Hi everyone,
my name is Maria Zumkeller and I am a 4th year student at UC Davis. Like many of you, the thought of casually visiting an art museum can seem rather intimidating. Oftentimes art museums are portrayed as having a sense of exclusivity; which explains many people’s hesitation to visit on a weekend. This common misconception can prevent people, maybe even yourself, from supporting local art museums and can even block creativity (Gross, 2014). Because I believe art is a crucial part of culture and community, I hope to break some of the myths and misconceptions related to art and art museums by discussing my recent visit to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. In my discussion I will describe the setting of an art museum and answer the question that I’m sure we’ve all wondered at least once in our lives: how do you visit an art museum? From my recent observations at the Crocker art museum, I found that there is no right or wrong way to visit an art museum. I hope that by the end of this podcast, you’ll realize that an art museum is a great place to enjoy an afternoon and open your mind to creative possibilities regardless of your background or former knowledge as it relates to art. Moreover, hopefully you will support your local art museum soon!
Oftentimes when we imagine a museum, we picture an old building that lacks color or visual stimulation. However, The Crocker museum is anything but that; the museum embodies both old and new in regard to architecture and aesthetic aspects. The museum is comprised of two structures: the first is the former residence of the Crocker family, the family who created the museum, and is a beautiful and elaborate mansion constructed in 1879 while the second building is modern and minimal with clean lines and rounded edges. You’re sure to see the juxtaposition of the two structures immediately upon arrival and will hopefully enjoy its revitalizing presence.
Not only is the architecture a juxtaposition of time, but the visitors are as well. During my visit, I observed children in art classes, young and old couples strolling throughout the museum, and individuals of all ages – each interacting with art in different ways. The diverse range of people I observed in the museum on a lively Sunday afternoon showed that regardless of background, anyone can visit this safe and comfortable place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
There are so many different ways to spend time at an art museum and there’s not a single way that is considered “the right way”. One way to visit is to learn about art from places around the world (Dilennschneider, 2017). Usually each piece of art has a description of its significance and a bit about the author. While observing people at the Crocker I saw people who read each description of the paintings and treated the visit like a history museum, learning as they went along. In fact, some individuals talked about each painting and discussed what they liked and what they didn’t regardless of the type of art (old, modern, or radical art). However, if you’re not one for history or are just hoping to relax, keep in mind you can just simply look at a painting and carry on. You also are not required to discuss the art – I saw many people who stayed back and were quiet as they walked along the numerous twists and turns within the museum.
Like I said, if you’re not usually one for art history or art interpretation, there is still plenty to do at a museum like the Crocker. Another way to visit an art museum is to just to spend time, appreciate the fresh atmosphere, and see others’ creativity come to fruition (Gross, 2014). In addition to people in deep artistic discussion I also saw some people just enjoying the visual aspects of art and looking at pieces briefly. Some people took pictures of all the pieces they liked as they strolled about while others sat on a bench or casually wandered around the museum to take in the beautiful lighting and atmosphere. The environment of the Crocker is a great place to re-center your emotions, whether you’re feeling the stress of midterms or just in need of some down time (Gross, 2014).
In conclusion, art museums are a fantastic place to visit and accessible to all. The environment at a museum like the Crocker is not only welcoming but feels like a community itself. There are a number of ways to enjoy the museum including learning about art and art history via pamphlets and art descriptions or to simply enjoy the multitude of colors, mediums, and general expressions of creativity. I hope that my description of the Crocker museum and discussion of what an art museum visit entails have broken any misconceptions of art museums you may have had. If you’ve been stuck in the monotony of winter quarter classes and are in need of a simulative break I highly suggest visiting this museum in your free time. It’s a quick 20-minute drive from campus and less than a mile from the Amtrak station! Thanks for listening, bye!
References
Colleen Dilennschneider. “10 Reasons to Visit a Museum.” Colleen Dilenschneider, 8 July 2017, www.colleendilen.com/2009/07/31/10-reasons-to-visit-a-museum/.
Gross, Rebecca. “National Endowment for the Arts.” The Importance of Taking Children to Museums | NEA, 20 June 2014, www.arts.gov/art-works/2014/importance-taking-children-museums.
