Thursday May 28, 2020

I’m a very passionate museum professional who other than occasional consulting gigs recently retired after 32 years in the field. I’ve got no skin in the game regarding the appeal I’m about to make to your sense of community. I feel compelled to do something so please take a few moments and read on.

Covid-19 has globally impacted all aspects of our lives. There isn’t a person, business, non-profit organization, school, college or university, healthcare organization, or house of worship that hasn’t been impacted. As we move forward there will be a lot of decisions that communities are going to make about what they consider essential. Some of our favorite organizations and businesses will not survive. On top of all this we have a national election coming up in November. There is nothing normal about everything that is being thrown at us. This is a time of stress and frustration for all.

Each of us as individuals hold in our hands the ability to make a long term difference. Museums and other arts & culture organizations put themselves at great risk by shuttering their doors because of the coronavirus to protect you, the patron they operate for. Museums exist as educational institutions that preserve the heritage, arts & collective culture of their greater communities (sometimes national and global). Museums provide an opportunity for the voices of the past and the voices currently in the community to be heard and made relevant to today’s life challenges. History repeats itself, we all know this. But public programs like my last museum exhibit pictured above, Vet Ink: Tattoos Inspired by Military Service, can help us all make sense of the world and each other (whether inside a museum gallery or as a virtual experience). Museums help us put our complicated lives into perspective.

It took generations to accumulate the great collections of material culture and intellectual goods that museum preserve and use as educational tools for the public. Please do not lose sight of how important and in most cases irreplaceable these resources are. Once lost, there will be no turning back. Cultural resources (I’m lumping all types of them together here: Heritage, Art, Culture, Archives) provide a touchstone for humanity and they give us common ground. They need your help more than ever to survive.

Most museums rely on individual support via outright cash contributions and memberships. Most museums do not receive direct government support to operate. Let me repeat myself. Most museums rely on individual support via outright cash contributions and memberships. Most museums do not receive direct government support to operate. Obviously earned income also comes into play but that is a mote point right now. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of grants are program specific and do not pay for operating.

Moving forward there will be a lot of pressure for each of us to do what we can to financially support all the components of service we treasure and value. I am asking you to include Museums and other arts & cultural organizations among your priorities.

Do you have a membership renewal form or donation form for your favorite cultural institutions sitting in your bill pile? Getting electronic requests for help? I am now asking you to take action and respond. Please financially support your favorite heritage, arts or cultural organizations. Make a donation giving what you can. Renew those memberships—even if the doors are currently closed. We WANT those doors to reopen. All gifts, great and small make a difference. In fact, if truth be known, the majority of gifts are small but they all add up and are very much appreciated. From my career I remember the big donors AND I also vividly remember the small ones like the two different women on limited incomes who would donate a $5 bill each year. We all do what we can to help. The issue is, to help.

Life will go back to some kind of new normal. Your support of Museums and other arts & cultural organizations will help ensure that quality of life goes along with whatever that new plan of operation is. I thank you for your time and consideration. I appreciate it.

If you are someone who lost a family member, neighbor or colleague to Covid-19 please accept my deepest condolences.