Critic: Clear Channel’s “Art” Vision Should Give Museums Pause

Media giant Clear Channel is now in the museum exhibition business. But at least one critic has big reservations. “Nowhere in the promotional words from the corporation do we see the word ‘art’ or the phrase ‘high-quality art exhibition.’ The promotional phrases are all about size and scale. This should give any art museum pause. If “Saint Peter and the Vatican” is a harbinger of Clear Channel shows to come, it should give art museums further pause. There are a smattering of marvelous things in the show. For example, there’s a small Bernini sculpture that should wow anyone who loves sculpture. But the presentation is way too heavy on gold, silver and bejeweled artifacts and too light on paintings and sculptures.