How to Behave at an Art Museum
- 1). A wide variety of experiences are available at art museums. Your enjoyment at an art museum can be greatly impacted by your desired outcome of the visit, and the appropriate way to behave is dictated by the activities and timing you choose. Planning ahead helps to ensure that you will have the type of experience you want. Check schedules and plan to visit when you are most likely to have your desires met. For example, if you like a quiet, contemplative experience in which you can concentrate on viewing and reading about the exhibited art, plan to visit during the museum's slowest time of day or week. Avoid times when large bus tours or school groups are scheduled to stop at the museum. Or, if you enjoy art more when your viewing is augmented by interpretive programming, allow time to attend a lecture or view a film. If you enjoy some personal interaction, schedule a visit when you can join a docent-led tour.
- 2). Once you have planned the timing of your visit and your chosen activities, behave accordingly. If your visit coincides with that of a large tour or other group, be patient with the elevated noise level and obstructed views caused by the number of people present. Also, expect to wait in lines at the restaurant, shop or coat-check. On the other hand, if you visit during the museum's slower period, preserve the quiet and respect the right of others to view the art uninterrupted. If you attend a lecture or film, maintain silence so that all may hear. If you elect to go on a docent-led tour, be respectful and wait to be invited to ask questions. Keep in mind that many docents are volunteers, and be sure to thank them for sharing their time and knowledge.
- 3). Some basic behavioral requirements are common to most art museums and easy to follow. Never touch the art. Note that some museums may incorporate a touch-and-learn element into an exhibit, but the objects presented for touching will be very clearly marked and will usually be restricted to reproductions and fabricated exhibit elements. Expect guards to be watchful. It is their responsibility to ensure the safety of the art and visitors. Do not alarm guards by holding your face or pointing a finger too close to the art. Do not lean on stanchions, and be aware that gallery floors are often marked with viewing lines to help visitors gauge the appropriate distance from the art.
- 4). While silence is not required in exhibit galleries, low volumes are appreciated, as they allow others to concentrate, contemplate and enjoy. If you really want to chat with your friend, take a lunch or coffee break at the cafe. Also, balance your desire for a full, unobstructed view of each art object with courtesy to others. Once you have had ample time to look, move away to allow other visitors an unobstructed view.
- 5). Take full responsibility for your children and always familiarize them with behavioral expectations before or at the start of their visit. Alert them that a museum's galleries are not places for running, touching or playing. If there is an activities room, learning room or playground associated with the museum, explain the distinction between the types of activities that are acceptable in these places and the more reserved behavior expected in the exhibit galleries. Many children respect this difference when forewarned and allowed some time in the more active areas of a museum.
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