John, thanks for posting the article to the group.  It
made for informative reading.

However, reading between the lines, and only surmising
what I have seen in other pockets of human nature, the
reason the Smithsonian folks were so eager to have the
information shared with the list is that they are less
than happy with the changes.

The key word here, of course, is change.  Change is
difficult for most of us, but in such a respectable,
stoic, and perhaps elitist environment called the
Smithsonian, one of the greatest gifts America holds,
it has to be especially difficult.

As a subscriber to the magazine, I was not unfamiliar
with the change at the helm.  What I sense of the "new
boss" is a great sense of business accumen, something
that may well have been needed at the Smithsonian.

It's a fine line to balance between the touchy-feelies
of the nonprofit/arts world and the hard-lined
business environment.  However, from my perspective,
for any organization to survive and thrive, you need a
combination of both.

Obviously, you cannot run such organizations without
the touchy-feelies.  They are the backbone of
creativity, the subject-matter experts, that make the
organization what it is.  Their best talents are put
on display where the resources exist to allow them,
and the world is better for what they know and share.

But face it, folks, in these times where you have a
candidate running for the office of Presidency, one of
the two key candidates of the Republican Party, who
places on his platform a heavy emphasis on religious
based initiatives for charity, where the dollars are
expected to come from the private citizens and from
the churches, it will be a tighter economy for NPOs if
that candidate is elected and his platform adopted.

What appears to be going on in the Smithsonian is no
different than what is going on in the rest of the
business world.  Large organizations are being broken
down into separate business lines, with key figures
put at the helm of the subgroups, ultimately reporting
to the top for better management and accountability.

In the days of globalization, where the borders are
less clear, and world wide web travel brings the great
treasures to the fingertips of all, it makes good
sense to bring the Smithsonian exhibits to the rest of
the US and to make it available to the public.
Certainly, that will preclude some of the storage
expense, and the treasures belong to all of America,
not just DC (and the few adjunct outposts that
presently exist).

The Traveling Exhibition in 1996 was a WONDERFUL
thing.  I had the privilege of viewing it in five
cities and volunteering, hands on, in two of the five.
 A romantic fling--the unexpected additional benefit
of participation--gave me insight on a day-to-day
basis as to what actually went on behind the scenes.
I saw for myself what an impression having this
outreach made for the public at large as droves of
people flocked to see what heretofore had been beyond
reach.  It was one of the best experiences of my life
to have been a part of.

Beyond that, what appears to be happening stands to
enrichen the draw for many local organizations.  It
could be a revenue increase for many established
museums whose patrons know they're there, but just
sort of take them for granted.

For our Smithsonian friends and members, I hope the
change is not so tumultuous that it gives you stress,
costs you a job, or gives you otherwise concern.

But, for me, I can only see these changes--as an
outsider--as a good thing.



--- John Chadwick <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> At the request of several people at the Smithsonian,
> I am posting the following
> article from Saturday's Washington Post concerning
> changes at the Smithsonian.
>
> --John Chadwick
> [log in to unmask]
>


=====
Indigo Nights
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