State Senator Speaks Out About Arts in Education

State Senator Jose M. Serrano blogs about the importance of arts in education.

Who Are the Game Changers?

Who do you think are *game changers* in the museum biz right now? These are folks who not only mixing up the way museums interpret collections and connect with the public, but they're also the ones figuring out how to sustain new ways of doing business.

Nominations?

A New Economic Model for Museums?

Andrew Taylor’s blog post, Rethinking Arts Economies and Arts Exchange, introduces Stolen Chair Theatre's new initiative to support new works. Instead of grants and traditional subscriptions, they propose a community support system modeled on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

Like the CSA model, Stolen Chair hopes to build a membership community, a "CST", which would provide 'seed' money for the company's development process and then reap a year's worth of theatrical harvests. The organization has received a grant to create the model as part of The Field's Economic Revitalization for Performing Artists (ERPA) initiative.

Writes Taylor, “Is unprofitable theater (or other arts endeavor) a charity, a community resource, an entitlement, a labor of love, or some combination thereof? Whatever we choose as our cluster of definitions, it will be helpful to align our business models and our resource strategies accordingly.”

New York State Museums in Conversation Conference: Call for Participation

What Inspires You? is the theme for the 2010 Upstate History Alliance/MANY conference, scheduled for April 11-13, at the Albany Marriott, Wolf Road in Albany.

We all take inspiration from many ­ sometimes unlikely ­ sources. In continuing the conversation format of last year's conference (the largest gathering of museum professionals in NY State), UHA and MANY seek discussion proposals that focus on what inspires you about the work of others, be they museums, libraries, nature centers or parks, small or big businesses. What have you seen that's been so great, so innovative, so enterprising, so adaptable, and so fun that you want to talk about it with your colleagues?

We welcome proposals from a wide range of institutions and practitioners, within and outside the museum community, to encourage lively discussions that offer new perspectives on our work and create new connections to each other.

Submitting a Proposal
The deadline for submitting a proposal is November 2, 2009. Proposals must be submitted electronically, as an email attachment to stephanie@upstatehistory.org
Visit www.upstatehistory.org/services/conferences/conference.html to download the proposal form and for more information. The program committee will review proposals and decisions will be made by the mid November.

Questions?
If you have any questions or are looking for assistance with developing a proposal, contact UHA Program Coordinator Stephanie Lehner at 800.895.1648 or MANY Director Anne Ackerson at 518.273.3400 or info@manyonline.org

2010 Museums in Conversation Theme: What Say You?

MANY and our conference partner, the Upstate History Alliance, are planning our 2010 Museums in Conversation Conference for April 11-13, at the Albany Marriott (site of the 2008 conference).

We're kicking around theme ideas and we need your help. Should the conference theme be practical or aspirational....or both? Will a conference about leveraging resources bring folks out in droves in these tough times?

Tell us what you think.

MANY Director Wins 6-Word Novel Contest!

MANY Director Anne Ackerson just received word that she is the co-winner of the 6-Word Novel Contest, sponsored by Blue Avocado, the online resource for nonprofits. The news was announced here and a box of avocados is on its way to Troy.

Anne's winning entry was chosen from more than 200 flash-fiction novels. Hers: My secret discovered. Plane ticket purchased.

Judge Janis Lane-Ewart , Executive Director, KFAI Radio Without Borders, Minneapolis, Minnesota, noted this novel's "ability to capture my imagination, sense of escapism, and mystery."

Get ready, MANY readers -- Blue Avocado is sponsoring a 6-Word Mission Statement Contest this fall!!

Photo: White Books by Vicki's Pics

Just 8 Days Left....

...to email us your entry about what inspires you about museums!

That's right, we're looking for your wordles, haikus, photos, videos and you need to get them to us by July 31st.

Amazon gift certificates will go to four lucky, lucky people!!!

AND, your inspirations will help us here at MANY frame our strategic plans for the coming five years.

We've been posting entries on the homepage of our website. Oh, yeah, we'll do that for yours, too.

Photo: magnetic poetry by surrealmuse

Root Causes - Real Solutions

On Monday, the Albany Times Union published commentary from MANY regarding the legislation stipulating that collections cannot use proceeds from deaccession to pay operating or capital debt. You can find it here.

The legislation does not address the very real issues of how museums should generate revenue. That is not its purpose. Once using proceeds is taken off the table as a revenue generating option, it leaves us to really focus on addressing the creation of safety nets that can stablize museum operations and help these important institutions to flourish.

