LACMA draws the line on ads for Pompeii exhibition

 

Chalk it up to an over-eager marketing team at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

On Wednesday, Roman-style advertisements for the museum's upcoming exhibition "Pompeii and the Roman Villa" were spotted on sidewalks throughout the city. The sightings were first reported by our friends over at the Curbed LA blog.

Turns out the ads were chalk drawings, some of which depicted the profile of a Roman youth along with the words "Pompeii" and "LACMA." The museum had stenciled 20 such drawings at four locations throughout L.A.

Why this sudden spasm of Banksy-esque propaganda? Barbara Pflaumer, associate vice president of communications at LACMA, said the chalk drawings were part of a guerilla-type campaign to promote the exhibition, which is to open May 3. But she said that the museum rolled out the campaign too early and that it was supposed to coincide with a future street banner campaign.

Whoops! Pflaumer told Curbed LA that the museum has made plans to remove all of the chalk drawings.

Such are the perils when a large, bureaucratic institution tries on a hipper, more youth-friendly persona. Well, points for effort anyway.

-- David Ng

Credit: Courtesy of Curbed LA

Comments

[LATblogreader]

Poor resource management.
It is not their job to create and distribute artworks.
They should be collecting, preserving and exhibiting art.

Extra money can be used for more pressing things rather than chalking the sidwalks of LA. Perhaps we should take this to mean that the powers at LACMA support LA's lively street-art scene.

[Realist]

I think it is obvious that LACMA wants to encourage the community they are a part of by supporting some harmless chalk stencils to promote a cool exhibit. It washed off apparently and didnt cause any resident or business owner any harm..And they definitely werent all over the city due to the rain..

Think about it..How do they expect to attract a new generation of patrons if all they do is cater to a dying breed? Sorry to inform you but "street art" is art too, it may not be relevant to your generation but it is certainly a form of expression in mine..

Hmm here are a few links of LACMA reaching out to the COMMUNITY to express their own form of ART..its been done before..

"In the LACMA Lab, people of all ages interact with art in very unusual ways. ... Chalk outlines of the World Trade Center are drawing people together across ..."- http://www.acfnewsource.org/art/lacma_lab.html

"A great way to have your work displayed at LACMA.

Like building sand castles before the tide comes in, the LACMA Chalk-In presents you with an urban version: chalk-in your pastel “Birth of Venus” on the roof of a parking lot that’s scheduled to be demolished in days, with your community as well as artists Eder Cetina and Kajiah Jacobs while listening to the musical stylings of Appogee, DJ Paul Wehby, Electro Tec Services, and Henry Strange." http://www.carolineoncrack.com/2005/11/24/lacma-chalk-in-an-artistic-kiss-off-for-a-doomed-building/

[JOHN]

what's the problem here? i think they're chic. a hell of a lot more interestign and though provoking than all the mega posters. people need to lighten up a bit. i love these....

[Ralph Kramden]

"There is no such thing as bad publicity".

Wow. Just wow. The Larchmont crowd is cultured no doubt. No one ever said they were savvy. Know what I mean?

[Jonnie R.]

Come on people, get with the times! Gone are the days of signs, posters, and mind numbing print ads. We are approaching the year 2010, and these fun and innovative marketing techniques effectively break through the same old clutter, and speak directly to the NOW generation!

[Bill C.]

Down with stodgy and up with bright approaches to communication. Reach out to new audiences and keep art and history alive. Too bad we have to bow to fuddy duddies with nothing to do but turn in false alarms so they will be noticed.

[Aniko Hill]

Love this idea in general, but not sure the edgy tone of street art aligns naturally to the tone of ancient Rome?