Until recently,
the American museum has been depicted as a secluded organization infatuated
with salvaging historical relics; timeless items confined within their
structures to collect dust. Although all museums endeavor to preserve the past
in their own unique ways, technological innovations have transformed museums
into inexhaustible mechanisms for information distribution. Because museums contend
to enhance the interactive experience for their visitors, the classic idea of
art at its finest can be literally translated as art at its smartest. Dr.Chandler Screven, a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin,
claims that the ideal environment of modern museums stimulates curiosity and offers
“untapped potential for communicating social, cultural and scientific
information, correcting misconceptions and improving attitudes and cognitive
skills.” Unlike common educational settings, hands-on and digital exhibits
allow individuals to focus on a particular type of art that arouses interest;
as a result, guests of all ages remain entertained while oblivious to learning.
In contrast, museums use a number of different methods to communicate their art,
and art in itself comes in a variety of forms. Art can be conceptualized in any
way shape or form that one pleases; it is essentially the application of
ingenuity and imagination. Not only has art provided a sufficient illustration
of our history, it has also helped bridge a gap between diverse social and
cultural groups segregated by distance and ethnicity. Moreover, Jonathan Swift,
an Irish poet, further exemplifies how museums are key components in impacting
the world that surrounds them; “vision is the art of seeing what it is
invisible to others.” The responsibility that museums attain requires them to
secure this vision, interpret it, and disseminate the significance of art
throughout society.
Museums are
primarily non-profit organizations that gain support from donators and
anonymous contributors. Productive modifications in the evolution of the museum
have also resulted in a higher number of interested visitors. When specific
attractions that museums offer appeal to vast audiences of people, the industry
accumulates an increased amount of money through higher entrance fees and other
services provided within the facilities. As the popularity increases,
attendance grows; therefore, the museums revenue slowly starts to catch up to
expenses. For example, the Musical Instrument Museum is among the valley’s most
elegant attractions; consequently, luxury came with an expense. In addition to importing
over 15,000 instruments from all over the world, construction costs for
the project were well over $250 million dollars. Luckily supporters from all
over the valley contributed donations totaling over $15 million dollars, and
the amount of donations has increased with each passing year. Although
profit isn’t the primary objective of a museum, it is essential to both the
function and success of any establishment. For instance, Institutions such as
the Arizona Science Center are free to assemble extravagant exhibitions including
the new Giant Mysterious Dinosaurs exhibit that opened on October 7th. Though
dinosaurs are amongst the most ancient remnants of the past, creative approaches
in conveying information about these creatures have been developed to fascinate
both child and adult bystanders.
Furthermore, the
modern museum has made sufficient progress over the last decade and is
recognized as a symbol of achievement all across our nation. Their artistry
gives testimony to what people can accomplish and challenges society to pursue
further advancements to secure our future. To be specific, museums in the
Phoenix Metropolitan Area are ideal representations of these accomplishments. Foundations
including the Arizona Science Center, Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix Art
Museum and ASU Art Museum have developed respectable reputations throughout the
valley, subsequently attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
However, every institution has distinct preferences as to how they will function
and connect to guests. First of all, affordability is an important factor that
influences groups in both family and educational settings. Museums are not
usually the types of places people like to enjoy alone, so price is important
to larger groups. Moreover, museums use similar tactics to attract audiences,
but they usually receive more attention from certain groups because of
selectivity. To illustrate, the museums located across the valley concentrate
on particular types of artistry that emphasize the importance of their
expertise. While the Arizona Science Center explores the foundations of
biology, anatomy, and astronomical information, the Musical Instrument Museum
centralizes on the cultural impact of music, its historical significance, and
how modern innovations in the music industry encourages the public to get
involved. On the other hand, the Phoenix Art Museum and ASU Art Museum focus on
art specifically; paintings, photography, and architecture. Clearly, museums
differentiate according to the areas they are most passionate about. Although
they resemble each other at times, they explore genuine processes for making
the museum industry productive. No matter the craft, the objective is to
educate the community and demonstrate how creativity is at the forefront of
progression.
View Valley Museums in a larger map
Unlike grade
school, college students are free to follow any educational pathway that they
are most passionate about; however, we have all experienced similar challenges
involving the complexities of science at some point regardless of our status in
school. Over the course of three decades, the Arizona Science Center has
transformed the perception of science and provided exciting alternatives for
education. With over three hundred hands-on exhibits and four different levels that
visitors can enjoy, the enormous facility offers fascinating programs for both
children and adults. For example, on the third Saturday of each month, the
center hosts Learning with Legos, a program dedicated to preschoolers that
spark an interest for science, technology, engineering, and math using the
building fundamentals of Legos. In a similar manner, the Arizona Science Center
opens its doors to adults and parents on the first Friday of each month to
explore the four levels of galleries, including a thought-provoking lecture instructed
by leading professionals and professors in the scientific community, all of
which are free. Without a doubt, the center is a great place for families to
spend time, but it attracts tons of scientists and educators as well.
Specifically, for each seminar that an educator addends every month counts as
an hour towards an hour of professional development. Although some programs
presented are free of charge, complete access to what the center has to offer
comes with admission and fees. Kids from the ages of 3-17 are $11.00 and
adults are charged $14.00; seniors over 62 years of age only receive two dollars
off admission, $12.00. As for other features throughout the facility such as
the IMAX theatre and the planetarium, children are $7.00 and adults are $8.00.
Exhibitions also range from $20-$24 depending of the nature of the event.
