Do art museums have an image problem? Many people think so — that they’re seen as places for the upper classes. A year ago, in a Cultural Conversation with Malcolm Rogers, director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, for the Wall Street Journal, I quoted 
him explaining his decision to use a lot of glass in the museum’s new American wing with the line, “so people outside can see people inside and know you don’t have to wear black tie to come in.” As he pointed out, most people see museum directors and patrons in those society pictures taken at fund-raising galas, when they are all dressed to the nines.
As the saying goes, perception is reality. So maybe it would help if museum directors were seen in different circumstances — like how about playing baseball?
I saved this example from last July when it was recorded in an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. That’s Cleveland Museum of Art director David Franklin at left, in his moment on the mound throwing the first pitch in a game between Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays.
I thought of this today because of my recent post on the botched job of involving the community in Springfield, Mo., which prompted a few critics to say I’m in favor of privilege. I’m not; I want everyone to love the arts and feel comfortable going to museums. And I do think image may be a problem for some museums (though I am not equating this with the director search in that post).
When I talk with directors, some say they are already visible in the community. One told me he was out virtually every night — often courting donors. That’s a tough, important job, but it’s not their only job, and they might even like the relief of being with regular people.
Franklin’s pitch, btw, was not an outreach effort: He’s a Canadian, and a group called “Canadians Living in Cleveland” invited him to do it.
But, last December, Franklin also dropped the puck before a Cleveland Monsters hockey game, and that was set up by the museum’s marketing effort. “It was a highlight of my life,” he told the Plain Dealer then. “I loved it so much!”
And it certainly didn’t hurt for a museum director to be seen by baseball and hockey fans. Many may already be museum patrons, and might be reminded to go again. Others may think about it for the first time, now that they know the director is a regular guy. I hope Franklin hung around after pitching and dropping the puck.
So play ball!
Photo Credits: Courtesy of the Plain Dealer (top) and Cleveland Museum of Art (bottom)