mary mitchell

MA Global Arts and Cultures

Looking At Labels, Examining Values: Knowledge, Narrative, and Multilingualism in American Art Museums

Object labels have been used by American museums since the late nineteenth century; yet they are not often utilized as sources in scholarship on museum history and practices. By repositioning labels as sources, what can we learn about American art museums—particularly about those institutions’ values? How do labels reveal the hierarchies of value that art museums construct between works of art, information, and people? I argue that object labels in American art museums should be regarded as valuable sources of information because they reveal what matters to the institutions that write them. By looking closely at labels and their elements—including technology tags, interpretive material, and multilingual text—we can understand which collection objects art museums see as more valuable than others, which narratives they consider most important for patrons to know, and which visitors are prioritized in their practices. This examination ultimately invites critical thinking and reflection on the ways that art museums share information with visitors and what those choices reveal about the values of individual institutions and the American museum field at large.

Two rectangular labels affixed to a white wall. The left label lists the artist's name, biographical information, collection details about the painting, and technology tags. The right label shares a brief interpretive description of Pissarro's art practice and approach to landscape painting.

Label for Camille Pissarro's painting titled "The Hermitage at Pontoise (Les coteaux de l'Hermitage, Pontoise)" displayed at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in May 2025, featuring four technology tags for viewers to access further information about the painting using digital devices.

Two rectangular labels affixed to a white wall. The left label lists the artist's name, biographical information, and collection details about the painting. The right label shares a brief interpretive description of Gauguin's travels to Tahiti and exoticizing portrayal of its Indigenous people.

Label for Paul Gauguin's painting titled "In the Vanilla Grove, Man and Horse (Dans la vanillère, homme et cheval)" displayed at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in May 2025, featuring no technology tags.

A screenshot with a short paragraph of biographical information about the artist and some collections information. Below are two paragraphs of interpretive description that describe Boetti's use of a culturally charged craft and his collaboration with Afghani women needleworkers. A small image of the artwork is in the top right.

Label for Alighiero Boetti's embroidery "Il Tesoro Nascosto (The Hidden Treasure)" displayed at the RISD Museum in Term Limits: Textiles in Contemporary Art from November 2005 to February 2006.

A label affixed to a white wall with two short paragraphs featuring biographical information about the artist, the title of the work, and a list of materials used. Below are two paragraphs of interpretive description that explain the viewer's involvement through reading the work's message and details about Boetti's practice. A signature credits a RISD grad student as the author.

Label for Alighiero Boetti's embroidery "Il Tesoro Nascosto (The Hidden Treasure)" displayed at the RISD Museum in Term Limits: Textiles in Contemporary Art from November 2005 to February 2006.

A large white label affixed to a concrete wall. The name of the work, the materials used, and a brief paragraph about the installation written in English; below, the name of the work, the materials used, and a brief paragraph about the installation written in Spanish.

Bilingual label in English and Spanish written for Chiaru Shiota's "Home Less Home" displayed at the Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston in August 2025.