New Visions for the Met

    Hello!

Recently, Alliance for the Arts  presented the second annual Arts forum at the New York Times Center.  The forum allowed more than 250 cultural leaders, funders and advocates to hear Thomas P. Campbell speak about his vision for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its role in New York City's cultural life.

Touted as the most visited museum in the country, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is an orgnaziation of formidable strength.    Following a brief introduction by Kate Levin, New York City's Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, Thomas P. Campbell addressed the museum's current need for change given today's economic climate.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a world-class institution, receives 10 percent of its funding from New York City, the remainder is through private sources.  Campbell's ideas are well thought out; one of the things he points out is scaling back on the number of exhibitons which in recent years bear 35-40 per year.   Ideally, he wishes to maintain a challenging exhibition program allowing the public to rediscover the museum's exisitng 2 million objects.   He points out that two-thirds of the museum's visitors are first time visitors, therefore the Met can afford to do less shows on loan pointing out, "we are competing with ourselves."  A large part of the storage items at the met can never be on permanent display, plus they are used for study due to their delicacy--imagine the new heights that can be reached by exploring collection after collection of "in-house" objects.  Other plans include, the conservation of acquisition funds by using monies to build collections not for operating the actual museum.

Aesthetically speaking, what will become of the museum's current collections, or the museum space as we currently know it?  Mr. Campbell wishes to further explore cross-departmental collaboration.  Next year a major Picasso show--a total of 400 works over the last 60 years--paintings, sculptures works on paper, etc.  How about a "reworked" Velasquez show?  A possibility... by taking a major work from another museum and incorporating works by the same artist ie: Velazquez from its OWN collection... just a thought at this point.  One of the museum's greatest strengths is its vast space both seen and unseen.  Expansion of the American Wing continues to flourish.  Future plans include a whole suite of new galleries to the American Paintings Gallery estimated to be nearly 30,000 sq feet. Campbell, an avid fan and product of textile study, also speaks of increasing the Costume Institute-fashionista -- socials beware things are going to get VERY, VERY  good.

If all of the above sounds thrilling, it should, and if one wonders what can be done as a citizen patron of the arts, read carefully.  As Mr. Campbell points out, the visitors experience from the entry in the great hall to the navigation of the musem's galleries should provide a direct experience. Beyond the Met's wonderful learning tools for visitors via tour giuides, education tools, etc., we certainly can give give back in kind by renewing, upgrading, or buying a membership, or by simply spending money in the museum shop, even a drink at the bar of the rooftop gardens.

In closing, one finds that one of the country's greatest international resources will continue to shine.  The institution, comprised of an "extraordinary staff and collections", has the great gift of time and inner resources to implement its goals.  Currently, 140 curators and an estimated 50 conservators work hard to maintain the centuries old contributions from various masters and scholars over the years.  For more information on the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its offerings please visit www.metmuseum.org

*photos courtesy of Alliance for the Arts