Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania … Following last year’s successful program, Carnegie Museum of Art announces the second season of What Are Museums For?, a series of talks given or moderated by Lynn Zelevansky, The Henry J. Heinz II Director of Carnegie Museum of Art. In three sessions, Zelevansky will engage museum staff and distinguished guests in conversation to dispel the mystery that clouds the way museums work, and explore the place of these institutions in the culture at large. The Thursday-evening events will cover the following topics: The Local and the Global: Defining a Unique Vision for Carnegie Museum of Art (October 6, at CMA Theater); Curating the World: Making the Carnegie International (October 27, at Carnegie Lecture Hall); and Art and Science: Two Ways of Knowing and Navigating the World (November 3, at Carnegie Lecture Hall). The talks are free and held 6:30–7:30 p.m. A reception with cash bar follows each discussion.

Few would dispute the importance of art museums as cultural institutions, but frequently the scope of museum work—from overarching vision to day-to-day curatorial activities—remains unknown to the outside world. In each of this fall’s What Are Museums For?, Zelevansky will invite the audience to delve more deeply into how museums work, what they offer to our communities, and what they do for us individually.

“Museums serve as a place where the world of ideas can be experienced and interpreted,” says Zelevansky. “It is important that the mission and methods of these cultural common grounds aren’t obscured, so that the public we serve understands more about how and why the museum presents the work and programs it does in the ways it does, and how these offerings relate to people’s lives. What Are Museums For? throws back the curtain so that everyone knows more about their museum.”

What Are Museums For? Sessions:

October 6: The Local and the Global: Defining a Unique Vision for Carnegie Museum of Art
CMA Theater
Showcasing Carnegie Museum of Art’s strengths and ambitions, Lynn Zelevansky articulates her vision for the museum and its role as a transformative leader in both local and global cultural discourse.

October 27: Curating the World: Making the Carnegie International
Carnegie Lecture Hall
The 2013 Carnegie International curators are already on the track of the next exhibition. Lynn Zelevansky interviews the curatorial team—Daniel Baumann, Dan Byers, and Tina Kukielski—for an early glimpse into their plans.

November 3: Art and Science: Two Ways of Knowing and Navigating the World
Carnegie Lecture Hall
Lynn Zelevansky and Sam Taylor, director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History, exchange views on similarities and differences in scientific and artistic thinking, and how these are reflected in museums.

 

 

Carnegie Museum of Art

Located at 4400 Forbes Avenue in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Museum of Art was founded by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1895. One of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, it is nationally and internationally recognized for its distinguished collection of American and European works from the 16th century to the present. The Heinz Architectural Center, part of Carnegie Museum of Art, is dedicated to enhancing understanding of the physical environment through its exhibitions, collections, and public programs. For more information about Carnegie Museum of Art, call 412.622.3131 or visit our web site at www.cmoa.org.

Contact:

Jonathan Gaugler
412.688.8690
gauglerj@carnegiemuseums.org