|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Governor Spitzer
Makes Education Speech; Announces New Deputy Secretary of Education Even though it was disappointing that he didn't specifically mention the importance of museums to a reformed educational system in NYS, he did say that his agenda is designed to develop "students as leaders in all areas, including culture." Among the specifics of the reform agenda are smaller class sizes, more time in the classroom, and improved quality of teaching. He also plans to appoint a “Children’s Cabinet” - another first - that includes the regents, education commissioner, and head of state agencies that in any way affect kids, to work together on education initiatives. "This is where we might have some impact," noted Clifford Siegfried, Director of the New York State Museum. He also announced his appointment of Manuel (Manny) Rivera of Rochester as the Deputy Secretary of Education, a new position that is considered a plus. Rivera comes from a community with strong museums, where the museum-library-school partnership has been seen as important. He is a superintendent of the year of the Rochester School District, and is well-known and respected in education circles. Rivera will work with school districts to make sure they perform and achieve goals laid out in new contracts with the state. Spitzer indicated that his budget includes the largest increase to the State Education Department “in more than a decade.” Spitzer's budget, which will be unveiled Wednesday, is expected to provide for four years of substantial funding to shore up schools, perhaps more than $1.5 billion in additional aid per year.
AASLH
CEO Meets with MANY Board and NYC/LI Colleagues Davis came to New York City to talk about Federal Formula Grants for museums from the Institute for Museums and Library Services [IMLS]. In addition to the CEO after her name, Davis now devotes 25 percent of her time to administering the Federal Formula Grant Coalition. “The library side gets $170 million,” Davis pointed out. “While museums get $30 million.” Suggesting that her coalition was interested in parity between the nations 122,000 libraries and its 17,000 museums, she said, “Federal formula funding is the easiest way. Congress likes what they know and IMLS already knows how to manage a program like this.” Davis contended that Federal dollars breed growth. “When libraries started receiving funds in the 1950s, it was for buildings,” she explained. At the time there were only 12,000 libraries eligible. Today that number has grown to 122,000. “Make no mistake,” Davis said. “We’re talking new money for IMLS. “If we could secure $100 million dollars wouldn’t that be great?” she asked. Formula funding works by giving each state the same amount plus additional funding based on population. Based on what New York State gets for its libraries, Davis said she felt its museums would do equally well if a formula funding program were created. “And federal grants need a match and having $30 million in state funding would help,” she added, referring to the New York State Museum Act which is only beginning to make its way through the legislature. Currently Davis’ coalition is working to enlarge its membership. (MANY joined the coalition before adjourning its meeting.). The coalition’s next move will be to hire a lobbyist to help navigate the waters of the congressional budget process. “AAM [American Association of Museums] has not signed on as a coalition member,” Davis said. She explained that while AAM doesn’t oppose the idea of formula funding, it is also supporting additional across-the-board funding for IMLS. Asked if she sees any trends regarding how formula funding might be used, Davis answered, “Yes, there are two areas: collections care and GOS [general operating support].” Another participant asked if institutions without collections could receive IMLS formula funding. Davis said she believes Congress will follow IMLS’ original definition of museums that includes non-collecting institutions. Given that many in the audience were art museum staff, the last question shouldn’t have been a surprise. Michael Botwinick, CEO of the Hudson River Museum and a MANY board member, asked whether the creation of a formula funding program for museums would bring a return to the culture wars? He suggested that there has hardly been a federal program where art museums haven’t managed to challenge existing values. “And we have a whole new litany of third rails now,” he said. Davis’ response: “It’s a good caution, but to date it hasn’t come up.” Past Releases
John Lovell on the
Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums: A Report from the Field John Lovell, a MAAM board member since October of 2004 and a member of its leadership task force, talked with the Museum Association of New York (MANY) last month. Lovell is an Assistant Director for the Bureau of Historic Sites, New York Office of Parks and Historic Preservation. He reported that MAAM’s Task Force had two goals: to assess how the agency can interact with regional service agencies working in its five-state plus the District of Columbia-service area and to develop programming and events designed to bring MAAM face-to-face with the next generation of museum leaders. Lovell reported that the individuals he spoke to who had attended a MAAM meeting had favorable experiences. He explained, however, that MAAM, like other regional service organizations, faces stiff competition when it comes to meeting attendance. Smaller organizations often have to choose between sending staff to one national