Museum workers worldwide lose jobs, income many plan to leave field
On April 13, the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) made public the findings of a survey, “Measuring the Impact of COVID-19 on People in the Museum Field,” conducted in March. Some 2,700 individuals responded, 87 percent of them (pre-pandemic) museum staff in the US.
Unsurprisingly, the results paint a picture of economic hardship, professional uncertainty and mental turmoil. The more precarious a given respondent’s position in the field, generally speaking, the greater the financial loss (as a percentage of previous income) and the deeper the skepticism about the future.
Forty-three percent of museum workers as a whole saw their income fall by an average of 31 percent over the course of 2020. More than 60 percent of part-time staff, already living at poverty levels, testify to “having lost income due to the pandemic, with a median of eight thousand dollars lost due to reduced salary, benefits, or hours fo
Susan Edwards Prepares Frist Exit Executive director and CEO took over museum in 2004 Tweet Share
Photo: Eric EnglandSusan Edwards, the executive director and CEO of the Frist Art Museum since 2004, has told the downtown institution’s board of trustees she will retire in the coming year.
“As the Frist is always in a state of becoming, it is difficult to pinpoint a good moment to step down,” Edwards says in a statement. “During our 20th anniversary year, it seems an opportune moment to transition to the next generation of leadership. Serving the community, the mission, and the field in this position has been rewarding on every level. I remain ever grateful.”
The museum made the announcement Wednesday and said it will begin the process of choosing her replacement.
Edwards was the second leader of the art museum, which first opened in April 2001. She had led the organization since 2004.
“Dr. Edwards has elevated Nashville’s museum in ways we could only imagine in our early days,” Frist Art Museum Chairman Billy Frist said in a press release. “Not only has she made the presentation of the visual arts and discourse surrounding them diverse and accessible during her time at the museum, she also changed lives and Nashville in the process.
During Edwards’ tenure, the museum was awarded accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, according to the release.
As communities begin lifting COVID-19 restrictions, many museums around the country are finally able to reopen their doors. Reserve a ticket, venture in and you will find that your favorite artifacts have been waiting patiently for your return and that museum staff have used their time off to mount new exhibitions and create new experiences. Many free museum admission programs are back, too.
“While the museum visit may look a little different, whether that be enhanced cleaning procedures or wearing masks, visitors can expect a safe experience in which their curiosity is sparked and they feel reconnected to their communities,” says Laura Lott, president and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums.
Museums Send Deaccessioned American Art To Auction, While One Sells Privately For New Acquisitions
April 20, 2021 12:19
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(detail) Alma Thomas, “Alma’s Flower Garden,” circa 1968 (oil on canvas). Greenville County Museum of Art
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Pandemic-induced impacts on museums, many temporarily closed for months to over one year, have caused widespread staff lay-offs and furloughing as revenue shrunk. Museums directors estimated that their institutions would be losing the equivalent of 35% of their annual operating income in 2020, according to an October survey by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). Museum deaccessions have since been ticking up with the spring sales in New York offering up several prime examples by historic American artists from Childe Hassam to Georgia O Keeffe.