FINAL Version – due 11.1

Dear Museum of Sex,

I recently visited your museum with a friend of mine and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. The various interesting and vastly different exhibits really caught our attention as each one revealed new perspectives on embracing sexuality and how people portrayed doing so. After visiting the museum, I realized how educational it was in terms of sexuality: how it’s evolved over the years and different ways in which it can be embraced as well as the different lenses from which its viewed. The museum includes various floors that focus on specific aspects of sexuality such as The Sex Lives of Animals exhibit which shows how homosexuality is seen in all species of animals demonstrating that it is a natural and acceptable aspect of life, the NSFW: Female Gaze in which powerful feminine narratives are used to “reclaim and break out of women’s historical roles as muse and object” to reflect male perspective. These are just two of the few exhibits that provide insight into the taboo subject of sex and its various subtopics.

What stood out to me as I left the museum was they made sure my friend and I were 18 or older to get in. Although I understand the initial idea that anyone younger must be “protected” from a concept that society has decided is “too much” for anyone who isn’t 18 to see, I feel that the museum could actually be very beneficial to certain people under 18. Adolescence is one of the most confusing and difficult times for a human since they are just starting to explore their changing bodies and emerging sexualities. Schools nowadays don’t do the best jobs at educating students and even if they did, there are many groups of students that are left out of the health class conversation since curriculums are so cisgender and straight focused. Museum curator and now consultant Sarah Forbes acknowledged this in an interview with 6sqft where she said the following, “We are so inundated with sexual information and misinformation through popular culture. And really, there is a lack of real sexual education out there either from our young schooling days or even in college. With our exhibitions, we want them to appeal to a wide segment of the population. We are an 18+ institution, so this could mean someone who is not exposed to the subject matter at all or someone who has written a dissertation on the topic”. My question to her and the museum staff is, if you can see that sexual misinformation is so uncommon, why cut-off such an important and unique learning experience off from the teens that need it the most?

The Museum of Sex could be a valuable resource for adolescents in terms of educating them on sexuality and possibly giving them insight of their own sexuality. Teens who don’t have the resources or can’t utilize certain resources due to the risk of being in danger would benefit immensely from the exhibits. An LGBTQ+ teen who isn’t sure of sexuality, a girl who feels that society is placing men at the center of her sexuality, etc. By opening your doors to adolescents who can learn and grow from your museum, you could be helping to cultivate future generations that are more comfortable, positive, safe, and overall understanding of sexuality.

 

Sincerely,

Sergio Flores

To the National Archives of New York City,

I find great pleasure when I walk the halls of the Historic Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House in Bowling Green. The history that surrounds the building and the history kept within the building astonishes me. I believe it is the only place in New York City where you can walk in and come out with a copy of a New York Times article detailing Kafka’s death, court record, naturalization records, pictures of historical events, and even more. I feel at home in such a place being such a passionate fan of history. I think the best part of the Archives is that all the resources are provided free of charge. I have attempted to access databases and rarely are they free and as complete as the ones present at the Archives.

But I do find fault with the Archives and that is its difficult to locate. It shares a building with the National Museum of the American Indian. That specific portion of the building has a large banner plastered outside the building letting everyone who passes know what is there, however, the Archive’s own banner is much smaller. Additionally, a google search of the area surrounding the archives yields no results. The Archives is overshadowed by its neighbor and all the more iconic building in Manhattan. To find the Archive, one must be deliberately searching for it.  There are so many opportunities, resources, and activities at the National Archives. The community could make beneficial use of such, but to even gather information of the place becomes an onerous task. Why is that when one searches for the Natural History Museum the New York Historical Society appears but when one searches for the National Museum of the American Indian the only neighbor that appears is the Charging Bull?

