Displayed Art and Performed Music: Selective Innovation and the Structure of Artistic Media

Aesthetic innovation in symphony orchestras and art museums is strongly influenced by the fundamental structure of the art forms with which each institution is associated. Music depends on time, visual art on space; while music is ephemeral, painting and sculpture consist of concrete objects. These structural differences have implications for the organizations: costs, expectations of growth and patronage sources. Most important, just as museums are constrained to feature innovative works, performed music institutions are constrained to avoid them. Examining orchestras and art museums reveals the connections among specific art forms, organizational structures and aesthetic outcomes.