See last updates for SF MoMA response and others' reactions.
See very last updates for:
More proof that this is not a fluke, not a "Hawk" or "Blint" issue, but a disturbing national trend that should transcend partisan politics in my opinion.
Recently I blogged about my excitement regarding the San Francisco MOMA's decision to begin allowing photography in their permanent collection after years of maintaining a closed no photography policy. Directly because of this change in policy, I decided to purchase a family membership in order to support the museum, both with my artistic energy and financially. I was excited to begin spending regular time exploring and documenting the museum.
...
After purchasing my family membership and visiting the museum today I was forcibly thrown out of the museum by two museum security guards at the direction of the Director of Visitor Relations Simon Blint...
FriendFeed had three very impassioned conversations:
1. Thomas Hawk's FriendFeed discussion
2. Jeremiah Owyang's FriendFeed discussion
3. Cyndy's FriendFeed discussionThomas Hawk's skewering of Simon Blint: Thomas is a community leader (and photo site CEO) he needs to wield his power with responsibility. Tagging Simon Blint and "*sshole" has damaged his online reputation for years on end, and will likely impact job screenings.
When FriendFeed Creates a Mob
SFist covered the incident (thanks, Brock!)
...Hawk talked to Blint who (allegedly) told him "he did not care" and that he needed to "protect" his employees -- employees that might appear in my photographs." Hawk goes on to say, "I was not shooting with a tripod. I was not shooting with a flash."
Was Blint, in fact, being an *sshole? Was Hawk putting up a pissy fight, which led to his ejection? We don't know yet. But we think banning of any type of photography is inane, especially if you work in the arts.
But what say you? Should photographers be subject to this kind of harassment? Or does Blint deserve a serious tongue lashing?
BoingBoing didn't miss the story.
Robbo sez, "Thomas Hawk was forcibly removed from the San Francisco MOMA by two security guards at the direction of the over-zealous Simon Blint, Director of Visitor Relations. How ironic is that? Why? Taking photos in the atrium. SF MOMA policy on this? Their own web site specifically allows photography in the atrium. Hawk had also previously confirmed this personally with Thea Stein in the Marketing and Communications Department of the museum...
Consumerist covered it as well.
Despite What Their Website Says, Taking Pictures In San Francisco's Museum Of Modern Art Is Cause For Ejection
The Guardian covered it. Oh dear, it crossed the pond. Unexpected, to say the least.
The power of the Hawk is a problem for SF-MoMA
Throwing the esteemed Thomas Hawk out on his ear is not the way to win friends and influence people
It was the top story on Digg.com on Saturday.
Takeaways (not done yet, in progress, subject to change)
- SF MoMA is apparently clarifying its policies, not re-banning photography (add links)
- Mistakes were made: Hawk & Blint (links)
- Blog & "web2.0" commentators are opinionated (links)
- Blog commentators are lazy (links)
- You can't win: online activism is ineffectual, or a mob (links)
- Character assassins often don't disclose personal motivations (profit motives)
- Allegations of pseudonyms being a cowardly shield, easily falsifiable here (links)
- Allegations of perversity, child abuse and privacy violations still pervade
- Even the least noisy conversations have a very wide difference of opinon (friendfeed links)
- Pervasive tendency is subjectivity, not objectivity; big picture reduced to a thousand tiny icons
- Definitions of public v. private space, rights and violations, still an issue
- If Photography is a privacy violation, why is there wide acceptance of surveillance cameras?
Some of my comments are gathered here:
Disclaimer:
I've concluded that I was confused as to whether "galleries" includes the permanent collection, or refers to the "special exhibits." My initial impression was that the change in policy would allow for photography of the stuff that's owned outright by the SF MoMA. Apologies for any confusion, and perhaps this would be a point of clarification, i.e. if photography of any "exhibited" piece is disallowed, say so. Perhaps discuss stairs, hallways, elevated walkways, etc., as these are not "galleries," may not be part of the "atrium" and yet provide unique vantage points from which to take photos (of the architecture.)
FYI, even though I understand it's not a Thomas v. Simon issue: an anonymous commenter claims to have worked with Simon before: "I worked with this douche at ZEUM one block down from SF MoMA. I can attest to his short temper and general lack of people skills. He found no trouble in bullying the teens who worked there."
