Local: The museum business isn’t doing very well
Via Merle Widmer:
Museum problems have been mounting in recent years. Nichael Conforti, writes in today’s WSJ, “Hardly a day goes by without announcements by museums from Los Angeles to Detroit to New York of substantial reductions in programs, exhibitions, capital projects and staffing–collateral damage from a global financial drubbing that walloped museum donors, retail sales, and most critically, endowments.
Even the enormously wealthy J. Paul Getty Museum last month announced a job freeze and other cot cutting measures.” Poorly endowed are in dire situations in on the verge of going bust. Some have taken to selling donated offering which is a “no-no” in the museum business.
To call building a museum a stimulus to the community is more than likely to be a substantial financial drag on this community forever. Short term gains will look puny 5 years from now.
February 4th, 2009 at 12:05 am
And yet Peoria wants to spend millions for the CAT museum…
Why not just give me the money? It will still get blown, but at least we’ll get one hell of a party out of it…
February 4th, 2009 at 7:48 am
But… but…. It’s better here.
February 4th, 2009 at 8:23 am
But OURS is gonna be AWESOME!!!!!!111!!!!1!!! And cool museums make money!!!!1!!one!111
February 4th, 2009 at 8:34 am
I look forward to the IHSA exhibit cause you know that WILL be the highlight of the place….. after the tractors next door… and the iMax… and… um…. oh nevermind.
February 4th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Pssh, who wants a silly old museum anyway? Providing funding for centers of learning is so overrated. Just ask District 150.
February 4th, 2009 at 9:52 am
We were told in the County meeting last week that it was going to be a World Class Museum. Okay, I consider the J. Paul Getty as a World Class Museum and it is cutting back. So are many others around the country and even around the globe. So what is going to make our little one block museum so much greater than any others? Its all smoke and mirrors. And there are so many loop holes in the referendum that you could get tired jumping through them.
February 4th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Just to add something….
The Getty museum, and others around the country, are cutting funding because of the current economy. Is this a trend that has been coming for years and years now, not only during rough times?
OUR museum isn’t going to be up and running for a few years yet. For argument’s sake, wouldn’t it be fair to guess that the economy MIGHT be better off then, for this museum and others around the country?
That is my assumption.
February 5th, 2009 at 10:47 am
And Floyd takes the prize.