Author: Cheek, Leslie, Jr.

Publication Year: 1964

Media Type: Report

Summary:

Thirty years ago, the Virginia Museum was the first arts organization established in America by a state to serve a state in a partnership of government and private means. Ten years ago, we were the first museum to add the performing arts - drama, music, dance, cinema - as regular features of our statewide program. These aspects of our activities are among the suggestions for the future made in the Rockefeller Brothers Panel Report.

Abstract:

Thirty years ago, the Virginia Museum was the first arts organization established in America by a state to serve a state in a partnership of government and private means. Ten years ago, we were the first museum to add the performing arts - drama, music, dance, cinema - as regular features of our statewide program. These aspects of our activities are among the suggestions for the future made in the Rockefeller Brothers Panel Report.

A brief account of our struggle to expand Virginia's audience for the arts may be of some pertinence. Undoubtedly, all of the points I make will be familiar to you, but if by chance any are new and useful, your organization can adopt them with ease, for the Virginia Museum is neither large nor rich.

We have tried to expand three types of audiences: the general public, our regular members, and another category we call special members.

The general public is usually suspicious of art institutions and will drive right by, so we considered it very important to be particularly handsome in front and to indicate the activity in our rather formal building. We have put up flood lights, we have put a sign out front to show that there is activity inside, and we have flowers and fountains. This does a great deal to stop the public; to get them to pay attention, and sometimes to become our audience. We try to pamper the public. Everyone hates to look for a place to park, so one of the prime arrangements in this building is truly adequate parking to make it a pleasant place to visit. When the public gets inside, we try to give them several places to sit down and smoke.(p. 97-100)

[Presented as part of the panel on Expanding Audiences for the Arts introduced by
 Oliver Rea. Additional presentations are all listed under Expanding Audiences for
 the Arts by Bradley G. Morison; Carol Morse; Mark Schubart and Rise Stevens.]

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Participation