Are Museums Facing An Identity Crisis?

Museums were originally intended to narrow the gap between art and the common man. Are they losing that focus?

1 minute read

April 2, 2002, 11:00 AM PST

By Gwen Hilburn


For a number of years, many museum boards have hired high-profile architects to design the space to show art. Architects have seen this as proof of architecture's growing cultural relevance. Others have seen this process as pushing art into the background, and see that the "definition of the art museum's function" is more "elusive than ever."

Thanks to Gwenn Hilburn

Sunday, March 31, 2002 in The Los Angeles Times

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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