Our Biggest Artifact

Our visitors don’t perceive our building and our objects as separate. They’re part of one experience. Sure, we develop and fund them separately, but that’s all behind the scenes.

Architecture can be awesome, in the real sense of the word: “causing awe.” So vast sums are raised to create new buildings for this reason. Vast sums that are often greater than the value of any object in our collection. (Sometimes, greater than the value of our entire collection.)

There are many exceptions to this, yes. And just as many examples that comply.

Yet, once inside, we often ask our designers to create black-box galleries to make the architecture … vanish. To keep out daylight, to keep artifacts safe, to make media look better.

But there are ways around all those concerns that don’t require the architecture to vanish.

Why would we want our building, that awesome thing on which we just spent vast sums, to vanish?

Here’s the thing:
The building doesn’t just hold our artifacts.

The building is our biggest artifact.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:
Artifact, or artefact (UK). An object made by humans, with historical, cultural or artistic merit. Museum artifacts can be artworks, clothing, tools, machinery, or religious items. Artifacts are primary source material evidence of past cultures, traditions, societies, and events.