Because the center is a landmark for scientific education, general group
admission cost $6.00 and showcase prices are substantially lower. The Arizona
Science Center recognizes the importance of scholastic preparation, so they
encourage expeditions and provide downloadable educator manuals for nearly
every department throughout the facility. The opportunities at the Arizona
Science Center are becoming seemingly endless as we enter a new age surrounded
by technology and innovation. Though one cannot experience all of its features in
one day, another visit is definitely worth the time and money.
Despite the various ethnicities,
cultures, and dialects that are scattered throughout every nation, music is the
ultimate form of art. Because there is no language barrier, the Musical InstrumentMuseum (MIM) presents the history and diversity of musical instruments from
every corner of the world. Consisting of over 15,000 instruments, the MIM
faculty collaborated with over two hundred countries and territories in an
effort to obtain a better understanding of musical culture and rare equipment. Furnished
with multiple activities and places to explore, the MIM attracts musicians,
young students, and tourist from around the globe in spite of higher admission fees compared to most museums. General cost for adults including senior
citizens are $18.00, and teens (13-19) fees are $14.00. Children from the ages
4-12 are $10.00, and anything thing under is free. Under certain circumstances
such as group school tours, the MIM shows educational support and charges
students, K-12, $8.00. On top of admissions, the MIM provides an abundance of
events within their own state of the art music theatre. Shows such as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s Creole Christmas are only one of many events that take
place on a regular basis, and tickets usually range from $30-$50. Similarly,
productions concentrated on music education for specific interest also take
place and do not require excess fees. For example, the ASU Contemporary
Percussion Ensemble will perform on November 28th, presenting a
demonstration of technique and college level performance in percussion. In any
case, the MIM is a refuge for any and all (non) musicians interested in
learning about how the rest of the world expresses musical art. Interestingly,
the MIM performs very well with technology and has revolutionized the museum.
Before entering further to the galleries, wireless headsets are provided to
guests that loop constant streams of music for different sections of the
museum. As someone approaches an exhibit, the headset picks up the hotspot
signal for that particular station, and a monitor displays information about
the instrument, how it is played, and where it came from. As soon as visitors
step foot into the museum, they are immersed into a foreign world cultivated by
creativity and skill. On the first floor of the museum, the orientation gallery
emphasizes the movement of musical instruments from around the world and also
has a hands-on experience gallery where guests can play unique instruments
including the Burmese harp, African drums, primeval xylophones made of wood,
and even a magnetic field that produces sound waves. On the second floor,
guests are given access to different regions around the globe giving details
about how music was derived and how it has contributed to its overall
evolution. The Musical Instrument Museum is truly a fascinating facility, and
is one of a kind among other museums.
For 53 years, The Phoenix Art
museum has established a reputation for connecting the community with fantastic
architecture and enhancing traditional art. Having hosted 400 exhibitions
throughout its history, the 17,000 pieces of work obtained over the decades
have carved out a permanent residence at the heart of downtown Phoenix. The
vast collection encompasses nearly 500 works of Latin American art, an Asian
gallery, an American history exhibition, and 1,200 European religious drawings,
paintings and sculptures, all of which depict the evolution of each culture.
Comparatively, the museum also has a variety of fashion, contemporary, and
photographic art that attracts designers and photographers to events throughout
the year. Such exhibitions like Modern Spirit, held in the Ellman
Fashion Design Gallery, recaptures fashion of the 1920’s and brings it back to
life through an interesting and modern perspective. On top of their assortment,
the Phoenix Art Museum also gives access to informational films and documentaries
that discuss the foundations of art history. To provide further information
about the origins of world art, the museum is home to the Gene and Cathie Lemon
Art Research Library; the library consists of forty thousand books pertaining
to the work found all throughout the facility. Although the institution has a
lot to offer, the price of admission is relatively low. Adults are $15
while seniors cost $12 to get in. For students with ID’s , the cost of
admission is $10 and children between ages 6-17 are $6; however, the Phoenix Art
museum strongly supports the education and expansion of creative learning, so
student fees in groups are $4. The institution has also designated Wednesdays from
3-9 pm and first Fridays 6-10 pm for free admission, giving everyone the
opportunity to explore art.
The ASU Art Museum is an
unparalleled platform for innovation and contemporary art that represents the
University museum of the future. The institution crosses interdisciplinary
studies with artistic illustrations, provoking thought and expanding on the endless
limitations of art. With more than 12,000 crafts including print, sculptures,
ceramics, and canvas art, the museum is frequently open to new, creative ideas
that reach the diverse community of students and citizens. The museum has a
number of educational programs that promote intellectual discussion and student
interest. For example, the InterLab program at ASU allows college students,
professors, and other organizations in the community to host projects that
connect several studies within the stimulating environment at the museum to
illuminate notions and explore the crafts. Although the ASU Art Museum might be
of more interest to art majors, they host many events throughout the year that
encourage other fine art students and families to contribute to their movement.
For the past four years, the Annual Street Party in central Phoenix has been
inviting students of all studies, families, and musicians alike to benefit the
ASU Art Museum. Contribution costs to participate are only $5.00 for anyone
over twelve. Along with live music featured by ensembles such as the Herberger
institute Latin Jazz Combo, the events provides food, on-site exhibitions,
activities for children, and extraordinary art for sale from local artists.
Other than events and fundraisers, everything accessible within the museum for
grouped school tours to student research and exploration is completely cost
free. The museum remains as a non-profit organization and believes that
knowledge should not come with a cost. The ASU Art Museum endeavors to engage
guests with artistry pertinent to their lives and serves as a cultural resource
for scholars, the community, and people throughout the entire metropolitan
area.