“The Benefits of a Trip to the Museum.” Opinion Letters: Museums, The New York Times, 27 Nov. 2013, www.nytimes.com/2013/11/28/opinion/the-benefits-of-a-trip-to-the-museum.html.
my name is Maria Zumkeller and I am a 4th year student at UC Davis. Like many of you, the thought of casually visiting an art museum can seem rather intimidating. Oftentimes art museums are portrayed as having a sense of exclusivity; which explains many people’s hesitation to visit on a weekend. This common misconception can prevent people, maybe even yourself, from supporting local art museums and can even block creativity (Gross, 2014). Because I believe art is a crucial part of culture and community, I hope to break some of the myths and misconceptions related to art and art museums by discussing my recent visit to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. In my discussion I will describe the setting of an art museum and answer the question that I’m sure we’ve all wondered at least once in our lives: how do you visit an art museum? From my recent observations at the Crocker art museum, I found that there is no right or wrong way to visit an art museum. I hope that by the end of this podcast, you’ll realize that an art museum is a great place to enjoy an afternoon and open your mind to creative possibilities regardless of your background or former knowledge as it relates to art. Moreover, hopefully you will support your local art museum soon!
Oftentimes when we imagine a museum, we picture an old building that lacks color or visual stimulation. However, The Crocker museum is anything but that; the museum embodies both old and new in regard to architecture and aesthetic aspects. The museum is comprised of two structures: the first is the former residence of the Crocker family, the family who created the museum, and is a beautiful and elaborate mansion constructed in 1879 while the second building is modern and minimal with clean lines and rounded edges. You’re sure to see the juxtaposition of the two structures immediately upon arrival and will hopefully enjoy its revitalizing presence.
Not only is the architecture a juxtaposition of time, but the visitors are as well. During my visit, I observed children in art classes, young and old couples strolling throughout the museum, and individuals of all ages – each interacting with art in different ways. The diverse range of people I observed in the museum on a lively Sunday afternoon showed that regardless of background, anyone can visit this safe and comfortable place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
There are so many different ways to spend time at an art museum and there’s not a single way that is considered “the right way”. One way to visit is to learn about art from places around the world (Dilennschneider, 2017). Usually each piece of art has a description of its significance and a bit about the author. While observing people at the Crocker I saw people who read each description of the paintings and treated the visit like a history museum, learning as they went along. In fact, some individuals talked about each painting and discussed what they liked and what they didn’t regardless of the type of art (old, modern, or radical art). However, if you’re not one for history or are just hoping to relax, keep in mind you can just simply look at a painting and carry on. You also are not required to discuss the art – I saw many people who stayed back and were quiet as they walked along the numerous twists and turns within the museum.
Like I said, if you’re not usually one for art history or art interpretation, there is still plenty to do at a museum like the Crocker. Another way to visit an art museum is to just to spend time, appreciate the fresh atmosphere, and see others’ creativity come to fruition (Gross, 2014). In addition to people in deep artistic discussion I also saw some people just enjoying the visual aspects of art and looking at pieces briefly. Some people took pictures of all the pieces they liked as they strolled about while others sat on a bench or casually wandered around the museum to take in the beautiful lighting and atmosphere. The environment of the Crocker is a great place to re-center your emotions, whether you’re feeling the stress of midterms or just in need of some down time (Gross, 2014).
In conclusion, art museums are a fantastic place to visit and accessible to all. The environment at a museum like the Crocker is not only welcoming but feels like a community itself. There are a number of ways to enjoy the museum including learning about art and art history via pamphlets and art descriptions or to simply enjoy the multitude of colors, mediums, and general expressions of creativity. I hope that my description of the Crocker museum and discussion of what an art museum visit entails have broken any misconceptions of art museums you may have had. If you’ve been stuck in the monotony of winter quarter classes and are in need of a simulative break I highly suggest visiting this museum in your free time. It’s a quick 20-minute drive from campus and less than a mile from the Amtrak station! Thanks for listening, bye!
References
Colleen Dilennschneider. “10 Reasons to Visit a Museum.” Colleen Dilenschneider, 8 July 2017, www.colleendilen.com/2009/07/31/10-reasons-to-visit-a-museum/.
Gross, Rebecca. “National Endowment for the Arts.” The Importance of Taking Children to Museums | NEA, 20 June 2014, www.arts.gov/art-works/2014/importance-taking-children-museums.
“The Benefits of a Trip to the Museum.” Opinion Letters: Museums, The New York Times, 27 Nov. 2013, www.nytimes.com/2013/11/28/opinion/the-benefits-of-a-trip-to-the-museum.html.