Here’s the thing about art: it’s an expression of emotion or thought that evokes a response from its viewers. To say that only what is exhibited in museums, or appreciated by people of financial influence, is art would be narrowing the scope greatly. Who’s to say which pair of bedazzled converse belongs in a glass case in a museum?

“Great Lakes Girls” by Teri Greeves in Brooklyn Museum

On the other side of the museum is a recent exhibit filled with heels. Every single shoe in that exhibit is art. I believe that every shoe on the shelf at Nordstrom is art. A designer wasn’t necessarily intending to express his emotion when drawing the sketch for the shoes; he was however expressing his vision. He envisioned something that he thought that would bring joy to other people or allow to express themselves by incorporating it into their outfit. This of course isn’t limited to shoes or clothing or oil on a canvas. This goes beyond that, to food and to dance and to literature.

The viewers of art are meant to be touched. Picasso’s abstract painting of a pregnant woman looking at herself in the mirror, Da Vinci’s painting of Jesus sitting at the supper table, and Kelsey Montague’s mural in Nolita all share their ability to simultaneously allow the artist to share something and express themselves and stir up an emotion in the viewer.

The goal of a museum is to present pieces of art that are meant to be educational and entertaining to the people of the present society. In addition to displaying artwork with historic value, museums are responsible for representing modern concerns. Museums like the Brooklyn Museum will exhibit art that will attract viewers. They must choose themes and art pieces that are relevant to the viewers, hence exhibits like “Connecting Cultures: A World in Brooklyn.” At the end of the day, most museums are trying to mold their exhibitions to fit the interest of the people this however doesn’t discredit the pieces they display.

I guess in essence what I’m trying to say is that art is anything that triggers emotion and thought in the receiver of whatever form of expression the artist chooses. When it comes to the role that museums play it’s a lot like Euthyphro’s dilemma. It’s hard to tell whether a piece is in a museum because the people are affected by it or the people are affected by it because it is in a museum.