--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What's that Regina Spektor song? Museums…" description: "\"What's that Regina Spektor song? Museums are like mausoleums. Having your work in a museum is something we as artists aspire to, but I don't think that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/eric-drooker-12664_artist_what-s-that-regina-spektor-song-museums_2216880.jpg" --- # What's that Regina Spektor song? Museums are like… ![“What's that Regina Spektor song? Museums are like mausoleums. Having your work in a museum is something we as artists aspire to, but I don't think that's something we need to worry about while we're alive. Typically your work will end up in a museum after you're dead. And maybe that's the function…” quote by Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/eric-drooker-12664_artist_what-s-that-regina-spektor-song-museums_2216880.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/eric-drooker-12664_artist_what-s-that-regina-spektor-song-museums_2216880.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2d/eric-drooker-12664_artist_what-s-that-regina-spektor-song-museums_2216880.jpg) > “What's that Regina Spektor song? Museums are like mausoleums. Having your work in a museum is something we as artists aspire to, but I don't think that's something we need to worry about while we're alive. Typically your work will end up in a museum after you're dead. And maybe that's the function of a museum. It's an archive of your work after you're dead. But while we're alive, I like to see it in places where it's connected to day-to-day life and making a difference.” [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Museums preserve art after death, but artists prefer their work to engage everyday life while alive. **In simple terms:** Art should be alive now, not just stored for the future. Key Takeaway Create accessible art that impacts daily experiences. Themes art legacy public engagement mortality culture Mood thoughtful hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - public installations - community projects - temporary exhibitions - live performances - digital displays Key Concepts archiving presence social relevance Questions to Reflect On - What venues best connect art to daily life? - How can artists ensure lasting impact beyond museums? A Different Perspective Museums can become static, limiting contemporary relevance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Day life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-life/) [Like Mausoleums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-mausoleums-4931820/) [Making a difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-a-difference/) [Museum Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/museum-dead-4931821/) [Museums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/museums/) [Museums Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/museums-like-1198169/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Work Museum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-museum-1863103/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/) ## Related quotes > [ Typically your work will end up in a museum \[after\] you're dead. And maybe that's the function of a museum. It's an archive of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/typically-your-work-will-end-up-in-a-museum-after-you-re-dead-and/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [I think about that all of the time and I have this fantasy that I am going to work at a museum someday! I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-sui/i-think-about-that-all-of-the-time-and-i-have-this-fantasy-that-i-am/) [Anna Sui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-sui/) > [I've never seen a postcard of my work in a museum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wade-guyton/i-ve-never-seen-a-postcard-of-my-work-in-a-museum/) [Wade Guyton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wade-guyton/) > [I don't want to sound pretentious, but I love art, I like to go to museums, and I like to read books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainn-wilson/i-don-t-want-to-sound-pretentious-but-i-love-art-i-like-to-go-to/) [Rainn Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainn-wilson/) > [The museum in D.C. is really a narrative museum - the nature of a people and how you represent that story. Whereas the Studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-adjaye/the-museum-in-d-c-is-really-a-narrative-museum-the-nature-of-a-people/) [David Adjaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-adjaye/) > [Having your work in a museum is something we as artists aspire to, but I don't think that's something we need to worry about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/having-your-work-in-a-museum-is-something-we-as-artists-aspire-to-but/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [“I don't like museums, I like labs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-don-t-like-museums-i-like-labs/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Museums are like the quiet car of the world. It's a place you can come to escape, where there's authenticity, there's uniqueness, there's calm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-p-campbell/museums-are-like-the-quiet-car-of-the-world-it-s-a-place-you-can-come/) [Thomas P. Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-p-campbell/) > [The client isn't quite satisfied and then the prostitute is always unsatisfied but is doing it just to make ends meet. And if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/the-client-isn-t-quite-satisfied-and-then-the-prostitute-is-always/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [Individually, museums are fine institutions, dedicated to the high values of preservation, education and truth; collectively, their growth in numbers points to the imaginative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hewison/individually-museums-are-fine-institutions-dedicated-to-the-high/) [Robert Hewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hewison/) > [The Louvre! The Louvre has me in its clutches. Every time I'm there rich blessings rain down upon me. I am coming to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-modersohn-becker/the-louvre-the-louvre-has-me-in-its-clutches-every-time-i-m-there/) [Paula Modersohn-Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-modersohn-becker/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [I shot for French and British Vogue. The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/) [Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) ## More by Eric Drooker > [Everyone wants to be part of the 99%, even the cops are like, "No, no, man. I'm part of the 99% too." No one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/everyone-wants-to-be-part-of-the-99-even-the-cops-are-like-no-no-man/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [I think for an artist there are so many things to make pictures of now, that everyone else may be suffering, but at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/i-think-for-an-artist-there-are-so-many-things-to-make-pictures-of/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [In the U.S., ironically, people work longer hours in the U.S. than they do in Europe or in any other industrialized country. They seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/in-the-u-s-ironically-people-work-longer-hours-in-the-u-s-than-they/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [Americans didn't really have any experience with something as basic as "community."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/americans-didn-t-really-have-any-experience-with-something-as-basic/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [The trick is not to look back, but keep on expressing where I'm at now. It's challenging to create something new, so it's crucial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/the-trick-is-not-to-look-back-but-keep-on-expressing-where-i-m-at-now/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [Street posters allowed you to have the last word. If you put them up in your neighborhood, you were speaking to your neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/street-posters-allowed-you-to-have-the-last-word-if-you-put-them-up/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [Art makes people do a double take and then, if they're looking at the picture, maybe they'll read the text under it that says,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/art-makes-people-do-a-double-take-and-then-if-they-re-looking-at-the/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [There's so much tragedy in people that we see every day that we don't have to make anything up. We don't have to invent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/there-s-so-much-tragedy-in-people-that-we-see-every-day-that-we-don-t/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [The unusual thing about doing street poster art - or something with a conscious social critique in it - is that the artist thinks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/the-unusual-thing-about-doing-street-poster-art-or-something-with-a/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [Everything you do is political, even if it's abstract. You're making a political statement even if it's unwittingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/everything-you-do-is-political-even-if-it-s-abstract-you-re-making-a/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [By the time I was in my early-twenties and was living there on the Lower East Side, I was so surrounded by tragedy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/by-the-time-i-was-in-my-early-twenties-and-was-living-there-on-the/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [Street art is about as religious as I get - that's my faith, that even if people screen it out and didn't think they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/street-art-is-about-as-religious-as-i-get-that-s-my-faith-that-even/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [Illustrators are usually illustrating something big or commercial if not outright advertising. It's a form of prostitution, but that's cool because we don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/illustrators-are-usually-illustrating-something-big-or-commercial-if/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [The problem with prostitution in my experience is that it's often unsatisfying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/the-problem-with-prostitution-in-my-experience-is-that-it-s-often/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [There's the fact that animation is extremely time-consuming, tedious, labor-intensive, and therefore, extremely expensive as an art form to really do it right, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/there-s-the-fact-that-animation-is-extremely-time-consuming-tedious/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) [Explore all 54 Eric Drooker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What's that Regina Spektor song? Museums are like mausoleums. Having your work in a museum is something we as artists aspire to, but I don't think that's something we need to worry about while we're alive. Typically your work will end up in a museum after you're dead. And maybe that's the function of a museum. It's an archive of your work after you're dead. 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