I have watched as  museums and galleries in universities that depend upon
government funding have been slashed and all but destroyed.  When
universities feel the squeeze from dwindling government resources,
"non-essential" items like art galleries and museums are often the first to
get the cuts.  My guess is we'll see more of this as both political parties
try to trim costs.

University galleries often do not have their own trustees, and the
university trustees are less aware of their fiduciary duties with respect
to this relatively small part of their domain than those of a private
museum would be.  In such cases the public's trust may not be protected
before the damage gets done.


Joe Nagel writes:

>Dear Colleagues -
>
>As a new member of this list, I hope I am not covering old ground, but I'd
>like to instigate some discussion on a matter which has concerned me for
>some years, and is particularly on my mind at the moment, for reasons I will
>relate.  I will keep this as short as I can, but some background is
>necessary to make the point.
>
>I was for over twenty years, until recently, a Director/Curator of a small
>university museum which was fully administered through an academic science
>department.  I was the only paid museum staff.  The facility included 5,000
>feet of exhibits, an active retail operation (up to $150,000 per annum) and
>a membership programme and newsletter.  The collection is nationally
>significant and has been successfully managed electronically since 1975, one
>of the first such applications to my knowledge.  The museum (had) an annual
>attendance of about about 25,000.
>
>Recently, as a result of general financial cutbacks, the curatorial position
>was eliminated.  Fortunately, I have for some years been designing and
>installing curator-driven database systems in a variety of museums large and
>small.   I am now quite contentedly pursuing that activity on a full-time
>basis internationally. In addition to my consulting activities, I am
>currently a Research Associate at the UBC Museum of Anthropology.
>
>What particularly concerns me is how the decision I describe was made, and
>what it may mean to the collection I leave behind.  Some aspects of the
>decision process:
>
>1. There was no consultation
>2. Creative alternatives were not explored
>3. There was no cost-benefit analysis done
>4. No plans were made for the collection and programmes.  A month after my
>departure, nothing has yet been done.
>
>In short, the museum, one of the oldest in the region, was summarily and
>dismissively eliminated.  My curatorial position was the last of five
>full-time curatorial positions once in place in the Faculty of Science at my
>university.
>
>Issues for which I'd appreciate some feedback::
>
>1.  Is this situation and process duplicated at other universities?
>
>2.  What does "public trust" mean in a university setting?
>
>3.  Universities hold extremely important and varied collections, many in
>the sciences.  When these are orphaned (no curator), they may become
>inaccessible, or for some types of collections, even be plundered and
>destroyed.  How can the museum profession act to mitigate such circumstances?
>
>I am considering authoring an article on these issues and appreciate any
>comments.
>
>Thanks
>
>
>
>Joe Nagel (KUSTOS Inc.)
>2961 Semiahmoo Trail
>Surrey, B.C.  V4P 1H4
>604-531-6879, 604-594-2628 (FAX)

Stephen Nowlin
Vice President
Director, Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery
Art Center College of Design
1700 Lida Street
Pasadena, California 91103  USA
(818)396-2397vox (818)405-9104fax
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