Selfie lovers, there’s good news and bad news, although for selfie-loathers, it could end up being bad news and good news.
Selfie “sticks,” those ubiquitous camera extender gadgets that allow cell phone camera users to take photos from a slightly longer view — also known as “narcissticks” — have been banned from the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and The Frick Pittsburgh, following a national trend among museums here and abroad. While that may come as bad news to selfie aficionados (and good news for the selfie-averse), selfies without sticks are still allowed.
“[The selfie stick-ban] just seems like common sense,” said Sarah Hall, director of curatorial affairs at the Frick, who said the museum changed its policy a few weeks ago to allow photography inside the galleries, but is continuing its existing rule against tripods, umbrellas and other pointy objects. “We don’t spell out a ban against selfie sticks, but it’s implied,” she said.
At the Carnegie, officials recently looked at its photography policies and decided that selfie sticks come under the existing ban on tripods and monopods, “because that’s what selfie sticks are, essentially,” said spokesman Jonathan Gaugler. “We welcome photography at the museum, but if you think about how you walk with an umbrella, there’s a potential for damage there,” he said, whether it’s poking out an eye in a Rembrandt or in a real person.
That kind of catastrophe has not happened at the Carnegie, but the museum isn’t taking any chances, Mr. Gaugler added. “It’s the same reason we prohibit backpacks of a certain size.”
While he has yet to see any visitors use selfie sticks in the galleries, Mr. Gaugler says the Carnegie welcomes the use of photography, “because what is most important is that visitors are enjoying themselves. And, in fact, we’ve seen fantastic photos on Instagram feeds taken by visitors to our galleries so we don’t regard photography, or selfies as a bad thing.”
The Frick, which actually has a new photography exhibition — “Impressionist to Modernist: Masterworks of Early Photography” — opening to the public on Saturday, changed its rules for the same reason.
“It really is an image-rich society, and taking photos are part of the museum experience people expect,” said Ms. Hall, noting that in the past, some art lenders had restrictions on what could be photographed. These days, when loans are negotiated, language that allows members of the public to take photographs is put in the contract.
At The Mattress Factory, however, there are no prohibitions against selfie sticks at all, said Samantha Strahota Paolo, the North Side museum’s communications and marketing director.
“The issue has just never come up,” said Ms. Strahota Paolo. She noted that The Mattress Factory, as a contemporary art museum noted for its room-sized installations, shows pieces that are meant to be walked into or have visitors close to, “so I don’t think we’re worried about a selfie stick damaging something.”
Mackenzie Carpenter: mcarpenter@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1949 or on Twitter @MackenziePG.
First Published: February 18, 2015, 5:00 a.m.
Updated: February 18, 2015, 5:31 a.m.
