Importance of galleries, museums publications

26 Jan, 2018 - 09:01 0 Views

eBusiness Weekly

Arts Correspondent
Galleries and Museums have numerous roles which are visible and invisible, among which include setting up exhibitions and promoting artists by exposing and selling their artworks as a way of empowering artists with a focus on their careers.

Annually galleries and museums exhibit different artworks and for each exhibition a catalogue is published so as to offer an in-depth understanding of the artists and their artworks.

However, catalogues are just a part of the wide range of the published works promulgated by galleries. The publication of books, newsletters and catalogues by galleries is of great importance as it serves the public with detailed information on art.

It is important to note that galleries publish a number of documents ranging from books that disclose the gallery’s various collections from catalogues for exhibitions; education material related to exhibitions and collections, and media releases pertaining to programming.

These resources structure the curator’s perspective and themes exposed in the exhibition, at the same time adding more information that visitors use to understand it.

Museums publish print books and electronic resources in various formats for their visitors and for a wider non-visiting audience.

Of the types of books produced, catalogues for short-term exhibitions are the most common. These printed resources also contribute to an extensive media scenery navigated by galleries and museum audiences for entertainment and education.

One could ask themselves what purpose these publications serve and without doubt one can see that these are useful to art students, scholars, aspiring artists who want to understand more about their field of work. The National Gallery of Zimbabwe last year published a book entitled Zimbabwe Art.

The book has over pages providing the reader with information on different Zimbabwean artists and their artworks. For someone who is interested in enriching their knowledge of art, then this book will be of great use.

As for catalogues these are helpful as they assist those who would have missed an exhibition and individuals conducting research.

However, today it might not be the best way of transmitting such information. The gallery is accommodative of people in different parts of the world who may have some interest in the exhibition.

In such circumstances it is wise for a gallery to have a copy available online. With the digital age much of the work is done online and as a way of being conclusive online publications can seal the virtual gap.

It is of great importance for galleries and museums to have publications as it can be seen as a vital role in a gallery’s mission to serve a wide variety of audience ranging from casual museum visitors, to scholars and even art collectors. These provide understand more about the artist, their artworks, and different collections accessible in the gallery.

Articles published by a gallery can be seen as a way of reaching out to the public by providing information on any activity that could be taking place at the gallery.

These articles make the audience become involved in the activities that are hosted by galleries and museums.

Publications in a gallery or a museum are set to provide a set base for reference for future exhibitions. These documented works assist curators and artists to find ways in which they can improve future exhibition or any big events as they look back at some of the exhibitions that transpired in the past.

Taking note of the International Conference on African Cultures that first occurred in 1962 there are a number of books that were published providing in-depth information about the conference, last year the event was hosted again in Zimbabwe for the second time.

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