October 21, 2009
A Museum for the 21st Century
James Steward
Director, Princeton University Art Museum
Minutes of the Sixth Meeting of the 68th Year
The 6th meeting of the 68th year of the Princeton Old Guard was called to order at 10:15am. Don Edwards lead the invocation and minuets from the October 12 meeting were read by John Brinster. Three guests were introduced; Guy Dean introduced Dennis Woodfield, Bruce Schaugger introduced his wife, Irean and Landon Jones introduced Mark Wetli.
President Hanson mentioned the availability of book “No Longer Separate, Not Yet Equal - Race and Class in Elite College Admissions and Campus Life” by Thomas Espenshade who was guest speaker on the topic last year.
Jim Johnson introduced James Steward, the new director of the Princeton Museum as speaker for the day. He mentioned his resent appointment as he arrived in Princeton on Reunions Weekend in May from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he was director of the university museum. He has prior teaching experience at University of California at Berkley and The University of Virginia and he holds degrees from Trinity College at Oxford, New York University and The University of Virginia. Dr. Steward is a recognized expert in Arts Administration and a Specialist in 18th and 19th century European Art History. At Princeton he serves as director of the museum and lecturer in Art History and Culture. He manages a collection of 75,000 objects, a staff of 50 and 200 volunteers.
His presentatation is entitled Princeton University Museum- A Museum for the 21st Century- A temple or a Town Square.
The slide presentation began with an overview of the history of the development of the modern museum. He showed photos of ornate palaces and drawing rooms of European Princes who amassed vast collections of art and objects for personal enjoyment. The first museum established for public use was the British Museum which opened in 1759. But the most significant expansion of the movement grew out of the social and political unrest of the French and Industrial revolution. These events caused the shift away from insular displays of private wealth to a public access movement designed to bring awareness and appreciation of fine art to the masses.
A similar intent was attributed to the opening of the Wadsworth Antheium in Hartford Connecticut, the first public museum in the United States.
Perhaps the best example of the movement for public exposure to art was the establishment of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. This facility and the converted home of Sir John Somes were designed to advance the education of the working class by exposing them to works of exceptional quality and thereby, improve morality and their effectiveness as citizens.
He then moved the discussion forward about 100 years to the social and cultural movement that put greater emphasis to the environment where the art is displayed. The immergence of the “art as Temple idea” that focused on the building of edifices that give appropriate reverence to high art and culture. Some of these efforts have had mixed results.
The opening of the Solomon Guggenheim Museum in New York is an example of destination architecture –where the building is the main point of interest rather the objects within. The circular viewing ramp and wall design however, is not an affective way to display art.
I M Pei’s design for the Pyramid at the Louvre has had another unintended effect. The feature was added as a way to ease entrance to large museum but patrons are delayed admission through a space that has little relation to the art within. The popular design is more of a pathway to a contemporary shopping and gift mall (that will soon be the site of a McDonalds) than a place to view the worlds most famous art collection.
The new Guggenheim Museum in Balbo Spain is a clear example of a museum building preceding the art. The futuristic structure designed by Frank Gerry is purposefully intended as the primary attraction. The building draws millions of “art nomads” to the remote industrial region to view an art collection of minimum quality. It’s success as a tourist magnet and boost for the local economy had been a model for museums and other cultural facilities throughout the world.
The Nelson Adkins Museum in Kansas City as a better example of the proper marriage of the display of art and the building in which it is housed. The design is a series of glass boxes that cascade down a hillside that is particularly attractive at night. The designer has been selected to design the proposed Arts and Transit neighborhood in Princeton.
The final phase of the presentation was a discussion of the future of the Princeton Museum and his view of the real purpose of the modern art museum –to foster the appreciation and understanding of art: to explore the core values of life and experience the compassion, diversity and emotions of the universal language of the objects displayed. He shared a personal assessment of 4 principles that guide the operation of a museum in the 21st century. First, as a gathering place for the display of diverse ideas in multiple forms. Second, a model based on the ancient “Grecian Agora” or marketplace where art can be pondered, admired and purchased. Third, a town square that is accessible to all where the journey of life can be experienced and four, a place where difficult questions are discussed and pondered. Such principles are ideally suited the university museum.
Personal reflections of works by Rembrandt, Munch, Torrez, Mapplethorpe and others were shared as examples of the creativity and diversity on display in the contemporary art museum. These works of great power often generate emotional responses that can lead to strong public reactions and even discontent. They are however, central to the effective functioning of a university environment. They create dialogue, invite decent, compare the old with the new, and encourage creativity and technological innovation. Although, the latter has not yet been implemented at Princeton Museum.
He spoke of the specialness of the Princeton Museum, the fact that it has a collection amassed over 124 years that could not be assembled today. It enjoys excellent relations with students, scholars and the community at large. Although he has been at the post for a short period, he has begun to expand the user base by adding signage to encourage visitors to the campus and extending the museum hours to 10pm on Thursday. The first evening event attached 2400 students.