The Website is fairly active and all the information one would need is present there. But how would one even know there is a website? I passed by the building who knows how many times without knowing that the National Archives were there. It was not until I went on a trip with my history teacher to the archives that I learned of its existence. Prior to that I, a history loving student, had no knowledge at all. I find this really unfortunate. Even after my first visit, I thought the Archives were closed to private use. It was not until after a few visits that I learned it was open to public. This information needs to be more public and more opportunities should be given to students to visit the location.

The best way to combat that would be a number of things. First, the banner must be improved so that both locations recieve equal publicity. I actually came across the National Museum of the American Indian due to their large banner and that is how I became aware of that museum. Another action that would help would be some kind of advertising campaign. It doesn’t have to be excessive with TV commercials and posters everywhere. Something as simple as having ambassadors travel to schools, colleges, and other community centers and discussing the resources available at the archives. Third, host events such as National History Day! Brings students to the location and educate them about the purpose of the Archives. During my times there I only saw the elderly making use of the location and even then their numbers were sparse. Any sort of work to increase awareness for the Archives would be beneficial!

 

With many thanks,

Danny Farran

Dear MoMA,

 

The Museum of Modern art is a fantastic cultural outlet. It brings up and coming art forms to the forefront and displays some of the best work. Although all of this art is being displayed for the public, one concern of mine is that it cannot be appreciated. The efforts to enhance our culture can be overlooked.

 

The MoMA does a good job at displaying lots of art; however, the modern and often abstract art displayed cannot be understood. Personally, I cannot understand, for example, a simple black rectangle. I don’t know why it has to be displayed in a selective museum that carefully curates each exhibit. I know that this is due to my naivety. An artist would not be praised for the mere simplicity of a rectangle. Any person can make the same outcome. Although I strive to understand, no matter how long I stare at the same piece of artwork I can only see so much. I will perhaps never fully understand certain artwork. Although artwork is to be interpreted, I cannot interpret a solid shape; that is all I see. I know this is not the artist’s fault, but at the same time I want to appreciate their works.

 

A resolution that I propose is a simple explanation, or discussion. Often times art pieces will have a short blurb, but this can be limited to the artist’s name, date and artwork name. Particularly abstract pieces need a more detailed breakdown. This explanation could consist of the artist’s mindset or reasoning when creating the piece. This is very easy to implement with the technology of the modern age. If museums do not want to have physical plaque, they can publish the information on a website or app. Essentially, this would be costless since most museums already have a website. With this knowledge, I would be able to appreciate the artwork and value. I would be admiring it for its meaning, not for the fact that it is displayed in a prestigious museum. This would open the museum to the common people, those who do not study art. The populous would be able to respect the artist and his or her work, rather than ignore, or even mock it.

 

Sincerely,

 

Dylan Senkiw

Dear Director of the American Museum of Natural History,
You’ve been home to many of my school trips over the course of my academic career, and responsible for me meeting one of the coolest teachers I’ve met. Your exhibits are interesting and pretty diverse, which is something that can be lacking in many other places. There are some things though that can be problematic, the main one being the prices people must pay to see your exhibits.

History is said to be taught so that it may never be repeated. If your museum is about history, why does it cost so much for people to learn it? This hurts those who live in lower class families because it prevents them from possibly learning history they might find intriguing. Don’t you think that the more people learn about history, the better off they can be? You claim on your website that the museum was made for those with a passion of discovery, but if they can’t pay the entrance fee, the only thing they can discover is the front door. Your ticket prices for regular entry without any of the fancier exhibits is $23 for adults and $13 for children. If a family wanted to come and see your butterfly exhibit, the ticket prices go up about $5. If the family wanted to see exhibits other than the butterfly exhibit, the prices go up about $10. Many lower class families already have to find a way to live paycheck to paycheck, and prices like these could really hurt their finances if they try to take out the family in a nice outing. The permanent exhibits are nice to look at, but many children really want to see the big, exciting colorful exhibits, which require an extra fee for entry.

