When we decided to invite the public to vote on their favorite works of art from our permanent collection, we weren’t sure what to expect. We wondered if an unexpected painting, a piece of sculpture, or a print would rise to the top of the Leader Board. We wondered what we would learn about the community through the voting process. And while the voting isn’t over, there are clear favorites. With two days left to vote, four of the top five picks are by local artists. Linda Fantuzzo’s Still Life with Open Book has garnered over 200 votes, while West Fraser’s 126 Oak Street, McClellanville, South Carolina is right behind. Corene by Jonathan Green is in 3rd place, followed closely by Mary Whyte’s Iron Man.
So what do these numbers tell us? What can we learn about our collection through this experiment? It’s too soon to tell just yet, and it may be that voting is an ineffective way to poll the community’s taste in art. The pieces of art at the top of the leader board are favorites for many reasons, including the technical skill of the well respected artists, the attention to light and shadow, and the vivid and descriptive use of color. But as the marketing and communications manager at the museum, I also wonder if the leader board is influenced by familiarity? Many of the works on the leader board are works that are currently hanging on the museum walls. Are we more apt to “like” a work of art we’ve seen before?
A comment about Still Life with Open Book disputes the notion of familiarity: “I’ve only recently been introduced to Ms. Fantuzzo’s works. She has achieved a style of her own and her passion for her works is obvious!” While this comment on The Veiled Lady, who is #6 on the Leader Board, comes from someone who is familiar with the sculpture: “I have stood mesmerized by this piece many times. It is just exquisite, and enchanting. It has such an ethereal beauty, and the artistic execution seems astonishingly flawless.” Some of our Featured Voters lamented the challenge of choosing favorite artists. Darcy Shankland of Charleston magazine said it was “not a fair question! How to possibly choose?!?” That’s why we wanted to give the public the freedom to vote on as many favorites as they desired, because we know how difficult it is to choose one work of art over another. That is one of the challenges curators face when designing an exhibition.
So in these next few weeks we will tally the votes, and Sara Arnold, our curator of collections, will curate your top 40 “favorite” artworks into the upcoming People’s Choice exhibition. For the next 48+ hours, take advantage of the chance to vote until our polls close on Sunday, March 31 at midnight. We can’t wait to see what you’ve selected.
—Amy Mercer, Marketing and Communications Manager, Gibbes Museum of Art
Published March 29, 2013