LECTURES

When Isabella Stewart Gardner opened the building in 1903, there was a two-story music room at the entrance. In the years that followed, music was often heard in the courtyard and Tapestry Room. Filmmaker David Wilson, a Gardner Museum Artist-in-Residence, founded the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles in 1987. There, in the Borzoi Kabinet Theater, visitors can watch a series of poetic documentaries produced by the Museum of Jurassic Technology in collaboration with St. Petersburg-based arts and science collective Kabinet, and music can be heard in the Tula Tea Room. This Russian-style tea room is a miniature reconstruction of the study of Tsar Nicolas II from the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. When and why did music, film, and—later—performance art become such a strong component of museum life? A wine reception will follow around the courtyard.

Part of Room Views: A Series of Conversations About the Gardner Museum
This season's Room Views conversations focus on the idea of The Personal Museum. Isabella Gardner created one of the first personal museums in the United States, establishing a model for the intersection of art and personality that continues to influence collectors and artists today. This series will explore several different examples of the personal museum, from strong-minded collectors like Gardner and Albert Barnes to museums created by contemporary artists. How has the personal museum shaped our view of museums in general, and what we can experience there?