Author: American Assembly

Publication Year: 1973

Media Type: Report

Summary:

Abstract:

The Forty-Sixth American Assembly (on Art Museums in America) met at Arden House, Harriman, New York, October 31-November 3, 1974. The participants included directors and curators of art museums, trustees and donors, artists and art educators, critics, media specialists and others. In all there were 57 men and women from 14 states and the District of Columbia. The Assembly discussed in considerable depth the current problems of American art museums, including social responsibilities, governance, financing, acquisitions, scholarship and education. The report of recommendation which follows was approved in a final plenary session.

Forty-five American assemblies have passed before the arts in general, or the visual arts in particular, have been the subject of discussion. The visual arts have but slowly risen to view as an object of general public concern. The containers of the visual arts, art museums, have only recently become the subjects of public debate and analysis involving questions of private or public policy. De-accessioning, decentralization, illicit traffic in works of art, unionization, and numerous other issues have occupied more space than usual in the press and on television. These controversial issues can be matched by more salutory ones, such as the rising level of public funding for art museums, through the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities and the state arts councils, to demonstrate that the time is overdue for considering future goals, present purposes and operations of art museums. Coincident economic tremors have added urgency.

CONTENTS
Preface.
Final Report of the Forty-Sixth American Assembly.
     A. The Art Museums and Society.
     B. Education in the Visual Arts.
     C. The Art Museum and the Living Artist.
     D. Organization and Management of Art Museums.
Participants: The Forty-Sixth American Assembly

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Community Development