建筑学外文翻译博物馆新镀金时代收集器展览在纽约艺术博物馆.docx

建筑学外文翻译博物馆新镀金时代收集器展览在纽约艺术博物馆.docx

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建筑学外文翻译博物馆新镀金时代收集器展览在纽约艺术博物馆

MuseumsintheNewGildedAge:

CollectorexhibitsinNewYorkartmuseums,1945–2010

DepartmentofSociology,UniversityatAlbany,StateUniversityofNewYork,1400WashingtonAvenue,Albany,NY12222,USA

Availableonline2March2014

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//dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2014.01.004

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Highlights

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Wetracedspecialmuseumexhibitsfrom1945to2010.

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Thefractionofexhibitsdevotedtopatroncollectionsdeclinedinthe1960–1970s.

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Despitecutsingovernmentfunding,collectorexhibitsdidnotincreaseafter1980.

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Professionalizedmuseumcuratorsretainedtheirautonomy.

Abstract

HowhavemuseumsintheUnitedStatesbeenaffectedbytheconcentrationofwealthandthedeclineinFederalsupportfortheartsinrecentdecades?

WeaddressthatquestionbytrackingspecialexhibitsattheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,theMuseumofModernArt,andtheGuggenheimandWhitneyMuseumsinNewYorkfrom1945to2010.Wefindthatthefractionofspecialexhibitsdevotedtoandorganizedaroundpatroncollectionsdeclinedinthe1960sand1970s.Despitethesubsequentdeclineingovernmentfundingandgrowingconcentrationofwealth,patronexhibitsdidnotincreaseinrecentdecades.Theautonomythatprofessionalizedmuseumcuratorsachievedinthe1960sand1970stodeterminethethemesandcontentofexhibitionshasbeensustained,evenasorganizationalnormsweretransformedinmostotherrealms.

Keywords

Museums;

Wealth;

Exhibitions;

Professionalization;

Government

1.Introduction

HowhavemuseumsintheUnitedStatesbeenaffectedbytheconcentrationofwealthandthedeclineinFederalsupportfortheartsinrecentdecades?

AmericanartmuseumswerefoundedintheGildedAge,aperiodfromthe1870stotheendofthenineteenthcentury,whichwasmarkedbyhighlevelsofwealthconcentrationandduringwhichwealthybenefactorsandcollectorsexertedahighdegreeofcontrolovermuseums.Thaterawasfollowedbyalongmid-twentiethcenturyinterludeofgreaterequalityandagrowingrolebygovernmentinfinancingandinfluencingmuseums（seeSection2）.Weaskifthebeneficiariesoftherecentgrowthofinequalityarereassertingcontroloverwhatmuseumsexhibitinthecurrenteraofgreatwealth,whichhasbeendubbedthe“NewGildedAge.”

WebeginbyreviewingtheliteratureontheinitialorganizationofU.S.artmuseumsinthenineteenthcenturyandthentracetheeffectsoftwentiethcenturygovernmentalfundingontheorganizationandcuratorialdecisionsofthosemuseums.Wenextidentifythebasesofcuratorialprofessionalismandautonomy.WethenpresentadatasetonspecialexhibitsatthefourmostprominentNewYorkCityartmuseumsanduseittotesthypothesesonthechanginginfluenceofrichcollectorsfromtheendofWorldWarIItothepresent.WeconcludebydiscussingtheimplicationsofourfindingsforU.S.museumsasawholeandsuggestavenuesforfutureresearch.

2.U.S.artmuseums:

fromelitecontroltoprofessionalautonomy

TheinfluenceofwealthybenefactorsandcollectorsintheoriginalGildedAgehasbeendocumentedbyDiMaggio,1982aandDiMaggio,1982b;seealsoTemin,1991）,whoshowsthatthoseinitialgenerationsofdonorswerenothesitanttomakecleartomuseumadministratorstheirpreferencesforthestylesofarttheywantedinmuseumcollectionsandexhibits—includingtheirexpectationsthatmuseumsshowworksownedordonatedbybenefactorsandthatmuseumsshouldtakemeasurestolimittheirvisitorstoaneducated,middle-class,Protestantaudience.Theseelitessoughttoexclude“newwavesofIrishandGermanimmigrants…[byreplacing]therelativelyundemandingleisureactivitiesofthefirstpartofthe[nineteenth]century…[with]amoredemanding,austere,andupliftingkindofart.They…foundedortransformedexistingmuseumsandorchestrasbyexcludingcrowdpleasingmusicandvisualart”（Zolberg,1990,p.140）.Thus,reproductionsoffamouspaintingsandsculptureswerebanishedfromU.S.artmuseumsasbenefactorsandmuseumcuratorsdevotedtheirenergiestoprocuring,throughdonationsandpurchases,originalworksofart（Levine,1988）.Museumsmeasuredthemselveslargelybythequalityoftheartintheircollectionsratherthanbythenumberofvisitors（Zolberg,1981）.

Richbenefactors’controloverartmuseumsbegantobeunderminedinthe1920s,assomemunicipalgovernments（mostnotablyNewYorkCityandDetroit）begantoprovidefundingtomuseumsfor“building,maintenance,andeducationalbudgets,whiletrusteesfinancedthecollections,salaries,andscholarship”（DiMaggio,1991a,p.273）.TheGreatDepression,bycuttingintothefortunesofmanywealthyAmericans,reducedtheirabilitytofundthemuseumstheyortheirancestorshadfounded,forcingthemtosh