"Director of visitor relations" is a poor match for his behavior. He should apologize, resign, or try to otherwise repair the situation. Since it's a PR-related job, he seems uniquely unfit and uneducated about the causes and effects of negative PR. He'll probably have a "rich learning experience" though.
Oh, and one more thing to all of you
thatwho are trying to make this an issue of Hawk's or Blint's character, I think the real issue stems from trumped up "security" meant to keep us "safe."All sorts of power-tripping security guards and police have become accustomed to people immediately accepting restricted rights with the magic words "post 9/11."The reason it is such a hot-button issue is that most people have not pushed back against the Patriot act and all it (theoretically) allows law enforcement to restrict.
But sure, go right ahead and make this a "Diva" vs. "Employee" issue. And may thee forever lack moisturizer on thine inglorious vacations.
Thank you ScribeGuy, and I agree. Do not however expect me to defend whatever you may come across in the commentary on Digg or BoingBoing even. The bigger the blog, the more vitriol, undoubtedly. So, let's try to keep this to the issues, away from personalities, and focus on actions, ethics, policies and the larger picture. I try to leave the internets a little better than I found them, and I hope others do too!
Indeed, I missed your July post. However, "late to the party" I feel is inaccurate. Thomas Hawk wrote in the first person, and that of course is the best way to justify attention-grabbing rhetoric. In the end, many things conspired to make this story "pop." Don't feel bad, Steve! P.S. I like your moxie!
But wait, that's not all! Flickr had a discussion underneath the above photo and this one too.
Bert P. Krages II, Attorney at Law, on legal issues around photography: The Photographer’s Right
UPDATE: Mr. Hawk added another post and photo with additional commentary on this matter...
More on the Whole Simon Blint Fiasco
Mr. Hawk's second FriendFeed discussion is here.
UPDATE: Steve Hodson of WinExtra chimes in...
No Offence Thomas Hawk But You’re Coming Late To The Party
Steve's FriendFeed discussion is here.
UPDATE: Duncan Riley says...
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Duncan's FriendFeed discussion is here.
UPDATE: Carlos Miller, a Miami photographer, has a personal interest in this topic.
Hawk, in fact, was one of the bloggers who not only wrote about my arrest last year, but also contacted the Miami Police Department seeking more information, including obtaining and posting the arrest report which was filled with contradictions.
UPDATE: Simon Reed defends Simon Blint (peppered with ad hominem attacks on Mr. Hawk).
Imagine going in to work one day, putting in your time, and coming home to find yourself the target of a massive internet slime campaign. This is the current situation faced by Simon Blint, head of visitor services at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
UPDATE:
Applying Circuit Breakers to a Social Media Mob Mentality
Cyndy Aleo-Carreira has a good post out today, When FriendFeed Creates a Mob
UPDATE: Mona N. couldn't stand the suspense and actually picked up a phone.
Meanwhile, in other Non-Gmail Related News.. I Called SF MOMA
Mona's FriendFeed discussion is here.
UPDATE: SF MoMA Responds:
UPDATE: Justin Korn reported on the SF MoMA response
As Justin said, there's a lively FriendFeed discussion on the response here.
UPDATE: Duncan Riley of the Inquisitr has more to say: State of Fear
UPDATE: Candace Holly also has this: 4 Ways to Better Handle the Public...I don’t want to dwell on the points of the case, but the whole thing raises something far more concerning for society as a whole: that today we live in a state of fear. A fear that a person taking pictures is a pervert, a pedophile or even a terrorist...
UPDATE: Destiny from 10 Zen Monkeys: Thomas Hawk Versus Rent-a-cops...there are ways to handle a situation like that without making a public spectacle of it. Whether they were in the wrong or not doesn’t matter at this point. Four key things were not handled well at all...
Related FriendFeed discussion is here.
...Is there a new controversy over photography itself — and the blogger at the center of the issue? And has Friday's incident snowballed into a larger debate about technology, privacy, and the conduct of security guards?...
UPDATE: Carlos Miller, Amtrak contest: Amtrak photo contestant arrested by Amtrak police in NYC’s Penn Station - OUCH! Carlos' link died. See below.