In order to fulfill that idea of having the museum made for discovery, how about making the tickets cheaper so that those people can actually go see your exhibits, including the special shows? If this is a money issue, focus on the bigger picture. If the tickets are cheaper, the more people will want to go because odds are, you’ll be cheaper than many other museums around NYC. The more people want to go, the more tickets they will buy and the more people they will tell about the museum. Word of mouth goes a long way, and could really bring good publicity to the museum. In the end, you will have not only sold more tickets and made the museum look good by looking out for those in the lower class, but you would have accomplished your goal for the museum; to intrigue those with a passion of discovery. In the end, you’re in charge of what goes on, so it’s up to you whether or not you want to start that change. Everything I’m saying is just food for thought anyway.

A person with a passion for discovery,
Kaelah Blanchette

Dear Guggenheim Museum,

Art is up to interpretation, but when would it then become too immoral to sought after a certain message? In terms of the piece named, “Dogs That Cannot Touch Each Other”, where is the art in suffering? Yes, there are the priceless pieces of art work from history depicting the suffering of humans, however is there a comparison? Bringing this into perspective, the purpose for the art of history is to learn what is best not to be repeated. In terms of the video, these dogs were placed onto treadmills under the mentality of fighting for survival, what would further be the purpose?

So here lies the issue. For seven straight minutes, these dogs were attempting their hardest to attack one another. The depicted scenario acts as a double edged blade whereas these dogs also were depicted to be extremely likable to Pit-bulls, a breed of which already has a stained credibility of dog fighting. The breed is already facing legislative bans in several states and nations where they are to be euthanized or deemed illegal to breed for fear of public aggression. That general aspect aside, the eight dogs used in this demonstration of dare I say cruelty underwent high levels of stress that could further contribute to fatigue, disease, and early death. However, I digress.

The art exhibit does bring out two portions of human nature, as do most art forms. It shows the cruelty of some who are willing to subjugate other species to mistreatment for the “betterment” of human kind and the individuals who are willing to look past hubris and attempt to assist the voiceless. Not only was this art exhibit a strain for the animals involved, but it also acted as a media that showed the “acceptability” of animal mistreatment. Younger generations will hold onto the message depicted and continue this complex of false superiority over other species on the planet. So not only are children less likely to access this exhibit due to the needlessly graphic video, but individuals who appreciate, care, and love animals to any degree would show a greater hesitation in visiting such an exhibit. Not only will the museum lose business, but it will also have a tarnished reputation with the community it serves to enlighten.

A possible solution would be to single out the purpose. If this was to show a portion of “Art and China After 1989: Theater of the World”, then depict that time period. Rather than attempting to make new art based on the suffering of another species, focus the finances and purpose towards better understanding the time period and the reasons behind each piece of art. If dog fighting was in fact a pass time or source of entertainment during this time period, show other forms of art that depict the brutality without inflicting the cruelty to actual animals present day.

What would be the purpose of studying art and history if we are dooming ourselves to repeating the mistakes we learned not to make? The future of our species and that of others remains intertwined to the fate of the planet. In order to preserve our livelihoods, we must look past selflessness as go further towards equitable treatment of all living things as a community.

Best Regards,

Isaac Paredes

Dear Metropolitan Museum of Art,

You are one of the most iconic art museums in the world, one that boasts having the largest collection of Asian artifacts. However,

I remember visiting you with my mother one day when I was little.

I remember seeing the huge exhibits focused on ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, the Renaissance era, etc.

I remember reading the lengthy and detailed descriptions about each ceramic button, each broken water jug.

I don’t remember seeing artwork with people who looked like me.

I remembered seeing only a few old paintings with Asians, with vague descriptions.

