by Kim Pike, MuSE Class of 2018
The museum needs some ways of making people want to not only come onto the property, but also to come into the buildings and see the actual exhibits. One way that I think this could be accomplished is that on the empty sides of the Cushing building, we could project little previews of the shows being displayed inside to make people want to see the whole exhibition.
Another way to get people on the property and inside would be to make the entrance more visible from the main road. Paths could be made to lead people to the front door and signs could point the way.
In order for people to want to come onto the property there has to be an incentive to come and check it out. There should definitely be more sculptures and artwork on the lawn for people to come up and view. These should be put in conspicuous places where it makes sense for maximum viewing efficiency for both someone on the street and someone who’s walking the property. A small garden and sitting area would draw more people in too.
A confusing thing on the museum campus is that none of the buildings seem related since they have different styles and don’t share a color scheme. One way to remedy this could possibly be to put lines between the buildings that connect them to each other, similar to the lines in the road that divide lanes. More signage that shows that each building is part of the Newport Art Museum would help, and decorations can also be put outside that could be seen from the street.