Introduction&background part of three museums - Essay Example

Introduction and Background Part of Three Museums Introduction and Background Part of Three Museums As one of the most advanced countries in terms of tourism, the United States boasts several international museums that are destinations to hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. This paper seeks to compare three museums in the US; Hirshorn, Smithsonian American Art, and Phillips Collection. The paper will further establish from this discussion which of the three museums is the most successful attraction.

Hirshorn is a museum owned by Smithsonian Institution. The museum operates throughout the year with the exception of December 25. Although it is regarded as a full permanent, Hirshorn operates on seasonal hours with the museum opening from 10am-5:30pm, the plaza opening from 7:30am-5:30pm, and the Garden operating from 7:30am to dusk. An international modern and contemporary art and culture center, Hirshorn’s target market includes sculpture enthusiasts, art students, and artists. Although primarily funded by the federal government, Joseph Hirshorn contributed $1 million to the Smithsonian Institution and the money was channeled towards the construction of the Hirshorn building.

The museum does not charge any admission fee. Despite being located close to Smithsonian metro and National mall, the museum’s accessibility can be termed as poor as it has no parking facility while street parking outside the museum is limited (Hirshorn, 2014).The Smithsonian American Art is a museum owned by Smithsonian Institution and that features permanent collections including 19th century African American and Latin art works. The museum prides as the first federal art collection and includes a collection that captures the aspirations, character, and imagination of the American people.

The museum’s collection is presented in six collections that include among others the ‘American experience’ and the ‘American art through 1940’ (Altshuler, 2007). The museum’s target market includes DC students, local artists, and families that visit the center. Funding for the museum was mainly from the Smithsonian trust funds obtained from both private sources and Smithsonian Enterprise. The museum is highly accessible with well-labeled elevators and stairs and adequate benches.

Additionally, availability of enough research and street parking space coupled with close proximity to Metro Center and Gallery Place Metros makes it possible for the museum to accommodate large numbers of visitors. Similar to Hirshorn, admission to Smithsonian American Art is free (Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2014).Phillips Collection is a museum owned and run by a private institution. The center houses a range of extraordinary collections with more than 3,000 of French and American art works.

Being America’s first museum of modern arts since 1921, the museum prides in its style as a modern and contemporary art center. The museum’s target market includes baby boomers and older persons, artistic young adults and students as well as teachers. Additionally, the museum provides art links to learning grade school children. Accessibility to the museum is highly enhanced with stairs, several elevators, and renovated residence rooms. There is also limited number of wheelchairs available for the disabled.

The museum also provides parking for individuals who make online reservation. An admission fee is applicable when accessing the museum with the price for adult visitors, students and visitors aged 62 and above set at $12, $10 and $10 respectively (The Phillips Collection, 2014). ReferencesAltshuler, B. (2007). Collecting the new: Museums and contemporary art. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press. Hirshorn. (2014). Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Retrieved from http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/home/#collection=faqs&detail=http%3A//www.hirshhorn.si.

edu/bio/did-joseph-hirshhorn-pay-for-the-museum/Smithsonian American Art Museum. (2014). D.C Transit Guide. Retrieved from http://dctransitguide.com/t/Attractions/Smithsonian/AmericanArtMuseum/ The Phillips Collection. (2014). Touring Exhibitions. Retrieved from http://www.phillipscollection.org/collection/touring-exhibitions