Love letter from a security guard to the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Welcome to Art Angle, an Artnet News podcast that dives into the places where the art world meets the real world, bringing each week’s biggest story to earth. Join us each week for an in-depth look at what matters most in museums, the art market and more, with input from our own writers and editors, as well as leading artists, curators and other experts in the field.

It’s every art lover’s dream. Being alone, after hours, inside one of the most august art museums in the world. Far from the throngs of selfie-wielding tourists and the din of crowds, there’s just you and the masterpieces.

That dream was a reality during author Patrick Bringley’s ten years as caretaker at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and he shares that experience (and more) in his new book. Title All the beauty in the world (The Metropolitan Museum and me)the book chronicles the day-to-day realities of working at one of the world’s most popular and busiest institutions, and is also a deeply personal story and love letter to the Met.

From getting to know virtually every corner of the sprawling institution, getting a front row seat, installing and displaying the world’s first art collection, learning to identify with and commune with all types of visitors, and forging relationships with the tribe of fellow blue-suited guards he’s come to know and love.

This week on the podcast, Bringley speaks candidly with Senior Market Reporter Eileen Kinsella about how her time at the museum intertwined with her personal life, beginning with the tragic loss of an older brother to cancer, and ultimately finding love and starting a family, all against the backdrop of her second home at the museum.