You might be aware of the recent ‘clash’ between The Art Fund and the Cambridge based Fitzwilliam Museum, as reported in The Art Newspaper this month.
The Fitzwilliam Museum has refused to display the logo of the Art Fund next to an artwork which they were seeking a £80,000 grant towards. The Director of the Museum, Dr Timothy Potts explained his stand on the issue. “The Fitzwilliam Museum is being pressurised by the Art Fund on a highly controversial issue with which it strongly disagrees… Logos are the currency of marketing and commerce and this introduces a promotional element into the galleries that we regard as an unnecessary and unacceptable distraction — no matter how worthy the object of promotion… Needless to say the Fitzwilliam does, like all museums, provide a credit line for each object, in which the Art Fund would have been listed along with any other supporters of the acquisition.”
The Art Fund responded “We raise our funds from voluntary donations and subscriptions. Our logo on display labels allows potential members and supporters to see at a glance the sort of works that their money would help us buy”.
As a marketer I can appreciate the need for the Art Fund to maximize brand awareness, but as an art lover I think they are wrong to demand their logo be displayed next to every artwork they help to purchase.
The artwork that the Fitzwilliam Museum wished to buy would also have been funded by two other sources (MLA and V&A Purchase Grant Fund) and if one donor was allowed to have their logo displayed in the gallery, then wouldn’t everyone demand the same treatment? The result would be a terrible logo soup detracting from the art.
I would suggest that it would be more beneficial to The Art Fund to consider other ways of raising the awareness of their brand, for example, would having more detailed information about their work on display in the lobby of the Fitzwilliam Museum tell visitors more then a logo in the gallery? What do you think?
I think we can’t start filling exhibitions with logos, because with one exception opened it may be difficult to know where to stop.
There are many ways to achieve members, and fundraising association logos are not necessarily needed to be seen right next to the works of art inside the exhibition…
I’m sure marketeers will think of something much better than that. I agree the lobby is a great place to promote actions and events.
Thanks for your comment Marta, I couldn’t agree with you more!
Jim