Helping Out With Senior Open Access Day
May 3, 2010

When I agreed to help hand out Assisted Listening Devices (ALDs) on Senior Day Open Access Day on April 27, I thought I would be standing around most of the time and that I would probably get bored. How wrong I was! Throughout the day I followed five groups from different senior centers in the city led by the Whitney's educators, docents, and Teaching Fellows. Stationed on the second floor of the Biennial, I listened to and participated in the lively discussions about specific works and art in general.

Listening to their comments, the Seniors introduced me to a number of new ideas. Looking at James Casebere’s Landscape with Houses (Dutchess County, NY) a few people were reminded of the song “Little Boxes” which describes suburban housing as “all made out of ticky tacky / and they all look just the same.” But my favorite moment happened at the end of one tour when a visitor asked why some of the pieces were considered art and showcased in a museum. Five hands shot up and her colleagues discussed how art didn’t have to be beautiful, but was meant to provoke ideas about space, society, and oneself. The woman agreed that while some works did not speak to her, she could acknowledge their status as art.

By Anne Roberts, Intern, Education Department

The Whitney's next spring Open Access Day is on May 11. To learn more about Open Access Days at the Whitney click here.