Whose Muse?: Art Museums and the Public Trust Cuno, James

Title: Whose Muse?: Art Museums and the Public TrustEditor: Cuno, JamesPublisher: Princeton University PressBinding: PaperbackPages: 208Dimensions: 9.05h x 5.99w x 0.46dProduct Weight: 0.86 lbs.Language: EnglishISBN: 9780691127811During the economic boom of the 1990s, art museums expanded dramatically in size, scope, and ambition. They came to be seen as new civic centers: on the one hand as places of entertainment, leisure, and commerce, on the other as socially therapeutic institutions. But museums were also criticized for everything from elitism to looting or illegally exporting works from other countries, to exhibiting works offensive to the public taste. Whose Muse? brings together five directors of leading American and British art museums who together offer a forward-looking alternative to such prevailing views. While their approaches differ, certain themes recur: As museums have become increasingly complex and costly to manage, and as government support has waned, the