To fund or not to fund, that is the question in this installment of "Perspectives", where two writers go head-to-head discussing whether or not government funding for art museums is favorable or not.
Perspectives: Government Funding for Art Museums
What We’re Reading: The Fort Wayne Hamilton Family
A founding family of Fort Wayne, the Hamilton family left their mark here, there, and everywhere! Take some time to learn more about the history of our city, and the founding of FWMoA, in this post and its included resources!
Reality Check: Public Trust and the Essential Encounter
As businesses were forced to close nationwide in response to the coronavirus pandemic, many, including museums, were deemed nonessential. In this essay, Amanda Shepard describes the essential contribution of art museums to society: the life-changing encounter with wonderful things.
In the News: International Museum Day
The global pandemic has forced museums to close their physical doors and open their digital ones, begging the question: do we still need a physical museum space? As we celebrate International Museum day, we reflect on this question, asserting that the digital, while now an integral expansion of the museum experience, will not replace the physical, instead enhancing it.
Artist Highlight: Paul Manship
Learn more about sculptor Paul Manship in this "Artist Highlight" by our Collection Information Specialist and Fort Wayne History Extraordinaire Sue Slick!
Treasures from Home: Animal Art
Have you ever wondered what art hangs in the homes of people who work in an art museum? Wonder no more, because we have the answer! Snoop on the animal print collection of one of our curators in this new post, "Treasures from Home".
What We’re Reading: “Theodore F. Thieme, A Man and His Times”
As we approach our 100th year anniversary, Sue Slick reads up on one of the founding fathers of the museum, Theodore F. Thieme.
Perspectives: Paid versus Unpaid Museum Internships
To understand the arguments for and against providing paid internships, Alyssa Dumire, FWMoA Director of Children’s Education and Katy Thompson, FWMoA Children’s Education Associate have each taken a side (whether or not it represents their personal views or those of our institution) to help unpack the arguments at present.
Historical Highlight: Family Treasures & the Birth of the Studio Glass Movement in America
What's so special about glass? I have that in my kitchen! Studio glass, the precursor to our contemporary glass, founded the fine art glass movement. Read on to learn the beginnings of glass in art.
Reality Check: Speaking up for Silence
Many of us today expect museums to be bustling hubs of activity, offering a range of sensory experiences. But what if this is all just a distraction from the very essence of museums? In this essay, Amanda Shepard explores the age-old argument that seemingly pits the people against the soulful experience of objects themselves.