On Thu, 8 Aug 1996 08:32:47 EST  [log in to unmask]
wrote:
>(snip)
>In this day and age sponsorship is becoming a necessity, and it is
only
>fair that the sponsor gets something out of it. The naming of
galleries in
>recognition of sponsors is well and good, and I have no personal or
>professional qualms about that, but we have a finite number of
galleries.
>What happens when all of the galleries have been dedicated? Do we
start to
>dedicate individual showcases, or do we then start to rename the
galleries
>all over again after a suitable time has passed? For how long does a
>donation entitle a donor to have their gift publicly recognised?
>
>I'd be interested to hear other views - personal, professional or
>otherwise.
>
>George Bailey
>Objects Conservator
>Australian War Memorial
>Treloar Centre for Conservation
>4 Callan St, Mitchell, A.C.T. 2911
>Australia
>Phone: +61 6 241 6122
>fax:   +61 6 241 7998
>email: [log in to unmask]
>

The donor is entitled to recognition for what lawyers like to call
"in
perpetuity."

Galleries do get used up.  Then you start naming the buildings (or
wings)
that house the galleries.  Then the curatorships (like chairs at a
university).  Then the labs, storerooms, the library, etc.  Then the
gardens. And, of course, along the way you name projects after
donors.

You know you've reached the pinnacle of success, however, when you
succeed
in persuading a donor to give money to rennovate the restrooms.
(apropos
another current thread...) I'm not kidding: we've done it.  The donor
needs
a terrific sense of humor, but his/her type does exist. We have a
restroom
plaque here "dedicated" to the donor's brother, for whom, legend has
it, he
has little affection...  Humor aside, getting donors to give money
for the
non-glamourous maintenance needs of a museum is indeed a challenge,
and a
mark of success.
-------------------------------------
amalyah keshet
director, visual resources, the israel museum, jerusalem
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
date: 08/08/96
visit our web site at http://www.imj.org.il
-------------------------------------