At 04:02 PM 1/14/1999 EST, you wrote:
>With all these comments about superficiality and crowds and staff being
>diverted from their real jobs - which implies that the public is not part of
>their real jobs - I suggest that we all look at who supports museums.
>Remember, most are 5.01(c)3 public charities which pay no taxes and exist for
>"educational, charitable and/or scientific purposes."  If the appearance of a
>highly hyped show creates reasons for just plain old people (taxpayers) to
use
>their possessions (even private museums are tax-supported by the mere absence
>of taxes), if a kid is stimulated to go home and read a book, if a museum
>becomes a memorable experience, if paying audiences and donors provide more
>funding, isn't this what should be happening? I take exception to the tone of
>many of the comments I have read over the last several days and urge the
>museum industry to be more aware of who feeds it and why.
>
>Mac West
>

The messages I read indicated a level of frustration felt by staff members
pulled in different directions. So-called blockbuster exhibitions may do
nice things temporarily for a museum's image and coffers but at what cost
to the underlying "everyday" image?  Not all of the "plain old people
(taxpayers)" care about large, hyped exhibitions. The stimulation of one
new exhibition visitor can be negated and even out-weighed by a taxpayers
question that goes unanswered or a taxpaying family unable to see an
heirloom simply because appropriate staff are busy making sure the
exhibition lives up to the hype.  The people who support museums are those
who feel connected - and that connection can be broken by not being able to
see great-grandmother's quilt.

Those intriqued by the power and glory of a "blockbuster" must produce the
necessary resources and attitudes to ensure that all museum operations
function, regardless of how that function relates to the blockbuster.
You are correct, Mr. West, in saying that the museum industry needs to be
aware of who feeds it - I will assert that the museum industry also needs
to be aware that big, hyped and blockbusting isn't always healthy.

Jodi
Jodene K. Evans
Registrar
State Historical Society of Iowa
600 E. Locust
Des Moines, Iowa  50319-0290
515/281-3295
FAX 515/282-0502
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