more About Galleries & Museums of the world

The topic of fine art is traditionally limited to visual arts—painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolor, graphics, and architecture—and usually excludes commercial art. For the purposes of this feature, however, The Muse has chosen to define fine arts broadly, much the way many 21st century museums do. Accordingly, the scope includes all the traditional art forms and types of arts objects shown at galleries and museums plus many non-traditional media and pieces. Works on display in the Muse's feature include oil paintings and sculpture but also include art in the form of arrangements of soup cans, outhouses, perfume bottles, LaLique crystal, and Harley Davidson motorcycles. As long as an art museum is willing to show a type of object as art, The Muse is willing to consider showing it, as well.

about Real And Virtual galleries and museums

The preponderance of works of fine art extant in the world are stored in traditional ways in traditional physical structures at sites around the world. A person wishing to see this art must physically walk through the door of such a facility and cruise its exhibit rooms to view the art works hanging on the walls, on display under glass cases, or stationed on pedestals.

Even after going through great lengths to pay a collection a visit, a person may miss a large portion of the museum's holdings. In real—that is physical—galleries like these, as little as 10% of its holdings may be on display; 90% may be hidden from sight in inaccessible vaults because there is not enough floor space to show them, because some art objects are too fragile or valuable to expose to public view, or for other reasons. In most first-rate museums, pieces of fine art are parceled out a few at a time; they are rotated between display areas and storage areas or sent on tour in order to make them visible to the public. As a result, they often miss the exposure, adulation, and accolades they deserve.

In recent years, a very awkward trend has developed which partly makes up for this deficiency but fails to solve it. To generate additional venue in which to show a portion of their hidden collections, museums like the Guggenheim in New York have started building costly structures like the Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry in Bilbao, Northern Spain. The new Guggenheim is a brilliant piece of architecture and does justice to the fine art it shows; but since its erection, many tourists have found it necessary to divert or extend their European tour to reach the art displayed at its off-the-beaten-path location. Not everyone who might like can afford the time or expense it takes to make such a diversion.

Fortunately, 21st century electronic advances like the Internet are helping to change the nature of this ballgame. Because of the ubiquitous character of the Internet, it is now possible for the first time in history to bring a significant percentage of the world's fine art into public view, where it can be seen by many, up close and in person, without the need to travel and in the comfort and convenience of one's own home, school, library, or office. The Internet potentially extends the reach of physical galleries and museums as never before.

In this feature, The Muse Of Fine Art seeks to exploit the new opportunities for disseminating and viewing fine art that are afforded by the Internet. The approach chosen by The Muse honors the time-tested concept of a gallery and museum but goes farther.

The Muse's virtual galleries and museums are pages at Electricka's web site. Where practical, The Muse shows fine art on pages modeled after the real galleries and museums in which the virtual fine art is housed. In effect, The Muse's virtual galleries are counterparts of the real galleries and museums they represent. theyput everyone who cares to look at fine art in touch with the same great fine art they would see if they were to visit the physical facility in person.

As with real galleries and museums, The Muse also presents shows organized along lines similar to shows that real galleries and museums offer the public. There are shows devoted to themes, specific subjects, artists, art movements, and periods.

Of course, the works presented in The Muse's virtual galleries and museums consist of electronic reproductions, not original works of art. For those who want to see the real thing and can afford to travel to the real museum where the virtual works are housed, wherever practical The Muse provides information on where to go and what to look for when they get there.

The Muse also steers Electricka's visitors to virtual art on display at other web web sites by providing links where practical. And The Muse makes it easier to reach virtual art displayed at real galleries and museums by helping visitors discover and find these kinds of resources.