This article will discuss why does culture influence art and what can we as practitioners do to foster and use that influence.

In the world of museums, curators can rely on public relations experts to create a museum's image. However, behind that image is the work of many artists and artisans, and the arts rely on that work and a healthy and nourished cultural environment to survive.

As a consequence of that symbiotic relationship, artistic work often benefits from a more authentic and credible environment, for example in museums.

Often, museums and exhibitions provide a brief cultural value and understanding about a culture, society and history. This value, displayed, brought to life in many ways, fosters more mutual understanding and appreciation among the cultures involved.

This helps to create greater cultural sharing among all those participating, as well as the wider public.

An example of this is the recent Mozart exhibit at the Vienna State Opera. The opera house chose Mozart to illustrate the Austrian spirit of optimism and support for the arts, and the exhibit included Mozart's "The Magic Flute."

The exhibit also included the filming location of a scene from the 1946 movie "The Sound of Music" and the gift shop sold fans made of the actual "Ventis" costumes that Julie Andrews wore in the movie.

The exhibit highlighted the artistic achievements of Mozart and his operas, and showed the connection to Austria and Austria's culture.

It gave the history of the opera house and explained how a young, upstart Mozart had entered a world dominated by the Italian opera world, and it introduced the opera to Austrians.

The exhibit was not a historically based, professionally produced display of Mozart as a great composer and artist.

Instead, it was created to appeal to the Vienna public and give them a glimpse of Austria and Austria's art and culture. Mozart is seen as a cultural hero and ambassador.

Curators and managers of cultural institutions, or curators of contemporary art galleries, are well-educated about the various social and artistic facets that help to create a culture, and they can direct these to their exhibits to create the effect they seek.

However, once a certain exhibit or gallery is opened, culture will often take over, and interpretation of art becomes subjective and personal.

This happens in every art gallery and museum. When a space becomes more comfortable to view art, people will see it in a different way.

It is understandable why a public exhibition, or gallery, becomes an expression of individuals as opposed to a museum display. Visitors can be in a state of excitement or nervousness about seeing art in a different way and not knowing how they will respond.

Sometimes, when an artwork is selected for the museum or gallery, art curators don't have the time or resources to show an artwork with all of the accompanying explanatory content.

Thus, curators choose a simple and elegant statement for the exhibit. They also consider public opinion about what is popular and how those items might be perceived.

It is sometimes thought that the term "understated" should be used more when describing certain artworks. However, sometimes the labels on artwork aren't what distinguishes art and culture from something else.

Artworks in a museum should be more than just pretty pictures or words.

While art is art and should be visible, it also needs to have something to say and be respectful of its cultural context.

However, a museum or art gallery displays work that is true to its culture and the artists involved, and displays the work without taking on a dominant cultural symbol.

Conversely, no space is sterile. There will be empty space, and space is not used to say more about the location or a particular event.

Sometimes the museum or gallery space just displays art without naming the artists or creating an atmosphere of importance.

This absence of meaningful context can confuse an audience and make them feel something, but there is no implication that the audience is empowered.

This can also be the case in museums that hold the work of a famous artist or several different artists at once. When a museum has a long list of artists on the wall, it can be easy for an audience member to get lost in the works.

Sometimes an attendee will know or remember one or two, but a great deal of the pieces on display don't make a big impression, but simply allow viewers to view a work of art.

Art exhibits need to be more than a visual experience. It's not about what someone sees and how they feel about the art. It's about the effort that an artist makes to express themselves.

Without that effort, the piece may not be effective in conveying its creator's message.