Museum as Métier: Victor D’Amico and the Museum of Modern Art

Abstract:Although Victor D’Amico’s pedagogy and legacy are well known within the field of art education, discussions of his work often disregard the context in which he worked for over thirty years—The Museum of Modern Art. This essay examines D’Amico’s key projects, considering how they were supported by and in collaboration with his museum colleagues. The result was a unique legacy steeped in a pedagogy of modern art and museum education. As a conclusion, this essay looks at the training of art educators and museum educators as requiring different kinds of foundational work and an acknowledgment of the importance of the museum as a context for art education.