Armed with his Canon 5D and his new Lensbaby lens, photographer Duane Kerzic set out to win Amtrak’s annual photo contest this week, hoping to win $1,000 in travel vouchers and have his photo published in Amtrak’s annual calendar. He ended up getting arrested by Amtrak police; handcuffed to a wall in a holding cell inside New York City’s Penn Station, accused of criminal trespass.
UPDATE: Duane's post on his situation, and plea for action:
Amtrak Police Harassment Of Duane Kerzic For Photography In Pennsylvania Station New York On December 21, 2008
Related Post: Illegal Proposition: Abuse and Damage the Source (Letter to Lessig)
Related Post: Unbridgeable Chasm: Lane Hartwell & The Richter Scales
UPDATE: Michael reminds me: Leo started streaming live video in early 2008.
2008 As I See IT - Nice Fish Films | Michael Sean Wright
What was the biggest “story” of 2008 for me? It wasn’t the meltdown in the financial markets, the forced inevitability of political change or company A introducing exciting product. This was the year of us SEEING network differently. One of the great innovators in social-tech is Leo Laporte, he puts ideas into action daily. This year over 271,000 people watched his live streaming “24-Hours of the iPhone." These are truly staggering numbers. More people were watching Leo live than were tuned into MSNBC at that moment. Laporte has assembled his own DIY television network. His “netcasts” are heard by hundreds of thousands. He’s figured out how to make this social-net work. While you will see many stories of social-tool A, B or C in the year-end re-caps, they have forgotten the BIG story of the year. Leo Laporte changed the reality of what can be done on the socialnet. Take notice: The Revolution has happened this year. It wasn’t Televised - it was streamed, for free.
UPDATE: Economy Crashes, Leo Keeps Going
A shocking round of economic catastrophes dominated the news in the fall and winter of 2008. Revision3 cut loose Sarah Lane and Martin Sargent, of Pop Siren and Internet Superstar. They appear to have at least a temporary home at the TWiT cottage, to acquire new skills and/or work on their next show. Leo's pragmatic, low-key business strategy coupled with openness and generosity are what endear him to so many.
Original Post:
Possibly the most well-known name in independent tech broadcasting, Leo Laporte is launching a low-key and yet bold move into internet television.
The TWiT.tv family of shows is going to go video, and Leo recently said he was planning to start with 25 hours a week of video programming. You tell me if that's a promise or a threat. He's been exploring tech options and I've watched some video via twitlive.tv Saturday and Sunday from 11AM onward. Leo is building out his office into a small studio, purchasing cameras and lights and talking about it during the process, as he did recently on episode 140 of TWiT.
Leo has a long history in broadcasting and his close pals from the defunct Tech TV include John Dvorak, Patrick Norton, Kevin Rose and D. L. Prager. Amber Macarthur, Steve Gibson, Paul Thurrott, Merlin Mann and Andy Ihnatko all do shows on the TWiT network, and the Buzz crew Molly Wood and Tom Merritt are frequent guests, as are Veronica Belmont, Jason Calacanis and Robert Scoble. Leo has had some great "gets" over the years, including such internet-famous persons as The Woz.
Leo runs a small empire which isn't swimming in debt and seems to make enough money that talent and rent are paid by donations, appropriate advertisers, and well-done interstitials. In stark contrast to the standard raising of a butt-load of money from VCs and having a burn-rate that isn't necessarily sustainable, Leo has a more pragmatic and less risky approach.
Leo is the underdog mogul. He's got the numbers, the experience, the personal brand, the industry contacts, and the good will of a huge audience. He's nobody's fool and a genuine nice guy whose likely success no-one will begrudge. I admit, I'll be watching with some fascination how Leo's foray into TV plays out over the next months.
Video podcaster Dave Mora did this interview with me after the KGO Live event last weekend. He recorded it with a Flip camera. Thanks, Dave!