Among the solutions cited in the commentary are:

• A revolving loan fund that strapped museums could tap into to buy time to restructure and figure out their next steps.
• A check-off box on the state personal income tax that gives residents the opportunity to make a contribution to an arts fund. (That legislation is pending.)
• Access to the state's health insurance program and aggregated energy purchasing to help lower two big chunks of operating costs.
• Comprehensive board and leadership training.
• Let's also look at the state's current grant reimbursement system, which can keep nonprofits waiting months or years to receive project funding, forcing them to borrow funds and take on added debt.

These are just a few potential solutions -- all of them are achievable and any one of them would go a long way to helping institutions steward their educational and collecting missions.

Deaccessioning Bill is Subject of Albany Letter to the Editor

Albany Times Union Letters to the Editor, first published Thursday, June 18, 2009

Recently there have been attempts in New York and elsewhere to monetize museum collections and to use that money for purposes other than the protection and expansion of collections. The Troy Public Library is an example ("Troy Public Library sculptures on auction block," June 9.)

The economic downturn has increased the financial pressure on these cultural institutions. However, selling pieces of their collections is inconsistent with accepted practice.

Without a law, the financial pressure and the bean counters will endanger collections that took centuries to acquire, many of which were donated by people who may not have intended to have their gifts sold. Unless these rules are codified, the integrity and existence of collections handed to us by earlier generations will be endangered.

Libraries and museums aren't private businesses. They are the custodians of our common cultural and historical heritage and have always been publicly supported, be it by tax preferences or direct cash. Collections aren't assets, to be tapped when things get genuinely difficult. If you sell sculptures to keep the doors open, soon you'll have open doors and no sculptures.

We have worked with the Board of Regents and the Museum Association of New York to craft legislation (A.6959) that incorporates the long-standing policies of most museums that are necessary to protect our cultural heritage in a time of economic stress. We urge you to join us in support.

Assemblyman Richard Brodsky
92nd Assembly District
Elmsford

How Museums Inspire Me

The first of our Wordles and haikus have arrived! We here at MANY look forward to your thoughts about how museums inspire (or challenge) you.

A haiku by David Palmquist, Head, Museum Chartering, NY State Museum:

The deaccessioned

work of art screams

but no one hears

From Lisa Delmonico, Director of Development, Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden (NYC):

Museum tagline:

"Washington did not sleep here,

and neither can you."

Visit the MANY website for more.

Get Creative!

What's your vision for the future of the state's museum community? Where are we going as a community of practice and how do we get there? What do you as museum practitioners and museum-goers need to meet your vision? How do we harness our collective power? How can MANY help?

Get creative and tell us!

• create a wordle image from your written vision by going to www.wordle.net
• make a 1-minute (or less) video about your vision and email it to us or post it directly on YouTube
• email us photos of what you think museums do best
• compose a haiku
• post your thoughts on this blog

and don't forget....

• plan to come to a conversation (see the schedule in the previous post)
• take the survey (the address for it is in the previous post, too)

Strategic Planning at MANY

As we work this year to update the MANY strategic plan, we are asking our members and supporters to help us set the course for our future. You have three ways to become involved in this important process:

· take our Member Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=WhA4HoGq_2frfYG1_2fPWAiytA_3d_3d

· attend one of the following discussions to ask your questions and offer your insights about advocacy, legislation, standards and trends affecting your work. Here’s the schedule so far:

Monday, June 8: Holland Land Office
Museum, Batavia; 3-5 pm

Tuesday, June 9: Tanglewood Nature
Center, Elmira; 1-3 pm

Wednesday, June 10: Oneida Community
Mansion House, Oneida; 10 am – Noon

Wednesday, June 10: Shaker Heritage
Society, Albany; 3-5 pm

Friday, June 26: Manitoga,
Garrison; 10-Noon

Thursday, July 9: Alley Pond
Environmental Center, Douglaston (Nassau County); 1-3
pm

Friday, July 10: Long Island
Museum, Stony Brook (Suffolk County); 10-Noon

Dates and locations are being confirmed for NYC.

AND....use this blog to tell us what your vision is for New York state's museum community

To view the current strategic plan, click here.

Photo: The Future Looks Bright by Cayusa

Deliberating Deaccession

Posted by Senator José M. Serrano

Although I am a frequent blogger, this is actually my first time delving into the guest-blog-stratosphere, and I am honored to do so on the MANY website. As the new Chairman of the Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation, I am focused on exploring ways the State Legislature can best support and promote the tremendous cultural and natural assets within the State of New York.

Of course, this is not an easy time to be a proponent of arts and culture. On the one hand, the State is facing a massive fiscal crisis with looming budget cuts across the State. On the other hand, we know that New York’s creative sector will play a vital role in our economic recovery.