I remember visiting you again when I got older

We all noted that the exhibits that weren’t Eurocentric, were presented as “featured exhibits” that were separate from the main portion of the museum.  The more permanent exhibits were mainly by white people, of white people, and really, for white people. Ancient hairpins didn’t necessarily thrill me; what significance did it have for me, how could I relate to this?  This perpetuates the fame and praise of predominantly white art, and obscures the scope of art from which we learn and appreciate.  I learned all about Renaissance techniques and Impressionism, Expressionism, etc, but what about ancient calligraphy that Korean letters were beautifully written in?  The few “diverse” artworks that I have seen were vastly outnumbered, and the descriptions were painfully inaccurate, as if the handcrafted, beaded dress was not as significant to my own culture in comparison to the multiple shards of Greek pottery.  I understand the value of European artwork, and its prominence throughout history, but history didn’t only happen in one place.  We see the progression of history through the looking glass of large statues of the Renaissance world to the stained glass windows of the Medieval times.  The world closer to my own, is frozen in the time of the Goryeo and the Joseon.

Sincerely,

Emily Suh

Dear NYC Art Museums,

There are many museums that have attempted to reach out to children and families. While these platforms have helped and encouraged more families to come teens are still a less than welcomed group. Many museums have turned off younger audiences, middle school, and high school-aged students, in a number of ways.  Hours are often difficult for students to manage with after school events and homework. And the typical museum’s attendants are not welcoming to younger crowds. Not to mention often times art is complex and difficult to digest.

Most museums are open during the workday. Unfortunately, this is means museums close only a few hours after school gets out. Students have difficulty making it to museums in this allotted time. Students have after-school obligations or simply must get their homework done before doing something else. There isn’t enough time on school afternoons for students to attend.

Obviously, there are weekends, and while this would solve the issue if the only conflict was the time, there are more factors that off put students. Teenagers are often seen as terrors or dangers, but believe it or not, many high school students opting to go to a museum in their free time are not there to wreak havoc. I personally have experienced judging glances and hushed whispers, side eyes and just general disapproval of my presence at more serious museums. This often isn’t because teenagers are trying to be disruptive, but more likely because it is just part of how they experience things. Teenagers are more social, and when trying to understand the complex works of art in sophisticated museums, head nods and long stares just won’t suffice.

Museums often put small one to two paragraph blurbs beside a piece of art. While for frequent attendants and well-versed art enthusiasts this is sufficient, for a teenager those blurbs just don’t cut it. The young adult brain has been trained to learn through lecture and lesson, and extensive reading, lots of facts and the ability to discuss the topic at hand. But art museums do not facilitate this and expect attendants to do it on their own. Younger audiences on the other hand normally won’t. Venturing into something by one’s self is a learned skill for things we have decided we love and need more of.  However, teenagers are more likely to become frustrated or uninterested and decide to move on from it.

I propose night events that reach out to teens. Mainly focusing on high school students.  These events could occur once a month on Friday nights during the school year. Where they can browse the museums but there is a portion to have a discussion about featured pieces and or a media presentation they could watch. Adding a discussion or analytical level has increased my own appreciation for art and could do wonders for many teens. Having an opportunity to discuss a piece adds more depth to something two-dimensional. And with the event open only to teenage students, the normal older crowd will not be in attendance. This would shift the mood of the museum, from tense and unwelcoming, to friendly and inviting. In addition, a food component would also be a huge draw. Either something simple like pizza available with the entrance fee or a snack bar that is open during the event. And of course, a sanctioned area for eating, as to keep the museum clean. But overall Fridays are a great time where young people don’t have school the next morning and are often looking for fun things to go out and do. An evening browsing the museum could not only be fun but extremely beneficial.

A young interest in art provides for a lifetime of more passionate interest in arts and culture generally. Gaining cultural interest and understanding adds to a person’s intellect. And if more kids gain knowledge about the surrounding world, more than just what social media and the news regurgitate, they will be better for it. And so, will this entire planet.  Creating later visiting hours, and giving more digestible information will help teens get interested in art, and be more capable of applying what they’ve learned.  The mind of a high school student is impressionable and waiting for the right people to imprint on it. The art museums of New York city should jump at the opportunity to do so.

Sincerely,

Elisa