 |
From Left to Right-
Dr. Venu V, DG, National Museum
and Dr Douglas Druick,
President of the Art Institute of Chicago
|
New Delhi, Jan
30: Digitization
is gaining increasing importance today as museums across the world want to
reach out to the public like never before, according to the head of
one the foremost art institutes of the world.
“Every
museum should digitize its collections and put them online for wider sharing
with the public,” Dr Douglas Druick, President of the Art Institute of
Chicago, said at the inaugural talk of a lecture series that National Museum
here has launched to bring together experts and practitioners from the
arts and culture for Indian audiences.
In
fact, digitization has been one of the modern-time strengths of the
1893-founded organization in the US, he told a packed hall of enthusiasts
at his talk on ‘The Art Institute of Chicago: Embodying Excellence in
American Museum Practices’. “We are very happy to share our knowledge and experience
with other museums across the globe,” the expert added.
The
head of the Art Institute, which has now collaborated with India’s Ministry of
Culture to invite curators and museum practitioners of the country to visit the
establishment in America’s third most populous city, noted that an art museum
is not just about collections and exhibitions.
“It
involves deep research and interaction with academic institutions and curators
to gain credibility and make way for new initiatives in the field of fine
arts,” pointed out Dr Druick, who has led key curatorial departments at
the museum’s Department of Medieval to Modern European Painting and Sculpture
as well as the Department of Prints and Drawings.
 |
| Dr Douglas Druick, President of the Art Institute of Chicago responding to questions at the lecture |
As
for public-private partnerships in the field of art conservation and storage
facilities, he said museums should invest in strengthening their own facilities
as well. “For museums where adequate space is a problem, such steps are being
taken after ensuring proper security of the objects,” added the scholar, in
reply to a post-talk question.
National
Museum Director-General Dr Venu V said Indian museums need to have a
robust art acquisition policy to be able to expand their collections, to which
Dr Druick said his Art Institute was deeply engaged with acquiring new works.
“In such instances, the faculties of a senior curator are very useful. Often
curators submit proposals for purchasing or acquiring new objects for the
museum; sometimes such acquisitions are also funded by sponsors,” the speaker
said.
Jyotsana
Singh, Director of Jammu-based Amar Mahal Museum and Library, sought to clarify
the need to involve schoolchildren and develop educational programmes to make
museums popular for the young generation in the country. Dr Druick concurred to
the view, saying it was important to involve the young in museum activities to
secure their interest for the future.
National Museum has
already begun a pioneering volunteer guide programme that takes schoolchildren
around its galleries.
Dr
Venu, while noting that the ‘NM Lecture’ series would provide an exclusive
opportunity for audiences to interact with experts, revealed that the February
lecture will be delivered on the 9th by Dr. Hans Martin Hinz,
President of International Council of Museums, an acclaimed international body
for museum professionals on the theme of Global Trends in Museums.
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