Hi Jerry,
Thank you for sharing your insights on the appearance of visitors at the National Gallery of Art. The NGA, like many other institutions on the National Mall, is free admission and by removing the barrier of cost of entrance to the museum, the institution is and should be seen as open to anyone who is interested to walk through the doors. However, it is comments like the ones you have just shared, that perpetuate the idea of museums being for a limited class and type of people. Outside of public indecency and proper footwear, museums should be spaces for anyone to come and experience the exhibitions on view. D.C. in the summer is no joke - it's muggy and hot and if you have planned an entire day out at the museums, you are going to want to dress for the weather.
I agree with Katherine and Meredith's comments wholly. We, as museum employees, should not be policing the appearances of the people who come into our institutions, unless it is a legal issue. We want museums to be inclusive spaces for folks regardless of what is on their bodies. As an employee of a museum but also a fairly frequent museum visitor, I would want to know that the security staff at the museum is interested in protecting me and my fellow visitors (as well as the art), rather than judging what I am wearing. Museums are often places of refuge, in addition to places of learning and exploration. Many times, I have ducked into an institution for a little bit of AC, but also to see what they had on display, after a day of doing something else entirely.
Jerry, your concern for modesty from the visitors who look to you for protection is concerning and worrisome. I hope that you will take the time to reconsider your stance and think of the thousands of visitors who come into the museum for a variety of reasons as people who belong in the museum, regardless of what they are wearing.
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Sierra Van Ryck deGroot
Education Programs Manager
Poster House
New York NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-30-2020 02:44 PM
From: Jerry Foley
Subject: Expectations of visitors
Meredith, Thank you for your response. Now, I know that COVID-19 is not transmitted through the skin, what I mean is that if we are able to take notice of this, then how about other things? Perhaps others feel that wearing under garments as though it was meant to been seen is acceptable, however I do not. I can even remember my mother saying that she did not like to see someone take a baby out in just diapers, that they should put something else over it. Also there have been times where it was necessary for me tell visitors that their trousers were too low in the back. (Which would actually constitute as indecent exposure.) This has been with men, women and children. Also if staff members are not allowed to dress anywhere near like these cases, then why is it being allowed among visitors?
Original Message:
Sent: 6/29/2020 9:43:00 AM
From: Meredith Peruzzi
Subject: RE: Expectations of visitors
As long as visitors' garments meet the gallery's requirements for clothing, I see no reason to police visitors in this way. Personal opinion on their clothing, particularly whether or not it is sufficiently modest, is irrelevant. If you feel your institution's requirements are insufficient, that is best addressed with museum administration.
Your mask argument is specious; COVID-19 is not transmitted through the skin.
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Meredith Peruzzi
National Deaf Life Museum
Gallaudet University
Washington DC
Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2020 11:22 PM
From: Jerry Foley
Subject: Expectations of visitors
Well where do I begin with this? It seems like a new topic because when I did a search the only thing I could find for this pertained to staff however I am concerned with visitors, specifically here what I mean is dress. I am in security at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC and it is appalling at what we see coming in our doors. (The only thing which we are really told to be enforcing is footwear, they must have on shoes and not just socks.) The most recent being back in November I spoke with a young man in the East Building then as he was walking away I noticed that he was wearing thermal underwear bottoms. Well it would not have been so shocking but this is something which I have never seen as an outer garment, in public that is. He did mention being from a certain city which is way on the other side of the country, so does anyone think he would have been able to board a plane dressed this way? Also if he could afford a ticket or the gas it would cost him to drive this distance it seems that he should be able to afford proper trousers. There was another occasion where a young woman I remember in the classical section with no top. She was wearing canvas shoes, blue jeans and what appear to be something as a brassiere. Now excuse this is not enough to qualify as a top. Maybe the particular visitor thought this her bikini, well even if it was she was not at the beach or a swimming pool. Now I could go on with others, but right now I have covered both sexes. (If anyone reading this would like me to give some examples of anything that I have seen or have questions about any of this please let me know.) Now if we are going to be asking them to cover their mouth and nose well then how about other parts of the body?
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Jerry Foley
GPO
National Gallery of Art
Washington DC
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