Guarding the Art

Guarding the Art features works from the Phoenix Art Museum Collection selected by guest curators from the Museum’s security, visitor services, facilities, event-rentals, and retail-services teams, all of whom regularly engage with artworks and visitors in the galleries. This unprecedented initiative was conceived in Baltimore by Amy Elias, longtime Trustee of the Baltimore Museum of Art.​

Drawing from their unique insights and perspectives on the art and guest experience, Guarding the Art curators created an exhibition, didactic and interpretation materials, object labels, and a publication, working in collaboration with Museum staff across marketing and communications, preparation and registration, education and engagement, and other departments. In addition, the team worked with a renowned art historian and scholar who will provide additional mentorship and professional development support.

PhxArt is following the model developed by the BMA after its 2022 exhibition debut and present its own exhibition—the first national iteration of the initiative—to Arizona audiences in 2024. The project, which challenges traditional museum hierarchies and fosters dialogue about who can and should talk about art, is the first of its kind at Phoenix Art Museum.

Credit: Overview from museum website