May 28, 2005
Do-it-yourself Museum Audio Guides!
I forgive the NY Times and love them again. They have shown me the light.
This is the greatest idea and I can't believe I never thought of it. At
http://mod.blogs.com/art_mobs/
you can download unoffical audio tours for MoMA in a convenient podcast form.
I have been giving friends and family unofficial tours of the Philadelphia
Museum of Art forever -- my favorite works, sprinkled with stories of my
favorite scandals and hidden treasures-- but never once thought about
(*gasp*) committing one to replayable form. Will I get fired? Wouldn't it be
exciting if I did? Will I be too boring to listen to? Will Andrea Fraser scoff at my
ineptitude and artlessness? I don't know, but I really want to do it. Not that
anyone would probably listen anyway, but what if they DID??? It's too exciting
to think about.
Like artists and their women, I believe the Museum is the most beautiful when
laid bare (who can forget Bill Anastasi's "scrape" down the wall? Will it ever
return?). My favorite place to see the art in the PMA is storage, and I'm telling
you-- the stories of the Museum itself are at least as interesting as the art
under its lovely, leaky roof. Can I share my love through a home-grown
podcast audio tour?? Yes!!! I'm so excited. Now where's Seth-- I am
nothing without his technology skills!
And I descend deeper into the nerdside...
Posted by jvoris at May 28, 2005 06:14 PM
YES YES and YES. I couldnt agree more, as this very week at work I discovered a delicious audio blurb, dramatically delivered, attached to TMS images of a "corslet" in the PMA's arms and armor collection. The voices were those of museum curators, one disguising his French accent and the other hamming up his english, not professional voice actors! There were sound effects of the sea as I learnd of the heroic voyage of Van Unkel in his protective sardine can. I was hooked. Next, enraptured by the Frenchman's American-style enthusiasm about a jousting helmet, I couldnt help but listen twice!
I think that you should do it, creating the Jessica PMA Audio Tour. It would reduce the intimidation of how big the museum is. Plus you do have that professional quality voice that we all want to hear as we look at great art.
