From April 21, 2009: Deaccession Legislation: Iowa Museum Director and Nonprofits Attorney Say It’s Time
Near the end of my talk last Wednesday at the University of Iowa (where the art museum, best known for its monumental 1943 Pollock, has been permanently closed by flooding), I advocated that the Brodsky bill, designed to regulate deaccessioning in New York State, become a national model.
The Brodsky Bill is basically government involvement is the decision making of museums.
From January 22, 2009: Topple the Culture Czar, Part II: Why “Culture Ministry” is a Foreign Concept
Proponents of the idea of a cabinet-level Secretary of Culture point out that foreign culture ministers currently have no counterpart in the U.S.
There’s good reason for that.
Many foreign countries have a tradition of substantial government subsidies for cultural institutions. When your government pays the culture bills, you need the oversight of a government agency. But there are big tradeoffs for being largely dependent on government handouts—not only the specter of government interference but also the sleepy complacency that comes from not having to make a strong case to outside funders.
Just sayin’
This is something that the Smithsonian struggles with on a regular basis. We are about 73% funded by the government (direct funding and government grants), but we also have business enterprises and private donors. Trying to please all of our stakeholders can be quite a challenge!