UPDATE: December 23, 2008
Sousa Family Sues SF, SF Zoo Over Wrongful Death (SFist.com)
... the victim's family sued the city of San Francisco and the San Francisco Zoo today for wrongful death....According to reports, Marilza and, Carlos' parents, claim that "the zoo and the city, as owners of Tatiana, the Siberian tiger that jumped over its enclosure and mauled Sousa and two of his friends, are liable for Sousa's death, according to their attorney Michael Cardoza." The bumbling Dhaliwal brothers, Carlos' "friends," were also injured when the Tatiana jumped out of her pit. Word is the brothers, while drunk and/or high, taunted the tiger, which prompted the attack. Allegedly.
One person was killed and two were injured at the zoo on Christmas day.
A large tiger escaped and was later killed as it mauled a victim. Police are continuing to search the area for other possible victims. The zoo is closed today.
San Francisco Chronicle -
Investigation continues into fatal tiger attack at S.F. zoo
Entries from SFist tagged with 'tiger'
All for the want of a freakin photo of Owen Thomas.
UPDATE (Dec. 2008): I found a copy of the video at the center of this controversy. Judge for yourself! (Original music video using a Billy Joel song and various internet images)
- Video (2:45): Here Comes Another Bubble - The Richter Scales (via "antifreeze")
See Also:
Copyright, fair use and the struggle against online image misappropriation (Law Geek)
Nalts Fans the Flames of Online Civil War (Mashable)
- A flashconf on fair use? (Scripting News)
Stopping a Civil War - A Civil War is Brewing (Furrier.org)
- Illegal Proposition: Abuse and Damage the Source (Letter to Lessig)
This post was written in December of 2007, but one year later, the video is still missing from YouTube; copyright and "fair use" of images remains an issue in spite of Lessig's efforts, and those of Creative Commons.
- Let's assume: high-resolution digital media should be licensed, "paid for" and not pirated.
- For lo-fi photos, lo-fi audio, etc. we could make use and re-use "free", "low flat fee" or "attribution only".
There have been successes making things free or very cheap, letting crowds and time do their magic. Then later you make money in sheer volume, in the tell-all book, the director's cut, the audio re-master, or the glossy magazine cover.
Ms. Hartwell should not have needed to yank all her photos; perhaps she could have replaced them with lo-fi versions, her name inside the image frame, and never made public her hi-res collections.
Most people should still use lo-res public galleries so people know where to go if they do want the "good stuff". Unless, of course, you have all the fancy rich clients you need, and don't care whether new people discover you.
The music industry has missed this exact opportunity as well:
(thanks to Alex Lindsay of PixelCorps.tv for providing a crucial piece long ago)
- Very-lo-fi DRM-free audio tracks everywhere
- Two levels of paid-for service: normal (limited hi-fi), or premium all-you-can-eat
- Playlists then make sense, because playlists should always "just work", and be portable
- Missing track is a thing of the past
- Lo-fi track is what happens when you are cheap or are trying before buying.
- General Solution: Make lo-fi versions of most every photo and audio track available, for free or very low cost, and make it easy for "creatives" to pay to license hi-res media, be it one photo, ten seconds of music, etc.
- Benefit: things don't have to be "taken down", just replaced with lo-fi versions where people haven't paid creators or gotten permission.
This could enable a whole bunch of non-commercial activity, and should the Richter Scales start becoming commercial, they'd license the work or get permission, maybe share royalty. If they used the photo out of laziness, and don't care about the fidelity, I think the argument leans toward their side. Maybe there weren't other recent photos of the "new media d***-bag" (Owen Thomas).
One shouldn't find the hi-res media by searching. One shouldn't find lo-res either if one is going to be sued or taken down after the fact. Perhaps this is Wired's fault? The implication is that Ms. Hartwell's snapshot is worth more than the final music video, which I refute. How can we let a lot of hard work and talent go down the (you) tubes because the rules favor accusers, corporations and lawyers and provide no clarity, no recourse, no compromise, no simple legal guidelines for simple artistic goals.
(I should mention here that Ms. Hartwell was very aware of the large number of views they were getting. She may feel robbed, but others may feel extorted)
I think what angers some is that briefly showing a likeness, photo and subject not unusual or artistic, requires a pre-negotiated license. I do not think it reasonable to make a career of selling licenses to use ordinary (in this case) pictures of people that you* have access to and others don't.
That would put you* half-way toward becoming a paparazzo, wouldn't it? A paparazzo who doesn't have to compete and has the cooperation of the "celebrities." These are big celebrities only in their small insular world.
