Our museum holds parties on average once a week, more for exhibit openings
(there are already over 5 events planned for the opening of our Bruce
Dayton Chinese Collection exhibit) and we have never had a problem.  We
usually hold the parties in an area of the museum that has a minimum amout
of art, or that art that is around is covered by Plexi.  BUT, we also have
in house event staff and catering, this can help temendously because they
can be on hand to supervise and clean up (plus THEY stay late to clean up),
we also post guards at the points of access to the rest of the museum (we
usually close MUCH of the museum except the area where the party is taking
place) to restrict food and drinks from entering vulnerable gallery spaces.
 These parties can be great fund raising efforts, and they can be a type of
"reward" to those who give alot of $ to the museum.  Perhaps you can defer
the cost of the event onto the group that wishes to hold the event.  For
example, if you wish to hold a party it will cost x for the catering, y for
security staff, z for janitorial staff clean up, ect.  Lastly, I would
pehaps use this as an opportunity to convince the board to bone up for
greater protection of your collection (Plexi, guards, etc.)

Hope this helps,
Jason Onerheim
Minneapolis Institute of Arts Security


On 18 Jun 2002, English, Susan wrote:
> My Gala Ball committee doesn't understand why I do not want to permit
eating
> and drinking in the permanent and temporary galleries of our new museum
> opening this Fall.  I have told them that this is against museum standard
> practice and that if we allowed it, may hurt our chances for
accreditation,
> Smithsonian affiliateship, and traveling exhibitions.  Their response to
me
> is that if The Downtown Chicago Museums can do it, why can't we?
>
> Does anybody have any other suggestions as to how I can convince them
that
> this is not the route to go.
>
> Susan English
> Joliet Area Historical Museum
>

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