U. students neglect Phila. Museum of Art

Botticelli, da Vinci and Matisse would not be pleased. The Philadelphia Art Museum may be a treasure of the city, but it remains an untapped resource for many University students. Many students have said this week they have not been to the Philadelphia Art Museum -- and, what's more, they are not sure why not. "We don't get off campus that much," said College freshman Katie Hort. "We always say we will go [to the museum], but we never do." College junior Rachel Smith said yesterday that students do not visit the museum because its location is inconvenient to many students living on or near campus. And Graduate Chairperson of Art History David Brownlee agrees, citing "logistics" as the reason many students never get to the museum. "Septa doesn't have a route that runs from Penn to the museum," he said. "The University is in a self-contained universe, like many colleges. "It is one of the great art museums of the world," he added. "It is of the quality of the Philadelphia Orchestra, a first-rate institution." Students who have ventured down to Benjamin Franklin Parkway said this week they always enjoy the time they spend there. College sophomore Rick Gresh said he likes the museum for its "recreations." The museum is a "terrific resource," said Art History Undergraduate Chairperson Elizabeth Johns. Johns said Art History students frequently visit the museum as part of their classes, and rave about Wednesday night's extended hours and entertainment. "I love?when I look in my art history book I see many of the famous paintings that are in the Museum," Smith said. She added that the museum should have special activities to attract students and their parents during the University's Parents' Weekend. Smith said students usually visit museums with their parents. And Smith believes after students have seen the museum once, they will be more apt to visit the museum again on their own. Museum Education Director Glenn Tomlinson said that the museum has many programs for college students. One student activity at the museum is College Day on the Parkway, which occurs in October, he said. It is a day when about 1000 students visit various Philadelphia museums for free. Gallery Games is another museum activity. Families or groups of friends search the museum to find answers to museum-prepared activity sheets. The Philadelphia Art Museum also offers lectures, concerts and film series. For students, the museum has $3 discount admissions and is free on Sundays for everyone from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. In recent years the museum has also expanded its hours on Wednesdays, closing at 8:45 p.m.

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