Coming soon to an art museum near you

BOLOGNA, Italy – For most of us, 10 years is about half of the time we have spent on Earth. Imagine spending every minute of 10 years in one of the world’s art museums. No eating, no sleeping. Just painting and sculpting every minute of every day. Can we talk about art fatigue?\nThe International Council of Museums was created in 1946 to unify all world museums with the common goals of conservation and communication. The council currently has 24,000 members in 150 countries. That means, if you spent approximately four hours in each museum (a proper estimate for true appreciation), you would spend 96,000 hours wandering the galleries of the world. That equals out to 4,000 days or more than 10 years.\nPersonally, I am an art museum fanatic. I love getting lost in a maze of hallways and corridors, each room holding a new treasure. But for 10 years? I figure that I only have about 70 left, and I am not willing to give up 1/7 of that time cruising the Louvre and Museum of Modern Art. So how do I see the world’s artistic highlights in a more limited amount of time? It is a perplexing question, but luckily, the 24,000 members of International Council of Museum already have an answer: the traveling exhibition.\nDuring my spring break, my best friend Emma and I travelled around the major tourist hotspots of Italy. We can safely mark the Peggy Guggenheim collection in Venice, the Capitoline museums in Rome and the Accademia gallery in Florence off of our to-do lists. It was an awesome experience to see some of the world’s most prestigious museums. Though Emma doesn’t share the same background or love for art, she seemed to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.\nAfter I dropped her off in the airport in Venice, I headed out for a day by myself in the local Accademia. The Venetian Renaissance has always been of particular interest to me, and I consider Giorgione and Tintoretto some of my personal favorites. I was in awe of these artists’ masterpieces, but what really got me excited was the temporary Titian exhibit.\nMany of the master’s most famous works had been pulled from museums all over the world. I read all of the small placards which gave the piece’s original home. Many hailed from Austria, Germany, France and even the U.S. I was struck with the thought that if all of these works had not been collected in one small place, I may have never had the opportunity to see them all. Unfortunately, the chances of me going to Austria in the future are a bit slim.\nIt was also fascinating to see all of Titian’s masterpieces side by side. Most museums can only afford to hold on to a few of his pieces at one time. By looking at them all in the same room, his style is very apparent and even more striking.\nThere are certain steps that you can take at home to see some of the world’s most brilliant pieces. The Chicago Art Institute and even the Indianapolis Museum of Art have wonderful travelling exhibitions and their schedules can be found on their Web sites. If you don’t have an extra 10 years to spare, I suggest you check it out.