Cultural institutions, such as museums, make an enormous contribution to the State economy by stimulating tourist activity, creating jobs, utilizing other local businesses and generating tax revenue. In other words, it makes good financial sense to support the arts in New York. Not to mention, the contribution that the arts make to our quality of life and the health of our society which is immeasurable. This isn’t just political rhetoric, if you take a look at my legislative grants (AKA member items) you can see how serious I am about supporting the arts. Not only did I provide funding for a variety of art organizations, but I also took the unprecedented step of allocating $250,000 to the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) for grant-making purposes.

Museums throughout the state are grappling with enormous financial problems. Unfortunately, Museums are being forced to lay off staff and manage their collections, buildings and programs with fewer resources. In some instances, museums and other cultural institutions have been driven to consider deaccessioning and then sell collection items to raise needed funds. No matter how few times this has happened, I am deeply concerned about the effect this could have on the long-term health of our cultural institutions and what this means for the cultural heritage of our state.

I recently convened a committee meeting to discuss legislation (S.4584/A.6959) related to museum “deaccessioning” that I have introduced (along with co-sponsoring Senators Hassell-Thompson, Little, Montgomery, Morahan, and Schneiderman). To help us understand the intricacies of the bill, the committee was joined by Assembly sponsors, Assembly members Brodsky and Titone. Representatives from the Museum Association of New York, Everson Museum, Hudson River Museum, and the New York State Museum were on hand to offer their perspective on the fiscal crisis facing museums and the proposed legislation. All of our guests did a phenomenal job helping us to hash out the particulars of the bill. As a result, my colleagues and I have identified several flaws in the bill and are diligently working on some necessary revisions.

The fiscal crisis may be temporary, but the long term effects of unfettered deaccessioning will be long lasting. This legislation will place some necessary limits on deaccessioning without being overly restrictive. While changes to the bill are in the works, the essential goal of the bill will remain the same---help us maintain the cultural heritage of the State of New York in a time of deep fiscal crisis.

Just as I was able to work with the museum community on the issue of deaccessioning, I look forward to working closely with all members of the museum community on future issues. Together we can ensure New York remains the premier cultural destination in the world.

Photo: Statue sunbathing in the new Greek/Roman room at the Met by ext212, flickr

Conference Draws 250+ to Tarrytown

Opening Keynoter, Nina Simon

This year's Upstate History Alliance/Museum Association of New York conference underwent a major redo that focused plenaries and sessions on conversations. The range of topics was not only timely, but meant to attract museum professionals, board members, volunteers and students from across the wide spectrum of the field. The goal was to be a fresh, issues-oriented, and dynamic gathering of colleagues.

Did we succeed?

One participant made it a point of seeking me out to tell me that she really enjoyed the conference more than other years. "The discussion format allowed for more issues to be raised that never would have gotten out on the table," she said. Indeed, it's hard to predict where a topic might go when left to a group to manage it, but that was part of the intent...and, hopefully, the joy one gets from discovering something new or different.

Judging from the high buzz among participants in many venues, it seems that we got close. As we continue to refine and practice the conversational method, we will no doubt get better.

So, let us know your impressions of Tarrytown 2009.

Staffing Cutbacks and Hiring Freezes on Rise in NYS' Museum Community

Pre-Recession Facts

17,000+ the number of people employed in the New York State’s museums and heritage organizations

3.1% projected employment growth by the New York State Bureau of Labor Statistics for museums until 2016

$1 Billion+ the operating expenditures of New York State museums, the majority of these expenses are returned to the state’s economy in the form of wages, purchases, and sales taxes.


The Labor Situation Now

In polling conducted by MANY of its membership in January and March 2009:

· institutional operating deficits are significantly on the rise (from 36% of reporting institutions in January to 53% of reporting institutions in March)
· staff cuts and/or freezes are now in effect at nearly half of reporting institutions
Staff reductions are running between 10-20% at institutions across the state. Furloughs and salary cuts are two measures some museums are using to avoid layoffs.

The vast majority of museums in New York State are small, historical societies and historic sites. Many of these institutions employ part-time professional staff, such as curators, educators and tour guides. These employees may be the first to be laid off because of their part-time status or they may be forced to leave because they cannot afford to stay in a part-time situation. Wrote one museum director, “I am very afraid that we will lose the talented recent Cooperstown graduate who is our part-time education director. She has mentioned that people who work in low skill jobs such as warehouses earn more than she does.”


The Impact

· reductions in museum programming that benefit New York State residents
· a “brain drain” of talent from the field to other fields where employment may be more stable, pays more and offers benefits

New York's Museums Respond to a Difficult & Changing Market: A Quarterly Report

by Joan Baldwin

A lot can happen in three months. Last fall when MANY approached its members about the plunging stock market more than a few said there was belt tightening going on, but maintained a wait and see attitude. All that seems to have changed with the New Year. To monitor changes from rough to dire, MANY has developed an Economic Health Index Survey for New York’s museums, polling 37 member organizations on such areas as visitation, government support, operating deficits and the like. Results from the survey will be reported in MANY’s enewsletter quarterly throughout 2009.

