesome paintings are housed in museums, it is unfortunate that museums are not always welcoming places to people of all classes, all age groups, and all artistic and intellectual understandings.  |
