Art Wars!

After the Civil War, the cultural stewards of our young nation sought to develop artists with talent to rival that of Old Europe. Their goal was to elevate the level of refinement of the average American, and prove that we could be preoccupied with more than the almighty Buck! On this pleasant Museum Mile trek, we will discover how the keepers of our first cultural collections defined art and decided what would or would not hang within their walls, in the process competing with each other and the highbrow institutions overseas. This is an outdoor tour focusing on how museum architecture is a reflection of its founders and the collections inside. Tour includes viewing and discussion of the exteriors of the National Academy of Design, and the landmarked Met Breuer (former Whitney Museum), Metropolitan, and Guggenheim Museum buildings.