The news, based on the January 2009 survey, isn’t good. For 40-percent of the responding organizations school visitation is down, a victim no doubt of dwindling state and local budgets. In line with that 17 or 53.1 percent report that state or federal support has decreased. A quarter of the group (25.8 percent) has also cancelled programs, while 11 of them have experienced staff cuts or freezes. Twelve organizations or 38.7 percent report an increase in their operating deficit, and that same group (38.7 percent) reports a decrease in their number of employees. While 25.8 percent of respondents said they had scaled capital programs back.

After a number of articles appeared in the national press about the “death of the gala,” MANY asked specifically what responding organizations were doing in terms of their annual fund-raising events. Roughly 20 percent reported no change in plans. Either they had already held their event and emerged unscathed or they felt confident enough to go forward. A few respondents were more direct. One said, “Our primary focus is insuring all that we do is on mission. We are not cancelling events and programs, just being visibly cost-conscientious while trying to still attain the "wow" factor. It's important to remain the "shining star" in our community, especially during the rough road ahead.” Another quipped, “Galas should die a natural death. They are ineffective, time consuming ways to raise money and virtually all organizations would be better off if they morphed fundraising emphasis to ASKING MAJOR DONORS FOR MONEY FOR MISSION. I call it the "Willie Horton School of Fundraising".

The only good news the group reported was that 40.6 percent said that their general visitation had increased, while roughly a third or 10 percent reported their annual appeal contributions were up as well. And on the staff side where many respondents said the cuts will be (or have been) the most difficult, 41.4 percent reported no change in staffing.

Salary Survey Reveals Important Human Resource Information

by Joan Baldwin

Of the Museum Association's many accomplishments in 2008, one of the most important is the biannual salary survey. The most comprehensive of its type, this year its autumn arrival was dwarfed by a landmark election followed by a roller coaster of financial woe. As autumn turned to winter, many institutions were too busy maintaining the status quo, to think about new hires. Nonetheless, until 2010, MANY's salary survey remains the go-to document for anyone hiring or job hunting in New York's museum world.

Begun in 1972, the survey tracks benefits and compensation for more than 100 of the state's museums and historical organizations with organizational budgets ranging from $80,000 or less per year to those with budgets of $8 million or more. Utilized by job seekers, current employees, and organizations with job vacancies, it tracks individual positions ranging from directors to museum store managers, from curators to archivists, and exhibit designers to volunteer coordinators. Its small size means that especially at the high and low ends where there are only a few museums in a given budget category, positions must be combined to avoid revealing too much information about a given organization. In addition, in a survey this size, the addition or absence of a big-budget organization in any given year changes the results dramatically.

That said, there was good news and not so good news buried in the 97-page document, confirming some stereotypes and raising some questions. Not surprisingly, salaries are higher in New York City than upstate, but the differences are most acute at the biggest museums--those with budgets in excess of 8 million. In smaller institutions, particularly those with budgets of $800,000 or less, urban and rural salaries were much closer, something for job hunters to consider given the dramatic difference in the cost of living between upstate and New York City.

Another fact that stands out is that relatively speaking development directors--presumably the individuals with the most responsibility for fund raising after the director--do not get paid that much. Again, except in New York City's biggest museums, directors of development make on average 41 to 60 percent of the director's salary and are consistently paid less than say chief curators and heads of education. Since this is one position with a skill set transferable outside the museum world, do the state's museums and historical organizations lose development talent to other non-profits where pay is better?

Then there is the question of gender. It is common knowledge that in a field dominated by women, salaries decline. (Of the 100-plus positions in the 2008 survey, 60 percent are held by women, and nationally, regardless of profession women working full-time earn approximately 77 percent of men working full-time.) The good news is that in New York state's museums, at least in the director's position, there appears to be little difference in pay between men and women. Sadly, for the majority of other positions regardless of location (New York City versus Upstate), men make more than women, sometimes a lot more. While this is by no means true for all positions, it remains a red flag for women changing positions or entering the field for the first time.

Lastly, for those considering investing in a graduate degree, according to the salary survey, the museum field still considers them to be important. And not just the masters degree. According to the survey, the bigger its budget, the more education and experience organizations want. Of 25 museums with budgets over $2.6 million in the 2008/09 survey, 25 percent have directors with a doctorate, and all wanted 10 or more years experience for anyone with aspirations for the corner office. In the states' smaller museums--those with budgets from $260,000 to $2.6 million--more than half of the CEOs have a master's degree, and six have the doctorate or another terminal degree.

To order MANY's 2008-09 Salary and Benefits Survey, click here.