Museums are the default destination when we think of public spaces to enjoy art. Nonetheless, there are many spaces where art is free to view, like private art galleries. How might art galleries fit within the ‘public art’ landscape? Do they facilitate equal access to art? Rethinking how we approach galleries can unlock new ways to connect people and art. Let's dive in!

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The museum as cultural sanctuary 

Museums are often our first thought when thinking of a space where art is accessible. Although amazing institutions, museums carry an air of grandeur, and at school, a visit to a museum might have been the highlight of the term. Going to exhibitions, or hearing someone’s account of an exhibition, is special - not like saying ‘I went to the park this weekend’.

Recently, there have been debates on whether museums are truly neutral, welcoming spaces for all to enjoy art. The gravitas of art museums as cultural sanctuaries can push people away, by feeling the space might not be for them due to threshold fear - perhaps reinforced by museums’ architecture: large, domineering buildings in classical styles. Museums also aim to represent history, but are limited by space and choices around what pieces might appeal to visitors: some might feel the art or artists displayed do not reflect their history or culture.

Practically, it is often necessary to travel to a museum, and sometimes pay to see exhibitions, while the gift shop is unavoidable, poised at the museum’s entrance or exit. These potential costs add to long lines and massive buildings where it can be difficult to prioritise; the famous adage that it takes a lifetime to visit a museum comes to mind, and is understandably discouraging. Museums are therefore not necessarily the only place where art might reach new audiences. 

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Galleries as solutions?

Unlike museums, galleries are driven by a commercial goal - they sell the art of artists they represent. Not really a museum, and definitely not only a shop, galleries can answer some challenges that museums might not have overcome yet. 

An art gallery can be an incredibly powerful space. Often local, ‘around-the-corner’ and free to enter, they can be more accessible than the cultural sanctuaries described above. Pamphlets and catalogues are often free to take home and allow visitors to enjoy the art longer. 

Museums display art giants, like Raphael or Leonardo da Vinci, but galleries might display local or up-and-coming artists, with whom visitors might better connect and ground in their own artistic landscapes. A gallery’s small space means visitors are not pulled in as many directions as in a museum, while a gallery’s displays change very often, creating the impression of a dynamic, lively space. 

Finally, the prices on the wall. Discussing art and money can be uncomfortable - shouldn’t art be for art’s sake, with money as a second thought? However, seeing prices alongside the art pulls the artwork down from its cultural pedestal and facilitates seeing it as someone’s work and livelihood, helping us connect with it and grounding it in ‘the real world’. Nonetheless, the high prices could also remind the viewer of the privileged position needed to purchase art. Like museums, galleries also have excluding attributes.

The gravitas of art still exists in galleries, through quiet, sleek interiors and unclear social rules (Can I walk in for five minutes? Do I need to ask questions?). Further, their commercial objective shapes them; they are not built to welcome a large public, and don’t act as obvious public spaces (for example, there are rarely seats to enjoy the art, and stay a while). Their goal is not primarily educational, so galleries might not reach out much to passers by, whereas museums invest in constant outreach. Finally, unlike museums that analyse who visits displays and - importantly - who does not, galleries might hold less data on potential visitors. It might therefore be more difficult for galleries to target outreach efforts. 

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Museums and galleries: teamwork makes the dream work

Museums and galleries are spaces where art becomes special, but they can both exclude certain groups. However, private galleries seem to address some of the challenges museums face. Their ‘local-ness’ and smaller scale puts them in a fantastic position to improve the accessibility of art - and although their commercial goal might be seen as an obstacle, it also helps ground art in the real, accessible world.

Museums and galleries both do important work, and seeing them as complimentary is a productive approach when thinking about the democratisation of art. Although galleries work differently, they are not secondary to museums in the effect they can have on their surrounding community. Putting galleries on the same level of cultural importance as museums and reasserting the crucial role they play in creating a city’s artistic landscape might magnify efforts to democratise art. 

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Spreading information through new tech tools like apps that map exhibitions and art spaces, as well as through traditional streams like local newspapers is crucial to leverage the power galleries hold in the art landscape, make art more accessible and make more people feel welcome in the art world!