Museums and Exhibitions

Week 6

• 18,000-20,000 museums in U.S. today

• 3/4s of world’s museums created since 1945

• From “being about something to being for somebody”

• Since WWII, in U.S. huge increase in #s of museums:– Growing audience (baby boom, increase in college

education)– New sources of funding:• 1960s creation of NEA and NEH• Private foundations• Growth in local arts councils

– Increased professionalization of museum staff– “new” social history – new kinds of stories

• Decline in government (federal) funding for museums:– 2008 study by IMLS – most museums receive 7%-

24% of funding from govt sources• Support mostly for projects (e.g., exhibitions)• Only 4% from NEA and 8% from NEH (nearly half

through Congressional earmarks)– 2006, NEA distributed $12.3 million to museums

Sources of Support for All Museums in Sample, by Type, FY 2006

Source of Support Private Earned Investment Government Art Museums 23.3% 46.1% 17.5% 13.1% Children’s Museums 24.4% 48.1% 20.5% 6.9% History Museums 32.9% 21.6% 13.2% 33.2% Natural History and Natural Science

29.5% 41.6% 5.7% 23.6% Science and Technology Museums

22.8% 42.8% 4.0% 30.4% Historical Societies 32.2% 21.5% 24.7% 21.6% Arboretums and Botanical Gardens

34.1% 28.9% 13.7% 23.3% Zoos, Aquariums and Zoological Societies

17.4% 60.3% 4.2% 18.1% Hybrid and Other 27.2% 38.5% 9.6% 27.5% Overall 24.4% 43.7% 12.2% 19.7%

Source: Urban Institute analysis, IMLS Museum Public Finance Survey, 2008.

Median Operating Income by Source and Type of Institution, FY 2006

Source of Support Private Earned Investment GovernmentArt Museums $429,775 $190,393 $56,250 $144,802

Children’s Museums $357,550 $490,345 $600 $50,000

History Museums $46,187 $26,120 $695 $32,182

Natural History and Natural Science Museums $11 0,309 $408,321 $4,500 $86,465

Science and Technology Museums $350,000 $898,911 $12,602 $289,970

Historical Societies $32,727 $23,000 $3,023 $7,751

Arboretums and Botanical Gardens $251,355 $253,226 $14,128 $130,000

Zoos, Aquariums and Zoological Societies $437,706 $2,686,310 $15,277 $911 ,480

Hybrid and Other $59,171 $48,267 $1,000 $36,737

Inward to outward focus• “story rich but artifact poor” institutions• growing influence of museum educators (and

declining role of curators) • Concerns regarding relevance– What impact can a museum claim?– How can that impact be measured or

demonstrated?– Who benefits from museums’ efforts to have

impact on communities?

No Child Left Behind

• Decline in museum field trips

• BUT teachers relying heavily on museums to enhance their own learning (via actual and virtual visits)

Exhibitions influenced by

• Mission• Funding• Resources – staff; collections; research• Audience – actual and desired