Finding The Balance Between Art And Entertainment

“Where museums were originally established with the responsibilities of, simply, housing and looking after the objects from which the public was encouraged to learn, today’s museums (and their funders) want to provide an experience – and not just of the art. They want the museum to have more broad appeal. As museums become more businesslike in their efforts to appeal to the public, there is a fear that they will distance themselves from those characteristics that make them desirably different from commercial businesses: That entertainment (glitzy blockbusters) will replace study (scholarly small-scale discoveries), liveliness replace quiet contemplation, and communication replace communion.”