The Role Of Popular Culture In Audience Development For Art Museums

This thesis explores the relationship between arts institutions and popular culture, specifically examining the use of popular culture to develop and diversify audiences for the arts. Three case studies of exhibitions related to popular culture in major museums ("Hip Hop Nation" at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, "The Art of the Motorcycle" at the Guggenheim Museum, and "Star Wars: The Magic of Myth" at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts), will be addressed.