Can I Check Out
That Taryn Simon Painting?
Ever wanted to peruse the aisles of a
library filled with art? And to be able to check a work of art out? Did you
ever think such notions would become a reality? In an article from The Art
Newspaper, Julia Halperin introduces readers to a new trend in the art world,
that of borrowing art. A Pennsylvania art collective called Transformazium has
created a programme to lend art to locals through a library in the suburban
town of Braddock. The donated works of contemporary artists including Taryn
Simon, Vincent Fecteau and Wade Guyton have provided the Braddock Carnegie
Library with over 100 prints, paintings, photographs and sculptures that
members of the library can check out on loan for up to six weeks at a
time.
Surprisingly, this is not the first to take
on such a project. There have been several institutions in the past decade that
have established art-lending collections to provide the public with access to
art that would have otherwise been reserved for the wealthy. Interestingly, in
the past, such institutions have nevertheless established such programs of
art-lending in affluent areas, a stark contrast to Braddock’s program, the
library of which serves the some 3,000 residents of Braddock, 40% of whom live
below the poverty line. This new endeavor would surely put a smile on John Dana
Cotton’s face. Dana had long called for a change to the museum world, for
greater attention towards the art that connects the audience to the everyday
and ordinary, to their lives, and one that called for greater access of art to
the public.
In “The Gloom of the Museum,” Dana yearned
for a time when museums would more actively participate and encourage the loaning
of objects to other institutions, to libraries and museums, and to universities
and colleges. Why not take the museum to the public, to the young and old, to the
rich and poor, to those who are not able to access the collections, who find
themselves in the far off reaches of a suburb or less access friendly/finance
friendly museum. Public branches, Dana argues, can serve all. “The collections,
groups, single objects, and photographs and other pictures can easily be placed
in school houses, and surely soon will be.” He would be delighted in knowing
then that not only has this become normative, but has reached far beyond the
imagined. Art has become, though in the very early stages, attainable in every
sense of the word. It is only in branching this out to communities across the country
will this truly find its affect and impression on the public at large.
With all that said, there are many
questions and concerns to be addressed. Issues of care, management, loss and
damage prevention, etc. Will there be informative sessions on the proper care
and handling of the works on loan? How will the library address concerns
surrounding the damage or even loss of a work on loan? Will the borrower be
charged the full price? If so, who determines the cost? Will there be a conservator
on hand to process condition reports and review the works of art upon check out
and return to document the condition of the work on loan? What precautions will
be made to ensure the longevity of the collection? The questions go on and on
and yet looking past all this, one finds justification almost in the goal of
the program. Art is supposed to be placed in people’s homes, to be enjoyed. Most anything can
not be fully appreciated without use and access. In areas, especially those
with little access or exposure to the art scene, and particularly those of our
contemporaries, it is commendable to learn that there exists institutions like
the Braddock Carnegie Library that have identified these issues and have found
a way of bridging the divide. Will our local library one day do the same?
Sources:
Dana, John Cotton. “The Gloom of the
Museum.”
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