Who Determines Which Art Gets In The Musuem

Yesterday I finally did something I said I wanted to do last year. I spent the majority of the day at the Indianapolis Museum of Art–call it a work field trip. The first part of the morning I walked around, looked at the different exhibits and works of art, practiced my photography skills, and was surrounded by the creative energy dating back centuries.

For the remainder of the day I worked in the cafe and had one of the most productive days I can remember in a while–it’s no coincidence this very productive day came in a building filled with high energy and creativity. 

A day at the IMA is going to be a monthly occurrence going forward.

As I reflected on the day at the museum, I thought about the different styles of art I saw, the design exhibit with wild furniture, the fashion exhibit with unique outfits none of us would actually wear in public, and the fragile glass pieces you’d never sit out in your house. 

Who determined which artists and pieces of art made it to the museum? 

I’m not talking about the curators and committees for the museum that go out and arrange for pieces to be lent to or purchased by the museum–I know there are people responsible for bringing art to the museum. I’m talking about who before the curators and committees determined that museums should be seeking works by an artist…who made that call?

Who determines what makes “good art” different from “average art”? 

What is “good” vs. “average” when it comes to art?

There were many works of art yesterday no one would question whether or not they belonged in a museum–they were masterpieces. But, there were also many works of art that looked like something you or I could have created or something my youngest Silas has already created at home. That’s no disrespect to the artist—my favorite works of art are more abstract and free-flowing than the technical works I think are easy to identify as museum-worthy. I prefer works of art where I THINK I could do something similar.

There are countless great artists creating amazing works of art that will never make it into a museum, may never become known outside of their community (which is not a failure), and very easily could have been the next Basquiat, van Gogh, or O’Keeffe if discovered by the right person. 

And this is true in business, photography, writing, sports, and just about everything else we do in life. Yet, we find relatively unknowns with just as much talent, skill, work ethic, and grit as those individuals held in the highest regard in their craft continuing to fly below the radar. What separates these two ends of the spectrum?

I don’t know.

What I do know is the artists I personally know, whose work I think should be in museums, are happy where they are. They continue to create amazing work, provide for themselves and their families, and get to live their authentic lives. Sure, they wouldn’t turn down being included in an exhibit at a major museum but that doesn’t define their success–that’s not their “why”.

As you pursue your authentic life and express yourself through creative outlets, or build a business, don’t set your definition of success as being included in the museum. This doesn’t mean don’t strive for greatness and create your best work. But realize there are more great works of art that will never be seen in a museum and you will never hear of the artist than those by famous artists in museums. You can sub “art” and “museum” for whatever it is you are creating.

Being in the museum shouldn’t be your “why”. It can be a goal. But not your “why”.

The art in the Indianapolis Museum of Art started out as an expression of the artist, which was created as a result of their passion. Through forces unknown to you and me, the artist and work elevated to museum-worthy status–but that was not what they had in mind when they first picked up their paintbrush. 

They created for the love of art.

Whatever it is you create, create out of passion and for the love of the craft, and if you happen to elevate to museum status, it’s icing on the cake.

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC