fossilfly
07-05-2007, 12:41 AM
Below is part of an interesting piece on the Glass museum in Tacoma and how it became one of the most sucessful glass museums in the world in 5 short years. the full text of the piece is here:
http://www.thenewstribune.com/ae/story/102486.html
It's time for some maturity: Museum of Glass at age five
At five years old, Tacoma’s Museum of Glass has achieved popularity, but has some serious work ahead as it tries to grow its support and numbers.
ROSEMARY PONNEKANTI; The News Tribune
Last updated: July 4th, 2007 07:09 AM (PDT)
The Museum of Glass turns five years old on Friday. Like a lot of 5-year-olds, it has enthusiasm and appeal. Its attendance numbers and donations to its operating fund are impressive. Its education programs are extensive. Its dynamism for working artists is laudable. And it’s seeking accreditation by a national museum organization. However, like any 5-year-old, the museum also has some growing up to do. Without a curator or a permanent collection, it lacks scholarly status. Without a strong endowment, it lacks long-term security. There’s a slowing of visual momentum, both inside and outside its dramatic building on the Thea Foss Waterway. These are all issues acknowledged by director and staff as work for the future, although director Tim Close, hired last year, doesn’t say exactly how he will increase financial donations, build an endowment, strengthen the budget and improve membership.
George H. Weyerhaeuser Jr., current chairman and long-time trustee on the museum’s board, is satisfied with how far the museum has come.
“It’s where I hoped it would be, on average,” he said in a recent interview. “We continue to struggle to have strong roots in the community. It seems we’re more on the map for the glass world than for Tacoma. But we’re increasingly the place where people come to hear the story of glass, we’re having serious discussions about collecting, we have a good leadership team.”
The museum is beginning to make a name for itself nationally, as well.
“They’ve come on very strong for a new museum,” said Tina Oldknow, curator at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York and an expert in modern art glass. “In five years they’ve really made an impact. Since they didn’t have a collection, they’ve had the resources to build a very strong program, with strong leadership and some great shows.”
FINANCIAL STRENGTH
The operations and capital money that have flowed in since the museum’s conception in 1992 is considerable. As well as funding from the usual public and private foundations (the National Endowment for the Arts, the Washington State Arts Commission, the Ben Cheney Foundation, the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation, Boeing, AT&T and the like) individual donations such as those from founding trustees Jane and George Russell have reached well above $50,000.
Since 2003-04, an anonymous donor has contributed more than $1 million each year for general operations. The total 2006-07 operating budget was $5.8 million. The Tacoma Art Museum, by contrast, has only recently added a category for gifts of more than $25,000 and has a budget of $3 million. The Museum of Glass enjoys the kind of big funding that allows for big-name artists, which in turn draws more support.
Yet the museum’s endowment is small. The endowment is separate from the operations money that flows annually from donors and is necessary for long-term security and planning. Interest earned from an endowment typically pays for ordinary expenses, such as staff salaries, which donors often find less attractive to fund than splashy exhibitions.
At $267,000, the Museum of Glass’ endowment is far less than the $9.5 million endowment of the 71-year-old TAM, and is a long way from the $15 million figure that museum officials said in 2002 they expected to raise by now.
“At the beginning, we were successful raising funds to establish the museum,” Close said, “but not the endowment.” He’s still hopes to raise $15 million and have the interest from it provide 25 percent of the annual budget. “We will achieve this through careful planning: refreshing our mission, shoring up our donor base, raising more money. But I feel confident that there’s support.”
Close also would like to extend the geographical representation on the board of directors over the next three or four years.
“We are an international institution, we attract an international audience. We want our leadership to reflect that,” he said.
PEOPLE POWER
Behind donations, the second most-striking number at the museum is attendance. The American Association of Museums puts the average yearly figure for U.S. art museums at 59,800. TAM’s annual attendance averaged 75,000 during the past five years. At MOG, about 162,000 people have walked in each year, reaching a total of 1 million any day now. Up to 50 percent of visitors come from other states or countries. Close attributes this to the international quality of visiting artists, and the position of the Pacific Northwest in the glass movement.
“This is the Mecca of the glass world,” he said.
TAM director Stephanie Stebich called MOG’s attendance figures “very strong.”
“But as we all know,” she said, “converting visitors to regular fans is the difficult task.”
TAM, which has the advantage of age, counted 2,700 member households (which can include up to four people) in 2006-07, a increase from previous years. The Museum of Glass has plateaued at around 4,000 member households, lower in proportion to its overall attendance.
“We definitely want higher membership numbers,” Close said, though he was unspecific as to how this would be achieved. He said there was a relationship between low membership numbers and high out-of-town visitor numbers.
The advantage, though, is to Tacoma.
“The Museum of Glass and the whole museum district is a very popular attraction for tour group leaders. We’ve seen significantly more interest since 2002 and the development of that district,” said Ruthie Reinert, executive director of the Tacoma Convention and Visitor Bureau.
“I’m a huge supporter of the Museum of Glass,” said Natalie Leberge, a Tacoman who has memberships at both the Museum of Glass and the Tacoma Art Museum. “It’s far better than I thought it would ever be. I bring visitors from across the country, I know collectors who come here specifically for glass. The parking and cafe hours could be better, and there is a relatively small number of families here they can tap into for funds. But it’s a spectacular museum with a lot of potential.”
TELLING THE GLASS STORY
A third strength of the museum is its educational programming.
During the past five years it has capitalized rapidly on both the need for and the possibilities of teaching about glass. There are school tours strong on science curricula, and the current exhibition “Contrasts: a Glass Primer.” There’s the Arts Connect program working with the Pierce County juvenile justice system. There’s the recently made film about the history of glass, and the new mobile hot shop to be unveiled this weekend. Education programs reached 64,750 individuals and families over the first five years, an average of 12,950 a year. At TAM, the figure for 2006-07 was 24,974 participants.
Part of the education, of course, is the hot shop. The enormous cone, now an icon of Tacoma’s waterfront, was an intrinsic part of the museum’s reason for existence, providing a workshop for visitors to view and artists to use.
“It’s an integral part of the visitor experience – so few museums offer the chance to see artists working live,” says Susan Warner, director of public programs for MOG. Constant glassblowing, a live emcee, close-up videos and audience participation, together with a year-round visiting artist program, add up to a unique combination.
The interactive MOG experience is a large part of why visitors come. It’s the third most-cited reason, after a general interest in glass and for socializing, said communications director Julie Pisto.
(http://www.museumofglass.org/)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/ae/story/102486.html
It's time for some maturity: Museum of Glass at age five
At five years old, Tacoma’s Museum of Glass has achieved popularity, but has some serious work ahead as it tries to grow its support and numbers.
ROSEMARY PONNEKANTI; The News Tribune
Last updated: July 4th, 2007 07:09 AM (PDT)
The Museum of Glass turns five years old on Friday. Like a lot of 5-year-olds, it has enthusiasm and appeal. Its attendance numbers and donations to its operating fund are impressive. Its education programs are extensive. Its dynamism for working artists is laudable. And it’s seeking accreditation by a national museum organization. However, like any 5-year-old, the museum also has some growing up to do. Without a curator or a permanent collection, it lacks scholarly status. Without a strong endowment, it lacks long-term security. There’s a slowing of visual momentum, both inside and outside its dramatic building on the Thea Foss Waterway. These are all issues acknowledged by director and staff as work for the future, although director Tim Close, hired last year, doesn’t say exactly how he will increase financial donations, build an endowment, strengthen the budget and improve membership.
George H. Weyerhaeuser Jr., current chairman and long-time trustee on the museum’s board, is satisfied with how far the museum has come.
“It’s where I hoped it would be, on average,” he said in a recent interview. “We continue to struggle to have strong roots in the community. It seems we’re more on the map for the glass world than for Tacoma. But we’re increasingly the place where people come to hear the story of glass, we’re having serious discussions about collecting, we have a good leadership team.”
The museum is beginning to make a name for itself nationally, as well.
“They’ve come on very strong for a new museum,” said Tina Oldknow, curator at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York and an expert in modern art glass. “In five years they’ve really made an impact. Since they didn’t have a collection, they’ve had the resources to build a very strong program, with strong leadership and some great shows.”
FINANCIAL STRENGTH
The operations and capital money that have flowed in since the museum’s conception in 1992 is considerable. As well as funding from the usual public and private foundations (the National Endowment for the Arts, the Washington State Arts Commission, the Ben Cheney Foundation, the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation, Boeing, AT&T and the like) individual donations such as those from founding trustees Jane and George Russell have reached well above $50,000.
