Like most aspects of museums, instructional programs are still an evolving phenomenon. To date, few practices are universally accepted, in part because there is neither consensus on the nature of audiences and their needs nor how to address them. For the last decade, however, much work has been done to arrive at more accurate, shared understandings of the people who visit museums, and what we can do to help them gain maximum enjoyment and benefit from their visits. This paper reflects such activity.

Though the artist and museum share a focus on art objects and can appreciate each other's efforts, they have different functions. Different disciplines are involved, and different rules apply; to see them as related is natural, but to make meaningful connections between them is difficult.