Growing up, school and family field trips were often to New York City for cultural experiences at the theater or museums. Some were fun, like seeing Annie on Broadway. Others sparked awe—staring up at the massive blue whale at the American Museum of Natural History comes to mind. But mostly I remember whining that my feet hurt or nearly falling asleep out of boredom, like I did one time at the symphony at Lincoln Center, which my dad said only proved the music was good. Maybe our teachers and parents hoped or believed that early (albeit compulsory) exposure to the arts would eventually blossom into genuine interest and appreciation, like planting seeds with the knowledge that only a portion of them would spring to life.
In my case, with plenty of water and sunlight, it did. I can’t remember a specific, single eye-opening moment, like how many artists speak of standing for the first time before a Sorolla or Velázquez, Sargent or Whistler. It appears in flashes, like seeing Blue Man Group for my 16th birthday when it first opened on the Lower East Side (mind blown). Staring up at the David at the Uffizi during a semester abroad. Marveling at Klimt’s The Kiss at the Belvedere, a work of art in its own right, in Vienna. Somewhere along the line, I had become hooked on art.
Museums have a strong presence in every issue of American Fine Art Magazine, but never has it been more apparent than in this one. When we bundled up all of our museum-related content for our Collector’s Guide to Museums & Exhibitions, it amounted to 50 pages—just over 40 percent of the magazine. Breaking it down like that, the importance of museums in the realm of historic American art, hit home in a new way.
This issue could not come at a more timely moment, as museums face an uncertain future due to the slashes to federal arts funding. You can read more about the impacts of these cuts on Page 50 in an op-ed from the American Alliance of Museums. We also have more hopeful stories about the initiatives museums are launching to support their mission to make our national treasures accessible to the public. And another inspiring story about Judy Goffman Cutler, the woman behind the National Museum of American Illustration. And of course, we have previews of all the major exhibitions, as well those that might not be on your radar, but should be.
As you flip through these pages, I hope seeing all of our museum and exhibition coverage packaged into one section, like a mini-magazine in itself, opens your eyes to the crucial role museums play in keeping the art world thriving, and preserving our cultural heritage for generations to come.
Enjoy the September/October issue!
Sarah Gianelli
Managing Editor
sgianelli@americanartcollector.com
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