If you think of art museums at all, you probably imagine them as places that are filled with beautiful things, that put on high-profile so-called blockbuster exhibitions, and that throw glitzy—sometimes tacky—parties.
They are all that, but they’re much more. Those beautiful things are our collective cultural patrimony, symbolizing who we are and where we came from. They are, too, transmitters of cultural values. If you’ve been appalled at the destruction of cultural heritage by the invading Russians in Ukraine, similar depredations by the Taliban and Islamic State, or the eco-radicals gluing themselves to paintings in Europe’s museums this summer, chances are your understanding of the beauty and importance of what has been threatened or lost was formed by a visit to an art museum.
Opinion | Woke Ideologues Are Taking Over American Art Museums
If you think of art museums at all, you probably imagine them as places that are filled with beautiful things, that put on high-profile so-called blockbuster exhibitions, and that throw glitzy—sometimes tacky—parties.
They are all that, but they’re much more. Those beautiful things are our collective cultural patrimony, symbolizing who we are and where we came from. They are, too, transmitters of cultural values. If you’ve been appalled at the destruction of cultural heritage by the invading Russians in Ukraine, similar depredations by the Taliban and Islamic State, or the eco-radicals gluing themselves to paintings in Europe’s museums this summer, chances are your understanding of the beauty and importance of what has been threatened or lost was formed by a visit to an art museum.