Kim and John Holland have lived in the same Colonial-style brick house in Northwest, Washington, D.C, for over twenty years.  The time has finally come for them to start downsizing in advance of retirement. This has been a slow process of saying goodbye to long held objects associated with important parts of their lives.

Kim’s piano is just such an artifact. It is a 1940’s era upright. Kim had the piano shipped across the country to her home in Washington, D.C. Although it doesn’t get played that much, the piano is often festooned with decorations appropriate to the season. 

Now that she is considering what to do with her piano, Kim decided to investigate further. She learned that the limits on the sale and transfer of ivory originated with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Under that Convention, the international trade of ivory from African and Asian elephants is generally banned with some very limited exceptions. Federal laws do not prohibit donations or gifts of an ivory item, provided that it was acquired lawfully and there is no exchange for other goods or services.

Such restrictions have been criticized by antiques dealers and collectors who believe they have been steamrolled by well-organized animal welfare advocacy groups which have relied more on emotion than facts to push their agenda. They complain that restrictions on the trade in antiques will do nothing to protect elephants endangered today but will likely cause the neglect or outright destruction of important artifacts of cultural value. ​

In any case, the federal and D.C. laws suited Kim just fine because she planned to gift her piano to her niece anyway. She now just hopes that her niece will be interested. If not, she will have to come up with an alternative, which hopefully will keep her mom’s piano from ending up in a landfill.

Veronica was perusing a well-known travel magazine when she saw an advertisement for a “Genuine Rare Ancient Chinese Bronze Coin” for “just $99.99.”   She could not believe something so old could be real and could be purchased for such a low price.  She wondered if such a coin would make a good gift for her husband, John, a history buff.  But before purchasing the coin, Veronica searched the internet and to her surprise discovered that ancient coins and other ancient items like pottery are nowhere near as rare as one might imagine.
Indeed, ancient coins are probably the most common ancient artifacts other than pottery shards.  So-called ancient Chinese bronze “cash coins” were made from circa 221 BCE. until the proclamation of the Republic in the billions.  In fact, such coins were designed to be stored in quantity with up to 1,000 typically strung together through square holes incorporated into their design.  Under the circumstances, it is not surprising that truly immense numbers are found today.  For example, back in 2011, ten (10) tons of cash coins were found in in the burial chamber of the Marquis of Haihun, Liu He, a Han Dynasty official, who lived in the Xinjian district of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province circa 92-59 BCE.

The Hood Museum of Art, like many art museums around the world, is wrestling with how best to achieve diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion in the galleries. In previous letters, I've addressed the ways these goals can inform our relationships with the various communities visiting the galleries and the museum staff whose work makes our displays and programs possible. Now, I want to recognize that the changes in what we exhibit also reflect an evolving value system and to note that we need to strive for balance, even in a corrective moment.
Museum work is not a zero-sum enterprise, or at least it does not need to be. We at the Hood Museum are trying to avoid the dilemma of what to have on permanent display—which carries the weight of making a seemingly definitive statement about art and history—by avoiding permanence altogether. Anyone following the Hood closely will recognize the frequency with which we change our galleries. This work keeps our staff busy researching new stories and configurations that include a wider selection of the collection. It also disrupts several traditional conceptions of what deserves to be displayed and how.

This interesting article, “The Era of the Visionary Museum Director is Over…or It Should Be” by Amy Gilman offers advice to trustees about what factors to consider – or actually, what NOT to consider -- when hiring a new director.  It represents just one view. To me, whether you need a visionary director or more of an implementer of the current vision depends on the life-cycle stage of the museum.  If it is time to redo the Strategic Plan, and new ideas and directions are a priority, then you might need a visionary director. In other cases, you might not.  Or you might have a staff full of visionaries and need your leader to be an amalgamator of ideas. When my firm does searches, we often find that the Board talks about Vision as a big part of leadership.  This article reminds us that it is only one part of leadership, along with other skills.

I recall interviewing as a candidate for director positions, and “What is your vision?” was the most common question. The question requires candidates to take their limited knowledge of an institution and spin an ambitious fantasy out of the barest of understanding, as if a “vision” could suddenly emerge like Athena, fully formed from the head of Zeus. 

I have found that the job of museum director is less about fantastical visions and more about defining practical objectives and choices for the entire institution and its constituents. The objectives are place-specific, and cannot be known in advance. As directors we must keep envisioning at the 1000-foot view, but unless we can ground that view in pragmatic examples that help our teams link aspiration to action, the 1000-foot view remains an elusive and frustrating dream. Being a director requires understanding process and articulating how to manage change, evaluate the institution, and develop staff and community partners thoughtfully.  These steps, over time, will realize goals even more exceptional than one could have predicted.