We aren't talking Princess Di and Dodi, fer cryin' out loud!
you* is a "hypothetical" you.
I've been given an "Editor's Review," and with assistance from two other Wikipedians, I've learned a good deal about both Wikipedia and encyclopedic writing.
This is the biography as of December 8, 2008.
(All but the external and citation links take you to Wikipedia)
Sarah Cahill (pianist)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sarah Cahill, an American pianist born in Washington, D.C., is a long-time resident of Berkeley, California. She is best known for performances of new works, many of them written for her. Cahill has also established a reputation as a writer on music and as a radio-show host.
Background
Born into a musical and academic family in Washington, D.C., at the age of five Sarah Cahill moved to California when her father, James Cahill became Professor of Chinese Art History at U. C. Berkeley. [1] Her father owned an extensive collection of records, including rare historical recordings of composers and pianists such as Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Bartok, Artur Schnabel, Walter Gieseking and Clara Haskil.
Cahill began her formal piano studies at the age of six, and at seven
she began studying with Sharon Mann. By twelve she was performing
concertos with several local orchestras. At sixteen she was invited to Sommermusikwochen, a chamber music festival in Trogen, Switzerland where she played Bach’s D major Toccata. Skipping her final year of high school she went directly to the San Francisco Conservatory where Adams composed China Gates for her. She finished her academic studies at the University of Michigan where she continued her musical training with Theodore Lettvin.
Cahill has written music reviews for Gramophone Explorations, Historical Performance, ClassicsToday.com, Grove’s Dictionary and other international publications, and liner notes for recordings by John Adams, Terry Riley, and others. In 1985 she became the music critic for the East Bay Express and has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle, the Village Voice Literary Supplement, and others.
Biography
Cahill is a renowned performer of new American music who has commissioned, premiered and recorded numerous works for solo piano. [1][2][3][4][5][6] Compositions dedicated to her include John Adams’ China Gates, Frederic Rzewski’s Snippets 2, Pauline Oliveros’ Quintuplets Play Pen, and Kyle Gann's Private Dances and On Reading Emerson. She has also premiered works by Lou Harrison, Terry Riley, Evan Ziporyn, Julia Wolfe, Ingram Marshall, Ursula Mamlok, George Lewis, Leo Ornstein and many others.
In late 2008 and 2009 Cahill developed and performed a new project known under two titles A Sweeter Music, and Notes on the War: The Piano Protests, where she asked composers for piano music on the subject of peace. The second title was printed in the New York Times, but was not Cahill's original title. [7][8] Commissioned composers include Preben Antonsen, Michael Byron, Paul Dresher, Ingram Marshall, Jerome Kitzke, Mamoru Fujieda, Kyle Gann, Peter Garland, Phil Kline, Jerome Kitzke, Meredith Monk, Pauline Oliveros, Yoko Ono, Larry Polansky, Bernice Johnson Reagon, The Residents, Terry Riley, Frederic Rzewski and Carl Stone.
Projects developed previously by Cahill include Playdate, a group of commissioned pieces about childhood combined with classical works; the commission of an evening of new scores for four hands by Terry Riley, performed with pianist Joseph Kubera; and a concert of recent Italian music, featuring premieres by Luciano Chessa, Andrea Morricone, and others. [9]
Another of Cahill's projects is Bay Area Pianists, an organization she founded in 1993. In 1996, in association with New Music Bay Area, Cahill created the annual Garden of Memory walk-through concert at the Julia Morgan-designed Chapel of the Chimes wherein audience members move through the environment with new music ensembles performing simultaneously throughout the spaces. [10] In 2003 she co-curated the Berkeley Edge Fest at Cal Performances.
As a radio personality Cahill has hosted weekly radio shows on the classical and contemporary music scenes on both KPFA 94.1FM in Berkeley, where her program was cited as "One of the 100 Best Things in the Bay Area" by Citysearch magazine, and on KALW 91.7FM in San Francisco.
