Doing more with less and rethinking the museum, its mission and relevance were prominent themes for American museums in 2009. Finding new audiences and keeping old ones, finding new sources of revenue in a difficult economic climate, and generating popular programs in the face of decreasing assets are the greatest challenges for the future. Museums of all disciplines are searching for strategies to remain afloat and to find their footing in the struggling economy. Some institutions, like the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles survived only through a bailout from a major donor while other institutions tightened their belts, streamlined their staffs and worked hard to reach out to their communities with new programs that stretched their missions and enticed visitors. "People bring museums to life," Pulitzer Prize winning art critic Holland Cotter reminded us in an article in the New York Times.
Dr. Joseph Scelsa, Ph.D. President and Chief Executive Officer of the Italian American Museum, New York.
Joseph V. Scelsa is a licensed mental health counselor in New York State and has spent the majority of his professional career - 35 years - in academia. Now he is the president and chief executive officer of the Italian American Museum which recently opened in the heart of New York City's historic Little Italy.
The Museum of American Finance has from its beginning, thrived in the midst of crisis.
The museum was founded after the Stock Market Crash of 1987, inspired by the lack of institutional memory and the need for historical and educational resources to put financial upheavals in context. In the wake of 9/11, the museum took on a new and expanded role as the public face of the New York Stock Exchange, which closed its visitors' center due to security concerns. And, in the recent months of financial turmoil and uncertainty, the museum has experienced a renewed surge of public interest.
The end of the calendar year is a clear opportunity for reviewing major trends and developments in cultures, businesses and organizations. And for museums, which are both the guardians of the past and the harbingers of the future, introspective and retrospective analysis is both familiar and essential. Looking back, 2008 saw new patterns evolving in museum administration and development that may well have long-lasting effects.
Dr. Carol B. Stapp, Ph.D., Director of the Museum Education Program at The George Washington University discusses the future of museums as educational tools
Dr. Carol Stapp knows what goes into the formation of a successful museum as well as a successful mind. With over 30 years experience the winner of the AAM's Excellence in Practice Award for 2007 has been instrumental in furthering the engagement between museums and the communities they serve.
From the Bible to Bond and beyond, the International Spy Museum presents the true life stories and incredible artifacts employed in the shadowy world of espionage.
Opened in July 2002 after several years of development, the International Spy Museum takes visitors on an exhilarating tour full of intrigue, deception, and betrayal, while providing a thorough understanding of the important role espionage and intelligence gathering has played throughout history.
Newseum is back and it’s bigger and better than ever! In fact the new Newseum is hard to ignore. The front facade includes a 74-foot-high, 50-ton Tennessee marble tablet etched with the words of the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. An expansive window setback in the center of the facade frames a gigantic, 40” X 22” media screen. The combined effect of these structural elements evokes thoughts of a television and what better way to capture the attention of young people than through television?
Interview with Mark Ryan VP of Collections and Registration Plains Art Museum, Fargo, North Dakota 2007 Nancy Hanks Memorial Award Recipient
In a decade long career that has brought him to a wide array of places such as Wyoming, Texas, New Hampshire, Alabama, North Dakota and back again, Mark Ryan has found a home at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo.
Newseum is back and it’s bigger and better than ever!
Interview with Mark Ryan