While recognizing that every museum has its own unique challenges, audiences, and possibilities, I’d like to share three of the ways the Chazen is starting to interrogate and experiment with our approach to realizing the museum’s mission.
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Imagine for a moment everyone in the organization prioritizing one or two goals each year concerning diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. How far can an organization shift if everyone on the team becomes responsible for actionable items in their own area? Small steps, accumulated, make a huge difference. We have implemented this process at the Chazen for the first time this year. Already, it is changing the way some staff view their portfolio of work and how it’s critically linked to our strategic goals.

Providing multiple access points to the Chazen’s wide-ranging collection is central to our mission to serve campus and community audiences. Among our diverse holdings is a pedestal-sized, marble version of “The Emancipation Group” (1873), by Thomas Ball. A collaborative project created with artist Sanford Biggers and the MASK Consortium, entitled “RE:mancipation,” will study this sculpture and its complex history while cultivating a more nuanced understanding of our nation and ourselves. This important work cannot be solely institutionally driven, it must be conducted in partnership with artists, and the results of such projects should influence how we approach all collection display and interpretation.

​Presented May 6, 2021 for the Museum Trustee Association Spring 2021 Virtual Forum. An earlier version of this talk was first presented at the League of American Orchestras Midwinter Managers Meeting on 21 January 2021.

Good afternoon! It is a pleasure and privilege to be here with Anne, Sanjit Sethi, and all of you. I am joining you from the Netherlands and want to acknowledge that we are using the technology of Zoom to have this conversation. Zoom is headquartered in what is now called San Jose, California – which are the traditional lands of the Ohlone and the Tamyen peoples.

​As this session is addressing the topic of resilience, I thought that I might start with my favorite poem on the topic—although I might just as easily have quoted from the Harvard Business Review, the Stanford Social Innovation Review, or the Wall Street Journal – all of which have had articles on Resilience during the time of Covid. 

The poem is called OPTIMISM and is by Jane Hirshfield.

More and more I have come to admire resilience.
Not the simple resistance of a pillow, whose foam
returns over and over to the same shape, but the sinuous
tenacity of a tree: finding the light newly blocked on one side,
it turns in another. A blind intelligence, true.
But out of such persistence arose turtles, rivers,
mitochondria, figs — all this resinous, unretractable earth.

The tendency for plants to grow in the direction of light, which Hirshfield references in her poem, is one of many tropisms called phototropism. An interesting question if we adopt this metaphor in our lives or organizations might be:

What is the light? 

What’s the substance animating us, pulling us forward—out of Covid, the climate crisis, social conflict, or whatever seems to be blocking us these days? Put another way: what’s the life source that we are pursuing?

​And is it OK if we end up like these plants? Alive but upside down? Or sideways of our mission?

This talk is about emerging from the current challenges facing your organization without losing your way … your structural integrity.

As trustees know, museums are complex institutions. At a large museum, especially, there are seemingly thousands of moving parts that enable the institution to carry out its mission, engage audiences, navigate changes happening in the field and in communities, and ensure financial stability, not to mention the daily operations and oversight of staff. The pace of museum work, coupled with the fact that departments can feel somewhat siloed, means that getting a bird’s eye view can be tricky for even the most seasoned trustee. It’s hard to keep track of those thousands of moving parts while focusing on one’s own role in the institution.
 
My recently published book So You Want to Work in a Museum? can help. While written primarily for students, recent graduates, and career changers who want to learn more about the field they are considering or planning to enter, trustees may find it useful as well.
 
The book starts out looking at museums by type and by structure; though I mention university museums, municipal museums, and other governance models, the focus is on board-governed nonprofit museums. Then, it moves on to organizational structure. Because museums are idiosyncratic, no one structure can describe every institution, but the sample organizational chart I created gives an example. In writing about structure, I wanted to focus on the trustee role, something that’s not often introduced to prospective or entry-level staff. Not only do I think it’s important for staff at all levels to know about the various ways in which trustees serve museums, but I also wanted to show that trustees and staff are partners in working toward the museum’s mission. Though junior staff might not have many opportunities to interact with trustees, I discuss ways that staff at all levels can get to know board members and see them in action (while keeping in mind that staff should check with their supervisors to learn about protocols for communicating with trustees).
 
The section of the book that trustees might find most useful is a department-by-department guide. Within each department, I look at three or four specific jobs, covering the main tasks along with the required skills and recommended preparation. Each job also has a section called “keep in mind.” These are aspects of the role that are neither pros nor cons, but rather are points to consider that might not be apparent, like the fact that education jobs require significant weekend work, or that conservators often get the chance to travel with artworks as couriers.
 
