Art galleries should be more prominent in everybody’s lives. Most parents and teachers use museums as their main focus for receiving any art culture beyond what can be found in books and on the internet. Galleries are often overlooked because they are thought of as small and inaccessible and unimportant. In reality, they are the very opposite of these misconceptions. Galleries are fantastic resources to broaden people’s horizons about art and what being an artist means in today’s world. When thinking about art, many people only think of the classical masterpieces and artists they have learned about in school such as Monet, Michelangelo, van Gogh, and da Vinci. To many people, being a working artist is only a silly idea in their minds – a job that is frivolous and pointless. Galleries prove otherwise. Not only can you view not-as-famous artwork by famous artists such as Picasso, Cassatt, and Goya in galleries like Expression Galleries of Fine Art located in Chicago, but you can also be introduced to local and travelling/exhibiting artists. Most gallery artwork is for sale also. Even though the art may seem pricey, viewers can gauge how much art they like costs and discuss why prices are set as they are. An amazing gallery that is both accessible to the customer and features local and travelling artists is Addington Gallery in Chicago. The owner and curator is not only an advocate for being appreciative of art but also supporting the art and artists they love by collecting artwork. This particular gallery is important for understanding the art world because its art is not unattainable for the average passerby with options for payment plans to begin collecting. Its typical art aesthetic is also very expressive and colorful – largely appearing to all audiences. When visiting galleries such as these, students of any grade and subject area can learn from the experience by viewing the business aspect of galleries, discussing current world topics through art, and considering different perspectives through art. Gallery visits through schools can help to broaden students’ awareness of these aspects and are a local, inexpensive way to view contemporary, relevant artists and the issues they communicate in their artwork.
Below is a link to a video Megan Czervionke and I created for our gallery research.
Sarah Kedzior 