Cahill investigated the impact early 20th-century American modernists had on the composers of her time and explored these influences in concert programs at the Miller Theater at Columbia University, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Galapagos Art Space in New York City, Spoleto Festival USA, the Phillips Collection, the Freer Gallery (part of the Smithsonian Piano 300 gala), and at the Other Minds festival in San Francisco. She has also performed at the Nuovi Spazi Musicali festival at the American Academy in Rome, the Santa Fe New Music Series, and at the Pacific Crossings Festival in Tokyo, Japan.
Cahill is married to the filmmaker John Sanborn; together they are raising their daughter Miranda.
Selected discography
- Miroirs and Gaspard de la Nuit by Maurice Ravel (2002) New Albion #NA096
- New Music: Piano Compositions by Henry Cowell (2003) New Albion #NA103
- Long Night by Kyle Gann (2005) Cold Blue #CB0019
References
- ^ a b Snap, Martin. Tribute to a teacher: Show honors art historian. Oakland Tribune. 2007-04-27. URL:http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20070427/ai_n19063655. Accessed: 2008-12-01. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5cjqMy5LE)
- ^ Kosman, Joshua. Avant-garde concert melds laptop, traditional piano fare. San Francisco Chronicle. 2008-12-01. Page E11. URL:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/11/05/DDGDJ9LL7P1.DTL. Accessed: 2008-12-01. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ckhkBQXI)
- ^ Butts, Mickey. A Séance for the Ear. San Francisco Classical Voice. 2007-02-27. URL:http://www.sfcv.org/arts_revs/otherminds2_2_27_07.php. Accessed: 2008-12-01. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ckizshVg)
- ^ Alburger, Mark. The Attraction of the New. San Francisco Classical Voice. 2008-12-01. URL:http://www.sfcv.org/arts_revs/noevalley_1_30_07.php. Accessed: 2008-12-01. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5cklipKcf)
- ^ Kuderna, Jerry. Contemporary Cantabile. San Francisco Classical Voice. 2006-05-09. URL:http://www.sfcv.org/arts_revs/cahill_5_9_06.php. Accessed: 2008-12-01. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ckppTLYT)
- ^ Ross, Alex. Dreams and séances. The New Yorker. 2005-11-01. URL:http://www.therestisnoise.com/2005/11/i_just_had_an_a.html. Accessed: 2008-12-01. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5ckhqwqB2)
- ^ Mike, SF. Sarah Cahill's Sweeter Music. sfciviccenter.blogspot.com. 2008-09-13. URL:http://sfciviccenter.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah-cahills-sweeter-music.html. Accessed: 2008-12-01. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5cjrp0pkE)
- ^ Kozinn, Allan. When Downtown Comes Uptown. The New York Times. 2008-09-07. Page AR69, New York edition. URL:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/arts/music/07kozi.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink. Accessed: 2008-12-01.
- ^ The Petaluma Post. Three Dance Palace Evenings Feature Storytelling And Fun. The Petaluma Post. 2005-01-01. URL:http://www.petalumapost.com/Jan%2005%20Galleys/04.pdf. Accessed: 2008-12-01. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5cjuxX8Rs)
- ^ Kosman, Joshua. Chapel of the Chimes a natural fit for a musical game of hide-and-seek. San Francisco Chronicle. 2007-06-19. Page D1. URL:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/19/DDG47QGA4R1.DTL. Accessed: 2008-12-01. (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/5cjvokDrt)
External links
- Sarah Cahill's website
- Sarah Cahill is a New Albion artist
- "Berkeley Edge Fest". Retrieved on March 25, 2007.
dianachen and ScribeGuy, I'm glad you signed up to SFist just to comment about the incident. It's too bad Blint or other SF MoMA person hasn't spoken up. So, thanks for giving your opinions. Someone else who has worked with Blint did not have kind things to say. I find the less agreeable sites engage in character assassination on both sides. Perhaps you aren't finding the best conversations.
RobinSF, you are a piece of work. Photography w/o flash is allowed in the permanent collection, atrium is OK always, if you use a flash in the atrium it must be a hand held point-and-shoot. While the policy is imprecise and ambiguous, you manage to completely miss the intent. Can YOU read? Do YOU know flash photography can damage the pieces? Do you seriously think they are mandating the use of a flash in the atrium? Does the point-and-shoot restriction refer to the Atrium, or the use of flash? Go ahead, rant some more, it's entertaining.