Form follows functions

A visit to the Palm Springs Art Museum brought us head to head with the end game many art institutions are playing. The Museum was setting up for the opening of the Palm Springs Film Festival (Brad Pitt was on the guest list) so we were unable to see most of the permanent collection - and this at 11 am. Sure art institutions are obliged to raise funds, but they need work on priorities. Are they museums or venues? Count on them putting down the former on their strategic planning documents, but a well paying or prestigious event can easily blow that out of the water. You can also see the demands of running a floorspace-hungry function venue driving the popularity of painting and photography shows in an age dominated by installation and floor based sculpture.