Money & Museums

The beginning of the chapter discusses art museums and the location and geographical location of them. Freeland also talks about how "every group has (or wants) their own museums." She mentions the different museums that specifically relate to a certain group or point in time like the African American Art museum, Jewish museums, and the National Museum for Women in the Arts. I think that this is true. I had never really thought about all of the museums scattered around Washington, DC. There is even a museum devoted to spys!

Freeland then goes on to discuss how Pierre Bourdieu studied the relationship between class and taste in art, music, film, and theatre. He claimed that people with a lower class background preferred fewer classical composers than people in the high economic, professional, and educational brackets. I think that this is sort of a broad statement to make. It is very stereotypical. If someone were poor and living on the street, that does not mean that they do not enjoy classical music or theatre.

Freeland also talks about the effect of money on museums and art. Someone who is wealthy can show much support for a particular artist that appeals to their taste. Big corporations or businesses can also provide money for a certain artist or exhibit in order to boost their reputation and image. Basically, Freeland is saying that the art world can be effected by money in the way it is perceived by the public and artists. I think that this is somewhat true. Something like a Monet painting is know to most as being very expensive, therefor giving it more appeal.

Questions:
1. What do you consider to be the real relationship between class and artistic taste?
2. What is the most important effect that money has on the art world?