A question about plans for the proposed Arts and Transit Neighborhood and the possible satellite museum, Dr Steward commented the current economic conditions have put the project on a delayed schedule that will give him time to review the plan and how the museum might be involved.
Respectfully submitted,
Benjamin J. Colbert
President Hanson mentioned the availability of book “No Longer Separate, Not Yet Equal - Race and Class in Elite College Admissions and Campus Life” by Thomas Espenshade who was guest speaker on the topic last year.
Jim Johnson introduced James Steward, the new director of the Princeton Museum as speaker for the day. He mentioned his resent appointment as he arrived in Princeton on Reunions Weekend in May from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he was director of the university museum. He has prior teaching experience at University of California at Berkley and The University of Virginia and he holds degrees from Trinity College at Oxford, New York University and The University of Virginia. Dr. Steward is a recognized expert in Arts Administration and a Specialist in 18th and 19th century European Art History. At Princeton he serves as director of the museum and lecturer in Art History and Culture. He manages a collection of 75,000 objects, a staff of 50 and 200 volunteers.
His presentatation is entitled Princeton University Museum- A Museum for the 21st Century- A temple or a Town Square.
The slide presentation began with an overview of the history of the development of the modern museum. He showed photos of ornate palaces and drawing rooms of European Princes who amassed vast collections of art and objects for personal enjoyment. The first museum established for public use was the British Museum which opened in 1759. But the most significant expansion of the movement grew out of the social and political unrest of the French and Industrial revolution. These events caused the shift away from insular displays of private wealth to a public access movement designed to bring awareness and appreciation of fine art to the masses.
A similar intent was attributed to the opening of the Wadsworth Antheium in Hartford Connecticut, the first public museum in the United States.
Perhaps the best example of the movement for public exposure to art was the establishment of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. This facility and the converted home of Sir John Somes were designed to advance the education of the working class by exposing them to works of exceptional quality and thereby, improve morality and their effectiveness as citizens.
He then moved the discussion forward about 100 years to the social and cultural movement that put greater emphasis to the environment where the art is displayed. The immergence of the “art as Temple idea” that focused on the building of edifices that give appropriate reverence to high art and culture. Some of these efforts have had mixed results.
The opening of the Solomon Guggenheim Museum in New York is an example of destination architecture –where the building is the main point of interest rather the objects within. The circular viewing ramp and wall design however, is not an affective way to display art.
I M Pei’s design for the Pyramid at the Louvre has had another unintended effect. The feature was added as a way to ease entrance to large museum but patrons are delayed admission through a space that has little relation to the art within. The popular design is more of a pathway to a contemporary shopping and gift mall (that will soon be the site of a McDonalds) than a place to view the worlds most famous art collection.
The new Guggenheim Museum in Balbo Spain is a clear example of a museum building preceding the art. The futuristic structure designed by Frank Gerry is purposefully intended as the primary attraction. The building draws millions of “art nomads” to the remote industrial region to view an art collection of minimum quality. It’s success as a tourist magnet and boost for the local economy had been a model for museums and other cultural facilities throughout the world.
The Nelson Adkins Museum in Kansas City as a better example of the proper marriage of the display of art and the building in which it is housed. The design is a series of glass boxes that cascade down a hillside that is particularly attractive at night. The designer has been selected to design the proposed Arts and Transit neighborhood in Princeton.
The final phase of the presentation was a discussion of the future of the Princeton Museum and his view of the real purpose of the modern art museum –to foster the appreciation and understanding of art: to explore the core values of life and experience the compassion, diversity and emotions of the universal language of the objects displayed. He shared a personal assessment of 4 principles that guide the operation of a museum in the 21st century. First, as a gathering place for the display of diverse ideas in multiple forms. Second, a model based on the ancient “Grecian Agora” or marketplace where art can be pondered, admired and purchased. Third, a town square that is accessible to all where the journey of life can be experienced and four, a place where difficult questions are discussed and pondered. Such principles are ideally suited the university museum.
Personal reflections of works by Rembrandt, Munch, Torrez, Mapplethorpe and others were shared as examples of the creativity and diversity on display in the contemporary art museum. These works of great power often generate emotional responses that can lead to strong public reactions and even discontent. They are however, central to the effective functioning of a university environment. They create dialogue, invite decent, compare the old with the new, and encourage creativity and technological innovation. Although, the latter has not yet been implemented at Princeton Museum.
He spoke of the specialness of the Princeton Museum, the fact that it has a collection amassed over 124 years that could not be assembled today. It enjoys excellent relations with students, scholars and the community at large. Although he has been at the post for a short period, he has begun to expand the user base by adding signage to encourage visitors to the campus and extending the museum hours to 10pm on Thursday. The first evening event attached 2400 students.
A question about plans for the proposed Arts and Transit Neighborhood and the possible satellite museum, Dr Steward commented the current economic conditions have put the project on a delayed schedule that will give him time to review the plan and how the museum might be involved.
Respectfully submitted,
Benjamin J. Colbert