Funny, I had a totally different reaction to Jim Swanson's message than Teresa Ebie had. I found it refreshing that Jim was willing to risk some heat in order to put things in perspective. Back in the 1960's and 70's many museums became concerned that they were failing to serve everybody, that they were perceived as the special preserve of a cultured elite. Marketing museums to underserved or unserved populations became very popular. At the same time museums sought ways to reach these potential audiences, financial pressures were mounting. Local and state governments were feeling the wrath of taxpayers, the federal deficit kept on increasing and private individuals and philanthropic agencies were increasingly asked to make up the difference. In order to get the attention of a public bombarded by hype and sales pitches and those funding sources surrounded by a million out-stretched hands, museums began to pitch themselves with some self-inflating rhetoric -- world-class being one of the favorite adjectives. Their roles as agencies holding collections got elevated into a sacred trust. Voila, museums become the key, they possess solutions to just about every problem facing the human species - multicultural education, science literacy, DNA of extinct organisms. There's nothing wrong with a little creative hyperbole, it's just when we start believing it, there's a problem. Museums are a wonderful bequest transmitted by 19th century European culture to the present. They just need to focus on their own unique contribution - preserving, exhibiting and interpreting cultural artifacts and natural and man-made objects and stop trying to present themselves as part of every issue that surfaces in the national consciousness. * Judy Turner * [log in to unmask] * * Milwaukee Public Museum * 414/278-2730 * * 800 W. Wells Street * fax 414/278-6100 * * Milwaukee, WI 53233 * *