For many, the first time the Addison Gallery of American Art (Addison) came up in conversation was when discussing Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s little moment on one of its desks in The Drama. But the Addison didn’t begin existing in April.
The gallery was built in 1931, funded by Andover alumnus Thomas Cochran. Since then, the Addison has amassed over 29,000 pieces spanning the 18th century to the present. Maybe you’ve been there for an art class or in search of a more niche place to study. If so, you’ve likely noticed the beautiful architecture (that’s American architect Charles A. Platt at work) and the unique collections of paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, and more. Notably, the Addison is currently engaging with the question “What is America?” by understanding American history through art. Such initiatives, as well as the Addison’s breadth of exceptional pieces, beg the question: Why don’t more people go? Not just for a study break or because their teacher asked them to, but to simply look at the art. Like most issues with Andover student turnout, the answer is time.
Many of us make time to look at social media. It serves as an escape and a way to connect with friends amid our lives of sports, homework, and tests. Allow us to create an unexpected connection: social media platforms are similar to museums in that they hold collections of curated content. Indeed, their differences lie primarily in the level of engagement they demand out of us. The short-form content that we choose to consume tethers our brains to a constant desire for instant gratification, leading to the notorious “doom-scroll.” A museum, in contrast, requires us to move more slowly as we engage with nuanced content. They ask us to look closely at pieces with complex ideas and histories behind them. Museums challenge us to not only appreciate the distinctiveness of beauty within various paintings and photographs, but also to question an artist’s intent and ponder the history behind their work. The 30 minutes you might spend mindlessly scrolling through TikTok for a quick rush of dopamine could instead be spent in front of a canvas, giving yourself the time to slow down and actually think. You might argue that social media is much more quickly accessible. While this holds merit, Andover is one of the rare schools where a museum is not a long drive away, but sits directly on our campus. The opportunity seems obvious; the Addison is calling.
