Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Diana Vreeland, museums and more

I am reading the book D.V., by Diana Vreeland, NY, 1984. Despite the obvious interest the "personage"may have for the world of fashion, it is inevitable acknowledging the impressive work she did while she was the "special consultant" from 1972 till 1989 at the Metropolitan Costume Institute.
In page 39, Chapter Five, she talks about audio guides in museums: To me, the audio guides are important, because what's the point of going through the show unless you learn something? That was almost thirty yeas ago, how things have changed in the era of social media? How is the concept of education inserted into the museum's mission statements nowadays? How are education departments prepared for new audiences? how are university museums evaluated today?
This article from The New York Times Magazine. (For the Moment / The Costume Institute's Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton - December 12, 2007) refreshes the idea of her contribution to the museum world.
A little more on Vreeland, in this video we can hear her talking about her work at The Costume Institute and she insists on ".... education has a great deal to do with everything....."


Links for more information:
article: The New York Times Magazine

You might also like

Related Posts with Thumbnails