Gallery vs Museum
The main difference between gallery and museum arises from the objective of establishing each place. Gallery and Museum are two words that are often confused when it comes to their meanings and connotations. They are two different words that are indeed characterized by different meanings. The word gallery has the meaning of ‘balcony’ or ‘porch.’ As an establishment, gallery refers to a place that exhibits and sells artwork of different artists. On the other hand, the word museum has the meaning of ‘a place where artifacts are stored.’ This is the main difference between the two words. Let us see what other differences there are.
What is a Gallery?
A gallery is a place where an artist conducts his solo or one-man shows. It is a building that houses various art works including paintings, oil on canvas, acrylic paintings, watercolors, ink drawings, other types of drawings, sculpture and wooden carvings, and the like. The purpose of starting a gallery is to exhibit the works of an artist.
A gallery is run more on a commercial purpose. It is because, it is there to promote the works of artists and to introduce artists so that artists can sell their products. When one visits a gallery, one goes there with the desire of getting to know an artist’s work and possibly to buy some artwork if the price fits. Galleries are private properties that are funded by individuals or organizations to earn a profit. Making copies of the artwork in a gallery is not allowed.
What is a Museum?
A museum is a place where artifacts are stored. In other words, it can be said that the museum is a place where antiques, paintings, coins, zoological items, geological items, and other artifacts are stored. A museum can reflect the history of a land or a country from the prehistoric to the present times. This is the specialty or the purpose of building a museum.
There are a number of museums in various countries of the continent of Europe. Each of these museums is known to house several artworks and artifacts that attract tourists from all parts of the world. It is interesting to note that a museum can be a source for research scholars and students who work on various zoology and history related topics. Usually, every country has museums because these establishments help the government or the society that maintain them to share knowledge and history of the country with fellow citizens, as well as tourists.
Most of the museums are operated on a non-profit basis. So, a private organization, foundation, or the government provide funds to maintain the museum. One of the most important and most famous museums of the world is the Louvre Museum of France. That is where the world famous Mona Lisa portrait is kept. A person visits a museum in order to learn more about the history of the country the museum is situated. If the museum is dedicated to one particular subject such as Natural History, then, the visitor goes there to learn about that subject. Making copies of the artwork in a museum is allowed.
What is the difference between Gallery and Museum?
• Meaning:
• Gallery has the meanings balcony, porch, as well as an establishment that displays and sells work of art.
• Museum has the meaning a place where artifacts are stored.
• Objective:
• The objective of a gallery is introducing an artist and building a market for him or her.
• The objective of a museum is showing the cultural and historical importance and the growth of a country to its residents as well as tourists.
• Type of Establishment:
• Gallery is a profit-based establishment.
• Museum is non-profit based establishment.
• Funds:
• The funds for the gallery are provided by an individual or a foundation in the hope of earning a profit.
• The funds for the museum are provided by the government or foundations or organizations without the hope of earning a profit.
• Visitor’s Goal:
• A person visits a gallery to get to know a new artist and buy the artwork if possible.
• A person visits a museum to get to know about a country or a special subject area.
• Making copies:
• Making copies of artwork is not allowed in a gallery.
• Making copies of artwork is allowed in a museum. Actually, it is a learning place for most new artists.
These are the differences between the two words, namely, gallery and museum.
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I live in Australia, where ‘gallery’ often refers to a not-for-profit or state-funded institution that acquires, stores and displays, but does not sell, works of art. We have the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, the the National Portrait Gallery, the State Gallery of South Australia, the Ballarat Art Gallery, etc. I always thought a gallery was a place where art is displayed, as opposed to a museum, where other kinds of historical items and artefacts are displayed – as in the National History Museum, the Technology Museum, etc. Also, it occurs to me that London has the Tate Gallery. So I’m querying your definition of the difference between a gallery and a museum.