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Letter From Helsinki: The Director of Finland’s Ateneum Art Museum on How Institutions Can Inspire the Public, Even While Closed

4/22/2020

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​By Marja Sakari. From Artnet News. Published 4/22/2020.
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Unlike many European countries, Finland did not implement a full lockdown in the wake of the spread of the novel coronavirus. The country was recently dubbed by the New York Times as “the prepper nation of the Nordics” because it has been stockpiling food and medical supplies since the Cold War. While temporary travel restrictions were put in place in the hardest-hit capital region, they have now been eased. But institutions such as the Ateneum Art Museum must remain closed until May 13. The Ateneum’s director, Marja Sakari, tells us how it prepared for the crisis, and the importance of keeping culture alive—and people inspired—in difficult times.

When the news about the virus came from China, it was a little worrying. At the end of February and the beginning of March, there was already some discussion about it turning into a pandemic. On March 16th, we had a meeting of the National Gallery (consisting of Ateneum, Kiasma, and Sinebrychoff Art Museum) where we discussed whether we should take the initiative to close the museums ourselves. Luckily, our government met on the same evening and decided that the museums would be shut down, which saved us from speculating on the pros and cons of staying open or closing.

As a country, Finland was quite well-prepared for this crisis. I think Finnish people in general are quite forward-thinking. We take into consideration all kinds of risks. We are a small country with a small population and we are between two big countries, Sweden and Russia. So in a way we are very cautious about many things. We did have some stocks of various medical equipment, but not everything we would need to cope should we all fall ill at the same time. 

In terms of Ateneum, for many years now we have had a detailed risk analysis, preparing us for all sorts of catastrophes. So we were prepared, but of course when the worst comes to be realized, it’s a shock for the whole community, and the museum is no different. 
We closed the museum to the public starting on the March 17, and everyone who could continue with their duties began working from home. It is a sad thing that we don’t have enough work for our front-of-house staff because of the lack of visitors. Thankfully, we have been able to continue to pay all staff up until mid-April. However, as our income is reliant upon visitors and ticket sales, we have been forced to make cuts that will amount to all staff taking approximately one unpaid week off a month. 

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AAMD Board of Trustees Approves Resolution to Provide Additional Financial Flexibility to Art Museums During Pandemic Crisis

4/17/2020

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By Sascha Freudenheim. From the Association of Art Museum Directors Press Releases & Statements . Published 4/15/2020. ​
:The Board of Trustees of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) has passed a series of resolutions addressing how art museums may use the restricted funds held by some institutions. These resolutions were proposed in recognition of the extensive negative effects of the current crisis on the operations and balance sheets of many art museums—and the uncertain timing for a museum’s operations, fundraising, and revenue streams to return to normal.

The resolutions state that AAMD will refrain from censuring or sanctioning any museum—or censuring, suspending or expelling any museum director—that decides to use restricted endowment funds, trusts, or donations for general operating expenses. The resolution also addresses how a museum might use the proceeds from deaccessioned art to pay for expenses associated with the direct care of collections. The resolution does not change AAMD’s Professional Practices or any other rules currently in place, but instead effectively places a moratorium on punitive actions through April 10, 2022. AAMD also recognizes that it is not within the Association’s purview to approve the redirection of restricted funds. However, it hopes that these resolutions will serve as an endorsement to donors or the relevant legal authorities, encouraging them to permit the temporary use of these funds for unrestricted needs.

“This is a crisis without precedent in our lifetime, with global implications and with a timeline that unfolds as we live it,” said Brent Benjamin, president of the Association of Art Museum Directors and The Barbara B. Taylor Director of the Saint Louis Art Museum. “On the one hand, there is no clear timeline for the pandemic concluding, for the economy to begin growing again, and for life to return to normal. Art museums, on the other hand, typically plan their exhibitions and activities months or years in advance, including anticipating both the costs and fundraising needs for each initiative. Since planning for the future with any accuracy is impossible, while earned revenue has stopped and the future of charitable giving is unknown, it was important for AAMD to take a step that could provide some additional financial support to art museums.”
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    ​The Museum Trustee Association views its mission of enhancing the effectiveness of museum trustees as educational and collaborative. As a group of past and current museum board members, we do not see ourselves as a policy-setting organization but rather as a source of information to equip Museum Trustees as they implement field-wide best practices in all of their governance affairs. The sharing of articles and opinion pieces on MTA social media and the News page of our website does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by MTA, its employees, or its board members. 

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  • Home
  • About us
    • Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Current Members >
      • Institutional Members
      • Individual Members
    • Contact
  • Membership
    • Benefits
    • Types >
      • Institutions
      • Patrons
      • Friends
    • Member Spotlights >
      • San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts
      • Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
      • Greensboro History Museum
      • Mingei International Museum
      • Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
      • Heard Museum
      • Maryland Center for History & Culture
      • Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens
      • Lehigh University Art Galleries
  • News
  • Events
    • Denver 2023 >
      • Details >
        • Register for Denver 2023
        • Patron Weekend
        • Scholarships
  • Resources
    • MTA On-Demand
    • Templates for Trustees
    • Tips for Trustees
    • Blackbaud Webinar Series
    • Member Resource Library
    • IDEA Resources & Information
  • Donate
  • Patron Weekend