Questions and Topics We Can Help to Answer
Instructions:

What should an art museum be in the 21st century?
Your essay needs to address the following issues and questions based on your readings and in- class lectures. The points below should give you a clear idea of the information that needs to be covered, however, your paper should not read like a list of questions and answers. Your paper should be organized as a coherent essay with an introduction, a body, and a conclusion explaining a clear thesis statement.
1. According to Karsten Schubert, what are the typical characteristics of “the new museum;” what gets prioritized, and what gets sacrificed? What are the potential problems that arise when museums behave too much like corporations? How does LACMA (The Los Angeles County Museum of Art) reflect the strategies of “the new museum?”
2. In Bogumil Jewsiewicki’s article “Museums for the People?” how does the context of Lubumbashi show the need to re-think the purpose of the museum? How does Jewsiewicki (in the project Memoires de Lubumbashi) attempt to adapt the Lubumbashi Museum in a way that responds to the specific needs of the people living there?
3. Describe the current museum boom in China: how many museums have been built, who is building them, and how are they being run? According to Winnie Wong’s article, what is driving this boom? In what ways do these new Chinese museums reflect Karsten Schubert’s discussion of “the new museum”?

In developing your essay, make use of your lecture notes and the assigned readings for this section. Your essay should draw on specific examples from all of these readings. A strong paper will convey understanding of key points in each of the following essays/databases and will incorporate relevant concepts and details in addressing issues in the questions listed above.