I tend to be suspicious of some efforts being tried by museums to make themselves more “participatory” — today’s buzzword for increasing attendance, especially by younger audiences. My doubt stem from the fact that many of the initiatives seem to me to be outside the core mission. They may attract people, but not to art.
But here’s one I can get behind: On May 8, the Frick Collection* has scheduled a “Sunday Sketch” session. Between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., people are invited to sketch in the Frick’s Garden Court and to visit the museum’s special Rembrandt exhibition.
Sunday Sketch is open to everyone over 10 years old, and no reservations are necessary. It’s scheduled once or twice a month, pegged to changing exhibitions.
Before receiving an email with a Sunday Sketch listing, I knew that many museums allow sketching in their galleries, but I wasn’t aware of that some regularly invite people in for it, as part of their educational mission. And in another plus at the Frick, the email said “Materials will be provided” free, with museum admission.
So I checked out a few other museums to see how common this kind of participation with art is. I searched for “sketch” on various websites, perused their “events” listings and sometimes looked under “education” on the site. It’s not a foolproof methodology, but here’s what I discovered:
Museums that have sketch sessions similar to those of Frick’s (some include the provision of materials; others, not) include the Metropolitan Museum,* the Museum of Fine Arts/Boston (unclear how frequently); the Museum of Fine Arts/Houston; the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (classes); and the Peabody Essex Museum.
And among those that don’t (or none signaled on their website) are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the St. Louis Art Museum (the “make a mess” family program does not count); Denver Art Museum (sketching allowed, but no listing for group sessions or materials or guidance); the Seattle Art Museum; the Nelson-Atkins Museum (just kids’ workshops); the Cleveland Museum of Art (has a class series, with fee); the New Orleans Museum of Art; the Art Institute of Chicago; the High, and the Brooklyn Museum* (paid classes only).
These were random choices by me, but I tried to survey all parts of the country.
So the question is, why not? If museum experts are pushing museums to have more interaction with users and to provide more opportunities for social interaction, why not extend more invitations to sketch in the galleries? It’s one good way to learn about art.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Frick Collection
*Disclosure: I consult to a foundation that supports these museums.