An Australian Idol of Modernist Consumerism: Minnie Tittell Brune and the Gallery Girls

The Australian career of the young American actor Minnie Tittell Brune exemplifies the complex cultural and economic forces operating on the institution of live theatre at the beginning of the twentieth century. Brune focalizes the contemporary processes which reconstituted the international institution of mass entertainment out of the traditional cultural practices of theatre. The theatrical star is seen as both engaging with and resisting the commodification of her labour power; image and talent resulting from her ambiguous industrial role as magnetic 'star' and as managerial commodity. However, the iconic and affective power of the actor evokes strong attachment from significant sections of the newly heterosocial popular audience, in particular from the gallery girls, the young female audience who idolized Brune as a performative personality enacting social self-realization and glamorous transformation. Through reading Brume's repertoire, her social persona as 'star' and her 'emotional' performative style, it is demonstrated how artistic retro-glamour, religious evangelicalism and discourses of sexuality and femininity serve to manage theatre's move into the mass-entertainment age.

Exploring Visitors' Perceptions of Art Gallery Festivals

The contemporary directions of art galleries worldwide are changing as social patterns and demands, and visitor expectations of their experiences at art galleries change. New programs and strategies are being developed in galleries to make these institutions more appealing to people who would not normally visit them. One such strategy is the staging of special events, which in galleries take a variety of forms. As special events are increasingly being employed by galleries to inspire new audiences, it is important that these institutions develop an awareness of how their visitors understand and respond to such events. Festivals are one type of special event that visitors identify as having a distinct role and nature. This paper explores visitors’ perceptions of festivals in art galleries and identifies several characteristics that distinguish festivals from other special events. These characteristics include the focus of the event, the audience attending, the degree of interactivity offered, the timing, and the place at which the event is staged. Understanding visitors’ perceptions and expectations of festivals will enable galleries to develop and further enhance their programs and special events to meet visitors’ needs.