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Article: Blockbusters, Inc. (three upstart art museums specialize in megashows)
- Article from:
- Art in America
- Article date:
- June 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Brant Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Inspired by major museums' crowd-pleasing megashows of masterpieces, a new group of museum wannabes is muscling in on the blockbuster business. Best described as a cross between an art museum and an entertainment theme park, these new-style art venues have sprung up in three midsized cities. The first, which opened in 1991, is Wonders: The Memphis International Cultural Series in Memphis, Tenn.; Florida International Museum in St. Petersburg, Fla., is two years old; and the Mississippi Arts Pavilion in Jackson, Miss., opened last year. With no collections of their own, they borrow high-quality or historically important art and artifacts from foreign institutions. Then ...