Below is a summary (from The Art Newspaper) of a recent report on the Smithsonian art museums. Federal museums are lucky if their roofs don’t leak, which is a modest standard.
Smithsonian art museums have reached a “critical point”: A confidential report concludes that federal institutions have “seldom lived up to their names”
By Jason Edward Kaufman | Posted 20 March 2007
A report compiled by leading US museum directors, which assesses the eight art museums funded and run by the Smithsonian Institution, concludes that they are failing on many levels.
It questions the long-term viability of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York because of “the modest size of audience, limited programs and scope of [the] collection”.
It calls for the “administrative consolidation” of the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The two institutions have overlapping collections and occupy the same recently restored building; the report recommends that one director be placed in charge of both museums.
It also warns that leaks in the storage areas of the Freer and Sackler galleries threaten the collection. Leaks are also identified as a problem at the Hirshhorn Museum.
The confidential document, a copy of which has been seen by The Art Newspaper, is the result of an 18-month external review of the art museums and two related art programmes run by the Smithsonian Institution which are collectively known as Smithsonian Arts.
Ned Rifkin, the Smithsonian’s undersecretary for art, appointed a committee to carry out the review in August 2005. This includes Glenn Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York; Michael Shapiro, director of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta; John Walsh, director emeritus of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles; James Wood, director and president emeritus of the Art Institute of Chicago and, since February, president and chief executive of the Getty Trust, Michael Conforti, director of the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown; Vishakha Desai, president and chief executive of the Asia Society in New York, and Susana Leval, director emerita of El Museo del Barrio in New York.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
See Gloria Goodale, “Redefining Sculpture is Richard Serra’s Goal,” Christian Science Monitor, September 15, 2006 here
See Christopher Knight, “The continued mauling of the National Mall,” Los Angeles Times, September 9, 2006 here.
Gormley’s iron men will have to go, planning committee rules
Sculptor rages at decision that his 100 beach figures must leave Merseyside
David Ward
Friday October 20, 2006
The Guardian
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1927013,00.html
Time waits for the cast-iron men
Welcome to the Northerner, Guardian Unlimited’s digest of the best of the northern press
Helen Carter
Thursday October 26, 2006
Guardian Unlimited
http://www.guardian.co.uk/northerner/0,,751474,00.html
Below is a summary (from The Art Newspaper) of a recent report on the Smithsonian art museums. Federal museums are lucky if their roofs don’t leak, which is a modest standard.
See http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article01.asp?id=592.
Smithsonian art museums have reached a “critical point”: A confidential report concludes that federal institutions have “seldom lived up to their names”
By Jason Edward Kaufman | Posted 20 March 2007
A report compiled by leading US museum directors, which assesses the eight art museums funded and run by the Smithsonian Institution, concludes that they are failing on many levels.
It questions the long-term viability of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York because of “the modest size of audience, limited programs and scope of [the] collection”.
It calls for the “administrative consolidation” of the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The two institutions have overlapping collections and occupy the same recently restored building; the report recommends that one director be placed in charge of both museums.
It also warns that leaks in the storage areas of the Freer and Sackler galleries threaten the collection. Leaks are also identified as a problem at the Hirshhorn Museum.
The confidential document, a copy of which has been seen by The Art Newspaper, is the result of an 18-month external review of the art museums and two related art programmes run by the Smithsonian Institution which are collectively known as Smithsonian Arts.
Ned Rifkin, the Smithsonian’s undersecretary for art, appointed a committee to carry out the review in August 2005. This includes Glenn Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York; Michael Shapiro, director of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta; John Walsh, director emeritus of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles; James Wood, director and president emeritus of the Art Institute of Chicago and, since February, president and chief executive of the Getty Trust, Michael Conforti, director of the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown; Vishakha Desai, president and chief executive of the Asia Society in New York, and Susana Leval, director emerita of El Museo del Barrio in New York.
Here’s the full report, describing a lack of excellence and leaky buildings:
http://newsdesk.si.edu/releases/final_ERC_report.pdf