Making Museums Matter [Paperback]

Stephen Weil (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 2002

In this volume of 29 essays, Weil's overarching concern is that museums be able to “earn their keep”—that they make themselves matter—in an environment of potentially shrinking resources. Also included in this collection are reflections on the special qualities of art museums, an investigation into the relationship of current copyright law to the visual arts, a detailed consideration of how the museums and legal system of the United States have coped with the problem of Nazi-era art, and a series of delightfully provocative training exercises for those anticipating entry into the museum field.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An outstanding selection of informed and informative essays about the difference that museums make, their role in preserving and showcasing history and art to the public, cost-related problems plaguing museums today, and a great deal more. Enthusiastically recommended as a most thoughtful and authoritative treatise on these notable and noble institutions."—Midwest Book Review

“Mr. Weil’s work will assist us all to understand that even our most enlightened assumptions require daily visits if they are to be fresh. And, it seems clear to me after experiencing this collection, such visits must not be paid alone, but in groups of colleagues from across every museum stratum.”—Curator:  The Museum Journal

“…Must-read for museum professionals, supporters, and funding sources, and [it] will certainly be relevant to anyone interested in the future of museums.”—Science

 

About the Author

Stephen E. Weil is the emeritus senior scholar in the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Museum Studies. He served as deputy director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, from 1974 to 1995 and was previously administrator of the Whitney Museum of American Art. He is the author of Rethinking the Museum and Other Meditations (1990) and Beauty and the Beasts (1983), both published by Smithsonian Institution Press, as well as coauthor of several scholarly treatises on art and the law.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books (February 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588340007
• ISBN-13: 978-1588340009
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #287,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding selection of informed and informative essays, September 5, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Museums Matter (Paperback)

Written by Stephen E. Weil experienced and witty commentator on the museum community who is currently the Scholar Emeritus in the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Education and Museum Studies, Making Museums Matter is an outstanding selection of informed and informative essays about the difference that museums make, their role in preserving and showcasing history and art to the public, cost-related problems plaguing museums today, and a great deal more. Making Museums Matter is enthusiastically recommended as a most thoughtful and authoritative treatise on these notable and noble institutions.

0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great arrival time!, December 15, 2010

By 

Melissa Leaym-fernandez "The Elephant Painter" (Fort Gratiot, MI) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Making Museums Matter (Paperback)

I needed this text for a graduate course I am taking--it arrived in the condition promised and has been an interesting read so far. Thank you!

0 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book for museum studies, October 27, 2010

By 

Rosie Reads - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Museums Matter (Paperback)

Book was in great condition, as seller promised. It arrived promptly after I ordered. Book is used a lot in museum studies courses.