Dear list:

I posted this initially as a "questionnaire for curators," but all
responses pertaining to this topic are appreciated.

I am researching the question of whether museum directors recruited from
the business world are changing the role of the curator, or having a
potentially negative effect on museums in general. I already been
criticized offlist for asking leading questions and bias in the survey
(below) and in my approach, but in the article I am writing I will
present the positive aspects of museum directors who are "professional
managers" rather than art historians, or experts in the subject
specialization of the musuem. Please let me hear from those of you who
have an opinion on this, whether you complete the survey or not. Thank
you.


QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CURATORS

Name:

Name of Institution:

Number of years as curator/collections manager:

Responsibilities:



Are any of your responsibilities shared by the Executive Director or
President?





What is his or her background?



How long has he/she been Director?



What is your background?





Who is responsible for proposing acquisitions?





Who has responsibility for selecting exhibits?



Does the Director "push" exhibits or acquisitions on you? If yes, has
this been a problem for you? Explain.



Have you ever encountered hostility by an administration that is
unsympathetic to your professional objectives or standards for
collection management?



Do you have an annual budget for which you are solely responsible?


Does your museum solicit corporate sponsorships? If yes, what percent of
your exhibits are corporately sponsored? How has this influenced the
kind of exhibits you do?


Have you or has your Director ever made an acquisition or done an
exhibit to please a Trustee?



Do you have an Acquisitions/Collection Management Committee? If yes,
briefly describe their roles.



Describe the characteristics, background and management skills which you
believe make for a good museum Director.



Have you ever had a really significant (in your estimation) exhibit
rejected or cancelled on the grounds that it would not be a big enough
draw? Or because the Director/Board could not relate to it? Please
explain:



Have you ever failed to raise internal support for an acquisition
because the Director/ Committee thought it too eclectic or obscure? If
yes, explain:





Has your museum consciously sought to make its exhibits more
entertaining? If yes, how so?


Do you feel that your museum has dumbed-down or compromised exhibit
content to appeal to broader audiences?




Compare this present administration with previous administrations. How
have the policies or personalities various directors influenced the
content of the collection and type of exhibits at your institution?



Are you involved in fundraising for the collection?



Does your institution have a collection management or development
policy? If yes, who instigated it?


Do you attend professional conferences on a regular basis?

Does the director?

How has your role changed (if at all) over the last 10 years?


How does the educational level/background of your Director, Board, and
Committee Members effect your ability to do your job?


Do you feel that further formal education would be an asset to you in
your current position? If no, explain.



Additional Comments:



THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO FILL OUT THIS QUESTIONNAIRE!
Please respond by email to [log in to unmask] or mail to my home
address: Emily Nedell, 1917 Banks, Houston, TX 77098. You can reach me
if you have any questions about this at my home number, (713) 526-4710,
or my work number (713) 522-4652.