Since 2003-04, an anonymous donor has contributed more than $1 million each year for general operations. The total 2006-07 operating budget was $5.8 million. The Tacoma Art Museum, by contrast, has only recently added a category for gifts of more than $25,000 and has a budget of $3 million. The Museum of Glass enjoys the kind of big funding that allows for big-name artists, which in turn draws more support.
Yet the museum’s endowment is small. The endowment is separate from the operations money that flows annually from donors and is necessary for long-term security and planning. Interest earned from an endowment typically pays for ordinary expenses, such as staff salaries, which donors often find less attractive to fund than splashy exhibitions.
At $267,000, the Museum of Glass’ endowment is far less than the $9.5 million endowment of the 71-year-old TAM, and is a long way from the $15 million figure that museum officials said in 2002 they expected to raise by now.
“At the beginning, we were successful raising funds to establish the museum,” Close said, “but not the endowment.” He’s still hopes to raise $15 million and have the interest from it provide 25 percent of the annual budget. “We will achieve this through careful planning: refreshing our mission, shoring up our donor base, raising more money. But I feel confident that there’s support.”
Close also would like to extend the geographical representation on the board of directors over the next three or four years.
“We are an international institution, we attract an international audience. We want our leadership to reflect that,” he said.
PEOPLE POWER
Behind donations, the second most-striking number at the museum is attendance. The American Association of Museums puts the average yearly figure for U.S. art museums at 59,800. TAM’s annual attendance averaged 75,000 during the past five years. At MOG, about 162,000 people have walked in each year, reaching a total of 1 million any day now. Up to 50 percent of visitors come from other states or countries. Close attributes this to the international quality of visiting artists, and the position of the Pacific Northwest in the glass movement.
“This is the Mecca of the glass world,” he said.
TAM director Stephanie Stebich called MOG’s attendance figures “very strong.”
“But as we all know,” she said, “converting visitors to regular fans is the difficult task.”
TAM, which has the advantage of age, counted 2,700 member households (which can include up to four people) in 2006-07, a increase from previous years. The Museum of Glass has plateaued at around 4,000 member households, lower in proportion to its overall attendance.
“We definitely want higher membership numbers,” Close said, though he was unspecific as to how this would be achieved. He said there was a relationship between low membership numbers and high out-of-town visitor numbers.
The advantage, though, is to Tacoma.
“The Museum of Glass and the whole museum district is a very popular attraction for tour group leaders. We’ve seen significantly more interest since 2002 and the development of that district,” said Ruthie Reinert, executive director of the Tacoma Convention and Visitor Bureau.
“I’m a huge supporter of the Museum of Glass,” said Natalie Leberge, a Tacoman who has memberships at both the Museum of Glass and the Tacoma Art Museum. “It’s far better than I thought it would ever be. I bring visitors from across the country, I know collectors who come here specifically for glass. The parking and cafe hours could be better, and there is a relatively small number of families here they can tap into for funds. But it’s a spectacular museum with a lot of potential.”
TELLING THE GLASS STORY
A third strength of the museum is its educational programming.
During the past five years it has capitalized rapidly on both the need for and the possibilities of teaching about glass. There are school tours strong on science curricula, and the current exhibition “Contrasts: a Glass Primer.” There’s the Arts Connect program working with the Pierce County juvenile justice system. There’s the recently made film about the history of glass, and the new mobile hot shop to be unveiled this weekend. Education programs reached 64,750 individuals and families over the first five years, an average of 12,950 a year. At TAM, the figure for 2006-07 was 24,974 participants.
Part of the education, of course, is the hot shop. The enormous cone, now an icon of Tacoma’s waterfront, was an intrinsic part of the museum’s reason for existence, providing a workshop for visitors to view and artists to use.
“It’s an integral part of the visitor experience – so few museums offer the chance to see artists working live,” says Susan Warner, director of public programs for MOG. Constant glassblowing, a live emcee, close-up videos and audience participation, together with a year-round visiting artist program, add up to a unique combination.
The interactive MOG experience is a large part of why visitors come. It’s the third most-cited reason, after a general interest in glass and for socializing, said communications director Julie Pisto.
(http://www.museumofglass.org/)