Are you museum-ing? I confess that many of my so-called vacations revolve around art and museums. When you’re passionate about something, you just can’t turn it off. Last week I made another trip to the Denver Art Museum, where I’m a member. It was a special trip with a longtime client who was here from Shreveport, Louisiana. (Photo on blog.) It was also special because I don’t get to the DAM as much as I would like. One of my major rules for museum outings is not to try to see everything, which I mentioned last week in my “How to Visit a Museum”  recording for Inner Circle members. I select a small portion of things I want to see--knowing that museum fatigue will soon set in. I have promised my husband a “real” vacation on the coast in Northern California at the end of this month. The laptop will be in tow, but my intent is to enjoy the time there. As soon as we’re done, though, I’m told we’ll be in a hotel conveniently located near the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

How to Document Your Art using Professional Guidelines

Complimentary Teleseminar, Tuesday, July 10

Are your inventory records a mess? Do you even have inventory records? Your inventory records are critical documentation for your career. You might as well get them right so you don't have to go back in ten years and try to reconstruct all of your accomplishments. In this complimentary teleseminar, Harriete Estel Berman will cover the essential information you should be keeping for each artwork. To sign up: http://www.artbizcoach.com/classes/document.html

Get Organized

Online class begins July 11

Get organized before the summer is over. I’m adding another “Get Organized!” class for the summer. Clean out your clutter, organize your files, and set priorities. The gallery season is soon upon us. This summer’s classes are being conducted entirely on blogs! Lessons,
discussion, links, audio . . . everything on one blog that is for class members only.
 http://www.artbizcoach.com/classes/organize.html

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► View all upcoming classes and events.
 

FEATURE ARTICLE

Get Ready For Museums, Part 2

► Did you know that this newsletter is available in audio format each Wednesday at http://www.artbizblog.com? You can also download it at iTunes.

Last week I gave you a quick overview of museums. In case you missed that issue, you can find the podcast on artbizblog.com on July 4. The most important lesson from it is this: Museums exist to serve the public, not artists. Having said that, we all know that museums can’t thrive without artists. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. However, due to the enormous amount of art being produced today--the fierce competition for attention from museums--museums have the upper hand. If museums are a goal of yours, you need to know how they operate.

It is a misconception that museums have a lot of money. Museums are almost always strapped for capital! Yes, they have big donors, but often those donations are for specific programs, exhibitions, and building projects. Money for daily operating expenses is less abundant. Most museums are funded from a combination of sources, which include, but aren’t limited to, admissions; endowments; store and restaurant sales; memberships; government support; and private foundations.

But museums also have a lot of expenses. Just imagine what it takes to run one! Not just keeping the building open and maintained, but paying the staff, caring for the collection, and publicizing exhibitions and events.

Museum budgets are planned well in advance for the upcoming fiscal year. Some museums are even organized enough to have three-year or five-year budgets, although they are often revised annually to meet changing situations. These figures are necessary for grant applications and a good board of directors should demand prudent planning.

The budgeting process was different for each of the three museums in which I worked. In general, museum budgets begin at the staff level, where department heads work with the people under them to devise a realistic budget that takes expenses and income into account.
Department heads then work with the director, who is responsible for prioritizing needs and designating staff resources. The director then takes the budget to the board for approval. As you can see, there are layers of bureaucracy.

Knowing how museums are funded and how they have to spend their money should help you plan your museum strategy. After reading this, you should know you shouldn't approach a museum and expect them to give you an exhibit next month! Or, expect them to purchase your artwork right away! You'll see that things are slow in a museum and, as I said before, museums exist to serve the public, not artists.