Note: Stats in this post come from the “Museums – Taking Part Survey 2019/20” on the UK government website.
There’s a single word that brings delight or horror to most people. If I said it to you, you’d probably have one of these reactions.
- Yawn: old, dusty, dingy, boooriiiing. Shoot me now!
- Awesome: fascinating, expertise, discovery, inspiring. When can we go?
The word is, of course:
Museum
I believe that museums are an under-utilised resource available to every artist. It offers many benefits, may be accessed online or in person and is, in many cases, free.
So, boring or awesome? You may have guessed that I’m in the latter camp. If you’re in the former, may I encourage you to think again?
In the interest of full disclosure, I confess I may be a little biased. I used to work in my county’s museum service and spent over a decade working in an art museum. So I’m fully aware of the “old and boring” reputation that is often levelled at all museums, even though the overwhelming majority don’t deserve it.
But I contend that museums are fantastic places, especially for creatives. Have you ever considered how they might aid your practice?
- Opportunities for inspiration? Check.
- Exhibition space? Check
- New audience? Check
- Sales opportunities? Check
- Workshop or residency opportunities? Check
- Collaborative working? Check
Let’s take a look at those in turn.
Inspiration
Whatever your medium and style of work, there’s a museum that can provide you with inspiration. Art, military history, textiles, crime, railways, local history, aviation, natural history, Romans and waterways are just a few of the subjects covered by museums just in my county.
Add to that the national and international museums, and there’s a world of inspiration out there waiting to be explored. These days many museums have digitised much of their collections, so there’s more opportunity than ever to discover work in other countries.
Whether you are well-versed in your subject, or a newbie, you’re sure to learn more about your subject through museum collections.
Insider tip: museum staff absolutely love visitors who are really interested in the museum’s subject. Get to know the staff and it’s likely they’ll go out of their way to help you get the most from your visit.
While working on a project investigating wildlife species depicted in ancient Egyptian art, museum collections gave me opportunities to study genuine artefacts in my home country and overseas.
While some of my work was to be used for illustrations, I was also free to follow wherever my inspiration led.
I’d never taken my creative inspiration from art of other cultures and eras before, so this took me on a fascinating journey.
Obviously it depends on the size of the museum, but there should be plenty to inspire. I’m sure I could happily have spent months in The Met.
Exhibitions
There are two ways to benefit from museum exhibitions: either by taking inspiration from the collection, or by the museum hosting your own exhibition.
Regular readers will recall that I was blown away by the kiln cast glass exhibition showcased at my local museum. This was an international quality exhibition, hosted by a small town museum. We may not need to travel far to see top quality art.
Exhibitions can be part of your professional development. Copying great artists’ work for your own learning is a tradition that dates back centuries and used to be part of an artist’s training.
(Note; you can’t exhibit or sell your own copies of copyrighted work. See my previous post on the basics of copyright.)
Most museums aren’t keen on artists painting in their galleries, except by prior arrangement, but are quite happy for artists to used dry media on any visit.
Most museums are keen to change their displays regularly. A temporary exhibition programme keeps the museum experience fresh for repeat visitors and attracts new audiences interested in that particular subject.
So don’t be afraid to approach them with an exhibition proposal. If you paint railway history, where better to display your art than at a railway museum? The majority of visitors will be there because they are passionate about trains too.
It works for both parties. The artist benefits, but if your art has a clear link with the museum collection, and will enhance the visitor experience, the museum benefits too. The best business relationships are a win for all parties.
Which leads us nicely on to:
New audience
When thinking about where to display your work, you might not consider museums to be full of potential buyers. Yet let’s think more about that.
Typical museum visitors are educated to higher managerial, administrative and professional level, and thus likely to be employed in jobs that give above average income. The age range of museum visitors is mostly 25-75, the prime ages for buying artwork for a new home or having more disposable income once the offspring have left home.
So by exhibiting at a museum, the artist gains a mostly new audience that are well educated, likely to have above average wealth and are passionate about the subject. I don’t know about you, but I’d jump through hoops of fire for a new audience like that at my next exhibition.
My local museum has a lovingly-restored, walled garden. It’s currently a riot of colour, shape – quite an assault on the senses! I spent a very happy afternoon there yesterday exploring pattern and structure in plants.
I know outdoor sketching isn’t for everyone, but when we do so we invariably end up talking to other visitors.
Pass over a business card and they’re likely to check out your website later. So you’ve made a new contact from someone who is interested in the same subject. Keep in touch – who knows where that casual conversation may lead?
Sales opportunities
My local museum’s shop is a treasure trove of work by local artists. It’s only a small part of the entrance hall, but there are greetings cards, ceramics, textiles, notebooks, jewellery and books on display.
I’m sure each artist is only able to display a small part of their range, but even a few pieces entice visitors to discover more of that artist’s work.
Again, visitors are likely to be interested in the subject, and quite likely to be on holiday too. What do many people do on holiday? They buy souvenirs to remind them of their experiences. Haven’t we all factored in “spending money” when planning a trip? Holidaymakers are more likely to make an impulse purchase, whether it’s a simple greetings card or a more substantial piece.
Better still, merchandise is being sold while the artist is working elsewhere, effectively increasing their income beyond the £ per hour business model.
Workshops, talks and residency opportunities
For many artists, teaching via workshops, talks and demonstrations is an important part of their practice. Again, museums have their part to play. Most offer a programme of talks and special events, so will always be on the lookout for new speakers.
If you are able to exhibit with the museum, a “Meet the Artist” type of event, or a lecture, are ideal ways to help viewers to engage with your art. Many museums have dedicated spaces for delivering educational events, so if a lecture’s not your thing, a workshop may be possible instead.
Insider tip: constantly finding new speakers can be a headache for museum staff, so if your art relates to a particular aspect of their collection they’re likely to welcome you with open arms. Even better if you can offer something unique or different from their usual fare.
Linking with (inter)national awareness days/ months/ years can work well too, as it creates a hook for your event and opens up new marketing possibilities. Whether your art is about oceans, food, human rights, forests, women’s health, astronomy… there’s almost certainly a day that highlights it.
Collaborative working
When I worked in a museum, we often encouraged collaboration. Perhaps two artists painting together during a residency, or an exhibition of art with poetry or music. We linked artists with our school’s programme, and hosted exhibitions of work where a group of artists had collectively responded to a particular environment. There were numerous partnerships with other organisations.
Not least, there’s the collaboration between the museum curatorial staff and the artist. Experts love nothing better than sharing their passion for a subject with like-minded individuals. Both parties have an opportunity for new awareness, and both may find their work is enhanced by the experience.
Collaboration gives artists the chance to create work that is stronger and more unusual than work produced by themselves alone. With a combination of inspiration and expertise on hand, museums provide a fertile ground for sowing those seeds.
I hope this post has given you a new appreciation of how artists and museums can benefit each other. There are so many options it’s worth brainstorming some future possibilities and making contact. At the very least, do check out your local museums. There’s probably more going on there than you’d realised.
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