A Cabinet of Curiosities

Inquiries into Museums and Their Prospects

By: Stephen Weil

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Paperback | 17 January 1995

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Reflecting critically on the current condition of museums and their possible futures, Stephen E. Weil argues that cultural institutions need to free themselves from a fascination with technique and process to concentrate more intently on purpose. He contends that to succeed, or merely survive, a museum must be able to project clear goals that its supporting community finds of value and must demonstrate its competence to achieve those goals on a sustainable basis.

Industry Reviews

"With this collection of essays and addresses, Stephen Weil proves yet again that he is one of the most versatile and capable minds in the museum world. . . . Read [A Cabinet of Curiosities] from front to back, back to front, or inside out--it really makes no difference. The important thing is to encounter and savor the ideas and insights found in every essay. . . . Weil [is] a masterful and convincing advocate of the arts in these times of political and economic instability."--Kenneth L. Ames, Museum News

"Weil is one of the museum world's most valuable players. . . . You'll find more common sense, more stimulating ideas, and more insights here than in most books on the art scene. This is a wake-up call."--Milton Esterow, ARTNews

"A Cabinet of Curiosities is an important compilation of the thoughts of a cogent critical museologist. It should be carefully read and reread by anyone who is concerned with the survival of museums."--Muse

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Acknowledgments
Introduction
Speaking about Museums: A Meditation on Language	p. 3
Progress Report from the Field: The Wintergreen Conference on Performance Indicators for Museums	p. 19
Creampuffs and Hardball: Are You Really Worth What You Cost or Just Merely Worthwhile?	p. 33
A Brief Meditation on Museums and the Metaphor of Institutional Growth	p. 39
Museums, Hitler, and the Business of Isness	p. 47
Publicly-Chosen Art: What Standards Apply?	p. 51
Review: Exclusion Principle	p. 75
On a New Foundation: The American Art Museum Reconceived	p. 81
The Great and Renowned Kelly Sock Collection: A Fable	p. 127
Collecting a Private Art Collector: In Search of the Ideal	p. 133
The Deaccession Cookie Jar	p. 139
Testimony Prepared for the Financial Accounting Standards Board, Norwalk, Connecticut	p. 145
Review: Objects of Knowledge	p. 151
Tax Policy and Private Giving	p. 157
Excellence, Autonomy, and Diversity: The Case for Tax-Exempt Cultural Organizations	p. 183
Testimony Offered before the Independent Commission	p. 199
Dangerous Hypo/theticol	p. 207
Some Perplexing Admissions	p. 217
Rob Roy's Gift Revisited	p. 225
Resale Royalties for Artists: Boon or Boondoggle?	p. 233
Resale Royalty Hearing: New York City	p. 237
Unpublished Materials and Copyright: What Can a Museum Do?	p. 247
The Art World Olympics	p. 255
Remarks following Receipt of the Katherine Coffey Award	p. 259
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.

A Cabinet of Curiosities

Inquiries into Museums and Their Prospects

Industry Reviews

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How to return your order

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