meeting—often AAM or AASLH—rather than attending both national and regional meetings. “One respondent reported that NEMA (New England Museum Association) offers better membership value than MAAM,” he said. When he asked whether New Yorkers felt MAAM was serving its constituency, he found the answers were mixed. “MAAM has to provide good value,” Lovell concluded. According to Lovell, the MAAM region has more museums and more museum professionals than any other region in the country. Nevertheless, its membership remains clustered on the eastern seaboard. “The further you get from there, the more it drops off,” Lovell said, adding that some New Yorkers represented by both the Lower Hudson Conference of Historical Agencies and the Upstate History Alliance as well as MANY, feel that geographically New York isn’t a good fit for MAAM and that in some cases NEMA is the more sought after organization. “We need better exposure throughout the region,” Lovell said. Lovell also asked New Yorkers where they thought the museum profession was headed and how MAAM could help. “Across the board museum professionals talked about [the pending retirement of] a generation of leaders and how the next generation may not have the practical or the holistic training it needs.” One of those who Lovell interviewed was Gretchen Sorin, Professor Emeritus at the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Oneonta, N.Y. “She suggested students who get museum studies degrees need management training,” Lovell said, adding a few of the academics he spoke to commented on the importance of interactivity and learning, particularly the importance of internships. Lovell also said that several museum professionals he interviewed suggested that the growth of undercapitalized museums only exacerbated the leadership gap. Summing up some of the ideas generated at MAAM’s recent board meeting, Lovell said, “If you can interest young professionals, then this organization [MAAM] has something to offer. MAAM could address an individual’s needs from graduate school through the first job. We’re providing resources for people, not institutions.” Lovell reported that after the Leadership Task Force report the MAAM board is considering a special one-day program for representatives from state service programs from its six-state service area either before or after an upcoming annual meeting perhaps as early as 2007. Click here for information on the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums.
Population Shift Will Affect Museums Upstate Between 1980 and 2002 outmovers outnumbered inmovers by almost half a million. “This outflow—part of a silmultaneous shift of jobs and people from the region—represents a self-reinforcing trend that is gaining momentum and exerting a drag on upstate New York’s economy and growth potential,” the report’s economist Richard Deitz wrote. The report also indicates that many younger workers aged 20 to 34 are leaving the region, meaning that upstate New York is graying. This is a trend the state shares with the rest of the Northeast which continues to lose population to the south and the west. Recent Poll Reports New York State’s Museums Face Deficits Despite Strengthening Economy Troy, NY. (November 14, 2003) – In a poll of member museums this Fall, the Museum Association of New York focused on the extent to which NYS museums and historical organizations are meeting their revenue targets as 2003 winds down. Despite a gradually improving economy, 75% of poll respondents are facing operating deficits for the current fiscal year. Nearly 1/3 of respondents cited lower visitation as the greatest impact the recession has had on their operations, particularly open-air institutions such as museum villages, forts and battlefields. Fewer people coming through the turnstile has also resulted in fewer retail sales. “Negative views held by the public, as well as by the private and business sectors, about our country’s economic climate affects what grant and funding opportunities are available to us,” wrote one administrator. The recession’s impact has also crippled endowment funds, resulting in the loss of an important income stream for many institutions. Of the 30% of institutions reporting that staff restructuring is being utilized as a means of meeting revenue targets, one-third of them also cited restructuring as having the greatest impact on operations. One respondent noted, “Increases in health care costs and insurance premiums increasingly becoming a burden financially.” However, only 15% of respondents indicated that reducing employee benefits is currently being used to help bridge the deficit gap. As would be expected, ninety-five percent (95%) of respondents are active on multiple fronts to bring in new dollars or shift existing resources. A majority of respondents (50-60%) are attempting to close operating gaps by 1) tweaking existing fundraising events; 2) adding new fundraising events; and 3) focusing on individual gifts and underwriting. Forty-percent (40%) of respondents said they are promoting facility rentals; 35% indicated they are raising fees for programs. Every now and then a silver lining peeps through: “Summer 2003 was like somebody turned the $ spigot on – we had a great summer season!“ reported one central New York director. Another noted that the recession has resulted in more volunteers at her institution. And a college art museum director wrote that the recession was resulting in “a serious shortage of cash, leading to a reevaluation of what we do and how we do it.” – we see that as a potential positive outcome.
|
sponsors:
|
||
|
|
|
