musings | art is lowercase!

i've encountered a bit of art world snobbery recently and it's really got me thinking. i wish i could tell you specifically why i'm upset but it's the point that matters, not the story surrounding it.

my whole belief system surrounding art is about making it accessible. i just want to get people into art galleries. you know why? because people are afraid of galleries. they think that they have to be quiet, and move super slowly. they worry that they have to completely understand the artwork. they fear that someone will try to sell them something they cannot afford. they wonder if there is a certain way to stand, and feel badly when they don't like what they are looking at. they believe that galleries and museums are reserved as tourist activities meant for visiting other places. so few people make a day out of visiting local galleries, and discovering what artisans have to offer in their own city.

art is lowercase. art is meant to be enjoyed and not feared. having events or activities in a gallery in order to bring people in and help them to feel comfortable in that space - what is so wrong about that? i just don't understand why gallerists would want to alienate themselves from the community around them. it is the people who believe art is high brow that perpetuate intimidation within the public. art isn't highbrow, it isn't even capitalized - it's lowercase.