Jenifer, I have a gut feeling that things will get worse before/if they get
better.   Without know your particular institution, it's my observation that
a great many fine museums have established a hierarchy of well-compensated
folks who succeeded in making longterm careers that didn't exist a decade or
so ago.

The following is based on doing recent MAP surveys, reading IMSLA operating
grant proposals, and consulting with several museums that are in difficulty.

Some of these "senior" people (some aren't yet 45 yrs old) are spending much
time protecting their jobs (rather than being innovative enough to grasp the
realities of their changing audiences).  Some are actually providing
leadership in the profession and within their museums.  Others are simply
museum bureaucrats who are very good at the manipulation of their job
environments.  And yet the majority, perhaps, are committed to a high
quality of professionalism and care very much about their museums.

Sometimes they report to CEOs who were bankers, marketing people,
fundraisers, college presidents, professors, etc. who see the museum
differently than the professional staff, and who took their CEO positions to
get out of the fast lane, for the prestige involved, or because it was a
step up.  They work hard, no doubt, but I often wonder how their success is
measured.

So it is that creativity, experimentation, and new knowledge enter the
museums at the bottom rungs -- with no pathway for a permanent appointment
and no opportunity for promotion.

It's sad that in so many places, a large share of the funds available for
payroll are in the paychecks of a relatively few people of varying
competence and commitment.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jenifer Lienau <[log in to unmask]>


SNIPS

>Ross Weeks wrote:
>>I, for one, would like to see museums give more motivated "neophytes"
>>thechance to see what value they can add to a museum in a year's
"interim"appointment.  >


> But I'd like to settle down, have a chance to get to know the audience and
the place.  I can only imagine that such a situation leads to better
exhibits.  Frankly, I'm disillusioned by what seems to be a growing trend in
hiring temporary workers to develop and make permanent exhibits.  I'd love
to hear what more "seasoned" professionals think about this.