Remembering to LOOK!

On a recent visit to New York City, I was reminded of how much of a melting pot it is.   I was also reminded of what an incredibly diverse audience its museums attract.   In just a few days of museum visits, the variety of languages I overheard was astounding.   At MoMA, information about your visit was available into no fewer than 7 languages.   At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you can plan your visit on their web site in 52, yes, 52 different languages, from Belarusian to Welsh, from Finnish to Polish...what an amazing array of people these museums serve.   In our constantly connected world, we all serve all of these audiences.   But, in Manhattan, the stream of international visitors is a constant physical presence.   Yet I got the distinct feeling that these visitors, though physically present, were not really there.   Most of them were so focused on taking pictures of themselves and their friends or family members with their digital cameras, electronic devices, or cell phones that they seemed removed from the experience.   I  honestly felt as if I were the only one LOOKING at the art work rather than trying to capture the perfect image of it to prove I was there.    If only we could have visitors leave all of their personal possessions and electronic devices aside for just a few minutes to use their eyes to soak it all in.    We let people plan their visits in 52 different languages, we offer them endless ways to approach and understand the objects, but sometimes all we really need to do is to remind them to look...with their own eyes.