Whose Muse?: Art Museums and the Public Trust [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

by James Cuno (Contributor), Philippe De Montebello (Contributor), Glenn D. Lowry (Contributor), Neil MacGregor (Contributor), John Walsh (Contributor), James N. Wood (Contributor) "I WOULD LIKE to address some of the problems related to the kinds of responsibilities that we, as directors, curators, or trustees of public collec..." (more)
Key Phrases: art museum directors, museum experience, National Gallery, New York, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
An unusually thoughtful series of meditations on the fundamental purposes of museums and how they should serve their public by six of the world's leading museum directors. . . . Cumulatively, it becomes clear that these essays are an unusually soul-searching description of the core beliefs of the small group of men who run the major museums in Britain and America. -- Review

These revelations of what the museum directors think of what [visitors] think of them are fascinating, and sometimes shocking. -- Maev Kennedy , Art Quarterly

Review
These revelations of what the museum directors think of what [visitors] think of them are fascinating, and sometimes shocking.
(Maev Kennedy Art Quarterly )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; illustrated edition edition (December 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691032157
• ISBN-13: 978-0691032153
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #879,553 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a boring subject!, December 12, 2006

By	Andrea (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews

This is a compilation of essays written by directors of major art museums: Cuno from the Art Institute of Chicago, De Montebello from the Met, Lowry from the MoMA, MacGregor from the British Museum, Walsh of the Getty in LA, and Wood, formerly of the AIC. Each addresses how museums can cultivate public trust in cultural institutions, the kinds of authority museums have, and how they should manage their responsibilities. MacGregor's essay was my personal favorite; it includes two amazing stories of how art proves to be valued for its emotional power during times of crisis (specifically on 9/11 and during WWII). Walsh offers suggestions as to how museums can offer its visitors a more genuine experience through curatorial choices and placement of lighting and seats. Lowry and De Montebello write about the relationship of the entertainment industry to museums. A very accessible, jargon-free text that is surprisingly interesting.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whose Museum Is It Anyway?, September 21, 2007

By	Art Lover (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whose Muse?: Art Museums and the Public Trust (Paperback)

With everything from motorcycles, cars, boats, Jackie O's clothes, Star Wars artifacts, elephant dung and more finding their way into the museum, this is probably a good time to examine just what the museum is and who it is for. Art Institute of Chicago director James Cuno has assembled a veritable who's who of major museum directors to hold forth on this topic. Taken together, the essays provide rare insight into how museums are being shaped in the 20th century. With sometimes surprising candor the directors make their case for how and why the museum is beholden to the public trust. A roundtable discussion at the book's end further amplifies the issues set forth in the essays. This is an important book.