The American art museum : elitism and democracy

Summary: The museum is a democratic institution and part of its mission is the education of the masses. However the holdings of the museum are such that a degree of knowledge is required to appreciate them. The conflicts arising from these conditions are the subject of this book.

Record details

ISBN: 0718500423
ISBN: 9780718500429
Physical Description: print
xii, 225 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
Publisher: London ; New York : Leicester University Press, 1997.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 208-218) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

1. The motives of art patronage during the American Renaissance and how they influenced the American art museum -- 2. The American art museum, a symbol of democracy -- 3. America's first museums: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Boston Museum of Fine Arts -- 4. THe role of the federal government: The National Gallery, Washington, D.C., and The National Endowment for the Arts -- 5. The development of American modernism and its influence on the American art museum -- 6. Art for the masses: a study of educational practices in American art museums -- 7. Capitalism and the American art museum: an analysis of the corporate influence.