Tour (noun): a long journey including the visiting of a number of places in sequence, esp. with an organized group led by a guide.

At the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, we don’t give tours, and this isn’t meant as a way to leave our viewers in the cold, instead it is to allow them the freedom to experience an exhibition on their own time. Now granted, there is a sort of sequence that the space of our building allows, but it is up to a visitor how long they will spend in front of a work of art. Do they wish to see what happens to the shade of blue on Mary Magdalene as a cloud passes across the sun? Or rather has the song they are singing in their head caused them to stop and look at Saint Jerome just a bit longer to ponder his more contemporary meanings. Or forget the artwork. Does the 3^rd hole from the northwest corner of Ando’s concrete match that of the 15^th hole on the north side of the building? (Some architects can tell you.) As gallery staff, we don’t have those answers for each viewer, the truth is that each viewer, whether in a group or solo has some personal interest that has brought them to our space. Since the Pulitzer is meant to be a laboratory and a sanctuary, it is our hope to allow each space to flesh that out for each visitor.

We have a bulk of educational groups that come through the Pulitzer galleries. Some just want to look, and some have assignments to fulfill.  It is our hope that Gallery Assistants can be both quiet and quite informative to each pursuit.

Occasionally the Pulitzer gets requests for visits outside of our public hours. It is understood that Wednesdays don’t always mesh well with school schedules, and we can make arrangements for other days as long as a couple weeks notice are given. These requests can be made via email or phone to me. I often arrange with other Grand Center Arts organizations, like the Contemporary or Craft Alliance, so that these groups can see multiple venues at these times. Then the students end up with a full tour of art and art genres, as well as a view of Grand Center.

We love groups and we love to try and accommodate for each as their needs arise, but a little advance notice is well-appreciated if you are wishing to experience the galleries at an unusual time or under unusual circumstances…aka, you are a group of traveling jugglers who like to juggle precariously close to Old Master paintings.