On Tuesday, Feb. 24, the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center officially announced plans for its next temporary exhibition. The exhibition, titled “Tumblr in 2010: The Fandoms of our Lives,” will be an exploration of fanart on the website Tumblr throughout the 2010s. This rather unorthodox theme has come as a major shock to many museum stakeholders, particularly donors who fear what may happen to their generous gifts. This is of special concern given that there is not currently any 2010s Tumblr fanart in the Loeb’s collection, and it will surely be a huge expense to acquire enough pieces for the exhibit. These questions will go unanswered no longer, however. I’ve gotten access to all the details thanks to an anonymous whistleblower who reached out to me, as they “think this idea is really weird.”
Curator Phannie Wolfstar has been a long source of controversy in the museum world, thanks to her immense focus on erotic fandom art. She’s been quoted as saying, “Every museum is incredibly lacking in Tumblr art. I mean, that website is a veritable treasure trove of high quality art that’s never been displayed in person! We need to think more radically about what deserves space on a museum wall. Drawings of Dan and Phil in maid costumes have just as much artistic value as anything else.”
What has artistic value and what doesn’t is certainly debatable. What isn’t debatable, however, is that an exhibit of this nature is indeed a radical departure from what the Loeb has historically presented. My anonymous source, who we can refer to Secnarf Beol, warns us that this exhibition may not be as temporary as the Loeb wants us to believe.
“This goes way deeper, man,” Beol told me. “This isn’t just a few galleries for a few months. I mean, I could keep quiet if I was only going to have to look at the softcore Harry Potter prints and the weeb Thomas Jefferson stuff for a few months, but they want to take this bigger. Wayyy bigger. They want to replace everything in the Loeb.”
I know, I know, this may be shocking to all of you. Is this really a new era of the Loeb? Is it time to say goodbye to Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Stettheimer and hello to user drarry_daddy? Beol assures me that everything they say is true. But is this news so upsetting for everyone? Definitely not. Students have had all kinds of reactions, with some echoing Beol’s sentiments that this exhibition undermines all the art history and cultural value that the Loeb represents, but just as many saying that they welcome the change.
One student, Sam Destiel ’27, is ready for a mix up at the museum. “I mean, the Loeb has been displaying prominent works of artwork for the good of our academics and the broader community for forever. And honestly, why not display stuff that we all care about? Is there not room for both Rembrandt and Remus Lupin? Can we not learn from both Bucky Barnes watercolor paintings and the Hudson River School landscapes? I mean, who is even deciding what’s ‘good enough’ anyway? It’s not like just anyone could’ve done this art. Could you capture Dan Howell’s dimple perfectly? I think not. When God sings with her creations, will 2010s Tumblr artists not be part of the choir?”
When told about the rumor that the Loeb is considering replacing EVERYTHING in the collection with 2010s Tumblr art, Destiel’s smile spread even further across his face. “I think that’s a great idea! I mean, I get why people will be sad to see some of the other stuff go. I love oil paintings as much as the next guy. Still, at least it’ll be easy to confirm the Tumblr art displayed wasn’t created by proponents of slavery or homophobes. Can the same be said of everything in the Loeb right now?”
In a rarely granted interview, Phannie Wolfstar walked me through some of her thought process in planning the new exhibition. “Emma, I’m going to be frank. It is absolutely outrageous that people don’t regard 2010s Tumblr artists as just as good as any of those dead guys you learn about in ART 101. Do you know how hard it is to accurately depict what Captain Kirk would look like if he was goth and married to Spock? No, I didn’t think so.” Wolfstar continued, saying “For too long, art history has been a story of young people, especially young women, getting pushed out of the canon, disrespected, written off as “unserious” artists and excluded from the walls of museums. How many female artists do you think are displayed in art museums across the United States? In contrast, how many depictions of the naked young female form, created by older men of course, are on display in those same institutions? I want to be clear, this exhibit is far from silly. Why should this naked art be considered any less important than that naked art? I hope this exhibition is a chance for everyone who visits the museum to consider what art is to them and where that conception comes from. Also, I reallyyyy love Wolfstar art and not enough people talk about it anymore. So, that’s a pro for me too.”
When asked about the rumor that everything in the Loeb is going to be replaced with the best of the best 2010s Tumblr ship art, Wolfstar simply giggled and left me with a few last words: “Oh Emma … You know my motto … I never curate and tell!”
What the future holds for the Loeb, I can’t say for certain. What I can tell you is that this exhibition is sure to be provoking… in one way or another… for everyone. Until next time, dear readers, live long and prosper.