Which artists would you guess are searched for most often in the U.S.? What if that data were broken down by state, so we could see which artist Georgians are looking for versus which one by New Yorkers? It might be enlightening–nowadays, museums might even use it to choose their exhibitions, given all the emphasis on listening to their communities.
Maybe this map which change their minds. Granted, it has one big flaw–it’s an infographic of searches on eBay by its customers, who may not be representative of a museum’s “community.” On the other hand, I doubt that museums are taking statistically sound surveys when they say they want to listen to their communities. Certainly, crowdsourced exhibitions are not representational from a statistically sound point of view.
In any case, this map tells a cautionary tale.
Maybe the Newark Museum will now want to present a Picasso show, but will the Portland Art Museum start mounting exhibits that feature the likes of Emek?It’s nice to see interest in Mary Cassatt in Kentucky, but I find it disappointing that with all the wonderful art owned by museums in Massachusetts Norman Rockwell is what residents want to see. And I had to look several names on the map, being unfamiliar with them.
Yes, there are many holes in what I just wrote–just as there are many, many holes in the argument for asking residents of a community what they want to see. Curators should do most of the deciding, imho.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of eBayÂ