Board members at most museums likely have regular interaction with curators, development and membership staff, conservators, and educators (though this will vary by institution). Trustees are much less likely to get a window into other jobs that are not as visible but are still key among all those moving parts. Not only are roles like registrar, facilities manager, shop buyer, mount maker, conservation technician, and prospect researcher important, but they’re also quite interesting to learn about. Staff in those roles are accustomed to constantly having to explain what they do; they would undoubtedly appreciate trustees taking the time to learn more about their responsibilities.
 
For each department, I profiled someone currently working in one of the positions covered in that chapter. These profiles include people from across the country; from history, science, art, college, and specialty museums; from museums with staff that can be counted in the dozens to those with several hundred employees.
 
Former MTA President and Trustee Emerita Mary Baily Wieler graciously provided a profile for the book. She wrote about aspects of her background that prepared her for board work, talked about the ways her museum service differs between institutions, and mentions some of the highs and lows: “My favorite part of the job is tackling the tough issues and making decisions to ensure the financial sustainability of the museum and providing proper governance oversight of the museum director. My least favorite part of the job is chasing donors to renew their memberships.” Mary also gives some excellent advice to prospective staff: “Civic engagement is a rewarding part of one’s professional and personal life. I’ve made life-long friends and enhanced my skills all in support of each museum’s mission. I would highly recommend board service to anyone contemplating joining the museum field.” She also makes an important point about the staff and trustees’ common goals: “Museum staff members need to recognize that board members are their partners in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the museum. They are volunteers, dedicated to the museum’s mission and providing wisdom and oversight for the greater good and in the public trust.”
 
I greatly appreciate Mary’s input, which makes the trustee role more accessible to readers. I hope that book similarly sheds a light on the complex behind-the-scenes realm of museum work, and that trustees find this bird’s-eye view useful.
 
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Tara Young is an independent museum consultant based in Massachusetts. She teaches museum studies at Tufts University and has worked in and with museums for more than 20 years. Visit her website at www.tarayoungconsulting.com.

MTA members and Baltimore museums senior staff enjoyed MTA's inaugural Meet-UP! on June 21st at the Maryland Historical Society.
 
Two lively interactive sessions were led by William Jarvis, Managing Director, Marketing Strategy & Delivery for Bank of America Private Bank. This discussion was based around insights into the motivations, priorities and strategies of wealthy donors, and provided a primer on investment governance.
 
The Bank of America Private Bank 2018 Study of High Net-Worth Philanthropy is an essential resource for trustees and development staff to understand what wealthy donors are motivated by today.
 
Bank of America publishes a biennial series of reports on high-net worth philanthropy in the United States, providing data on giving broken down by gender, race and ethnicity, and generations. This data reveals trends and preferences that can inform your museum’s fundraising and donor stewardship efforts.

The 2018 Study was conducted in partnership with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Click through below to read the Executive Summary and the full report (63 pages).

​At Museum Search & Reference we are often asked about executive transitions and, in particular, about the onboarding process for new directors. We have found that onboarding is sometimes overlooked by boards and search committees who may assume that their work is done, that the new director will know what to do, whom to meet, and where all the institutional knowledge is stored. We recommend to our clients that, having just completed the new executive-director hire, the board take the steps to ensure it will be a productive and lasting leadership tenure by giving serious attention to an onboarding plan. We developed a whitepaper on onboarding to serve as a process guide and materials checklist for museum boards and new executive directors, and we share it here with trustees nationally.
 
The first months of a new director’s arrival are arguably the most critical time for ensuring a smooth transition and continued institutional momentum. Museums and boards are wise to ensure that the post-hire onboarding phase is carried out with design, forethought and commitment.  We hope that sharing our consultant expertise with you will further this process more widely. We welcome your comments and suggestions. 

In our ever changing and growing communities, focusing on developing the audience for your museum is essential. We encourage trustees to take an active role in getting to know their museum’s community and potential audience, as well as taking steps to create offerings that will welcome them in.

A prime audience-building opportunity is a collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the US Department of Defense: Blue Star Museums.

Since 2009, the Blue Star Museums program grants free admission for active duty military families to museums across the country over the summer each year. The program was created to recognize the contributions of US military service members and thank them for their service. School is out, but most importantly summer is relocation time in the military. Whether driving across country to a new base or looking for activities in their new community, the Blue Star list of 2000 + participants is the go-to-resource for museum information. Even if your museum offers free admission, you can encourage service members to visit with a promotion such as free parking or a free beverage in the museum café . As the mother of a Captain USMC and the aunt of a Navy SEAL, I know firsthand how much these incentives matter and are appreciated. 

The program is easy to take part in. Register online (must be repeated each year) and you will receive info on admissions eligibility and promotional materials.  It's easy to do and to sign up. This year’s program runs from Armed Forces Day (May 18) to Labor Day (September 2).​ Learn more at the link below!