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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Museum Of Science And History Advisory Committee - 04/07/2005 MINUTES �p �w Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History .4Q APO 305 • Advisory Committee Meeting N RNED April 7, 2005 CITYECESECRETARY'I m os tc OFFICE o The Museum Advisory Committee met in the Museum's DeDietrich Conferencs� epid y� on Thursday, April 7, 2005. Members Present: Grady Price Blount, Margaret Bohc', - aron Brower, Angie Flores, Joe Martinez, Phyllis Riddle, Alex Sadovski, Linda Scott, and Cheryl Gillenwater. Upon motion by Grady Price Blount and seconded by Sharon Brower the minutes of the March 3, 2005 meeting were unanimously approved. Upon motion by Joe Martinez and seconded by Linda Scott the absences of Alex Sadovski, Cheryl Gillenwater, and Angie Flores were excused for good cause. Business: A. The Committee reviewed the performance report for the fiscal year through February. The number of paying general visitors was down 3% and student visitors were down 13%. Revenue from facility rentals was up by 29%. The per capita admission revenue was down to $2.94, but that is a seasonal issue. The maintenance cost was up significantly in large part due to the dramatic increase in the cost of electricity. There were a number of questions and some discussion. Sharon Brower asked for some comparative statistics on membership sales. B. Rick Stryker reported on upcoming events: • Jim Bruseth and Toni Turner will be at the Museum on April 9 for a book signing and lecture by Jim (From a Watery Grave: The Discovery and Excavation of La Salle's Shipwreck,La Belle). Arrangements for this event were done in cooperation with Carolyn Appleton. • The Friends will sponsor an exhibit preview reception for members on April 15th in association with Rounding the Bases: Baseball in Corpus Christi. The Hooks have asked for 100 tickets that they plan to distribute to their sponsors and investors. The exhibit is sponsored by the Coastal Bend Community Foundation and the Sparks Foundation. • The Friends will sponsor an exhibit preview reception for members on May 28th for the Make It Move children's exhibit. This exhibit is sponsored by the Prichard Family Foundation. • This summer the Friends and Texas A &M University-Kingsville will sponsor the archaeological field school. The time spent in San Patricio will be shortened to one month (June) so that July can be devoted to a survey of El Copano— a 19th century port and prehistoric Native American site on Copano Bay. The Museum is working with the Texas Maritime Museum and the Texas Historical Commission on the El Copano project. Some members of the Committee requested that they be given an opportunity to visit the El Copano site. • Also this summer the Museum will host the third and final year of the U.S. Department of Education funded Teaching U.S. History Institute (June 13 — 17). The Institute topic is American Frontier Life and the Civil War. This is in cooperation with the Region 2 Education Service Center. The second (of three) year Department of Education funded teaching U.S. History Colloquium will also be this summer. The same topic will be SCANNED AdvisAbry Committee Meeting April 7, 2005 'gage 2 taught to four successive groups of teachers over four weeks from June 7— 30. Under this grant we work as a team with faculty from Del Mar College. The goal is to improve the teaching of history in schools by teaching teachers ways to improve their knowledge, appreciation, and understanding (KAU). Del Mar Faculty provide the knowledge, Museum staff provide the appreciation through examination of artifacts and primary documents, and a master teacher helps teachers to understand how to use what they have learned in the classroom. There will be three additional KAU days for the teachers during the school year. C. Grady Price Blount and Phyllis Riddle reported on the planning task force discussion regarding a process to determine a new mission for the Museum. They met with representatives of the Friends Board and the University along with Dusty Dun-ill to discuss whether the University might wish to collaborate with the Museum on a plan to incorporate the Columbus ships into the story line of the Museum. The University representatives were very cautious because they were uncertain how such a project might be of interest to the University- given that their primary focus is on teaching students and their resources(faculty time and money) continually get tighter. A second meeting, discussed the answer to the question, "What do we want?", and further considered whether this was something in which the University might be interested. The task force is presently awaiting a draft story line that is being developed by Dr. Pat Carroll of the University faculty with input from Rick. A brief synopsis of the draft proposed story line was provided to Committee members. D. The Museum's proposed General Fund budget was submitted April 5th. The MBO's approach begins with revenues and then moves to the resources that will be available based on those revenues. Each department will be funded based on the resources they bring to the table and funding priorities based on the City's overall goals. Revenues have already been submitted and the continuing decline in attendance is leading to another disappointing year in Museum admission revenue. The only bright spot in revenues is the growing income from facility rentals. Committee members reviewed the proposed base budget and projected revenues. Departments have been asked to submit a base budget that provides support for the same service level as the present fiscal year. They have also been asked to show the impact of a 10%reduction in funding with a minimum impact on service. The Museum's base budget itself shows a$40,000 increase in the cost of electricity. While it is too early to anticipate the need to reduce the budget by 10%, Rick alerted the Committee to the fact that such a reduction would result in a 20% reduction in staffing - 3.8 full time equivalent positions. Because there must be minimal staffing to properly maintain collections, staff reduction would necessitate consideration of a mission change reducing the scope and size of the Museum's collections. Rick reminded Committee members of the national decline in museum attendance over the past Advisory Committee Meeting April 7, 2005 Page 3 four years resulting in declines in revenue. Many museum operating budgets have shrunk significantly—there have been staff reductions, collection down sizing, and even museum closings. Capital campaigns and expansion plans have been put on hold or reduced in scope and size. The reserve funds of a significant number of museums have been reduced and in some cases museums have taken on debt to address a fiscal situation they hope is short term. These issues were a topic of discussion at the 2005 Texas Association of Museums Annual Meeting in Dallas last week. Rick reported that the Texas museum experience minors that of national museums as a whole: attendance has declined and revenues have dropped significantly. Layoffs are happening. The scope of collecting is being reduced. There is a consensus that long term strategies for all museums must be developed. There is an undercurrent that suggests that the story's that we are telling and the way we are telling them are no longer responsive to our audiences. The traditional museum staffing priorities with a heavy emphasis on collections care and research has been supplanted by emphasis on employing those who impact revenue by providing direct service to the public. The new priority is to hone down missions to core institutional values for which there is public support. The old empirical approach to exhibit development will no longer suffice. Community input is essential. There was a long discussion about the Museum mission along with consideration of input, both positive and negative to the March 18's article in the Caller Times that was based on the KRIS Channel 6 interview news report. Upon motion by Grady Price Blount and seconded by Margaret Bolick, the Committee unanimously adopted a recommendation to the Mayor and Council that funding for the Museum be continued at the present service level to support their effort to develop a new mission and to give them time to develop a strategic plan for the Museum that is more responsive to the needs of the community. E. To provide additional food for thought the Committee members were provided additional information including: • A listing of space allocation and object collections for the Museum • Copies of articles from the special Museums section of the New York Times published on March 30, 2005 including: Rebuilding?It's time for Rebranding by Carol Vogel, Museums in a Row:A Happy Cluster or a Logjam by Robert Strauss, and Not Every Opening is a Hit by Bernard Stamler. • Before and After:A comparison of the new and old versions of the Characteristics of an Accreditable Museum from the American Association of Museums. • Considerations for AAM Accredited Museums Facing Retrenchment or Downsizing from the Accreditation Commission of the American Association of Museums. There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m.