Museums are sailing in very stormy weathers!

Maurice · 19th May 2013, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

I just do not understand. This must have something to do with current trends and tasteless bean counter forecasts. How any company, organisation or even state government could let such a short sighted thing happen.

As a matter of fact most of the time it isn't the company or organisation, but the state government who are the culprits by shutting down all financial subvention at once.....

A. G. Maisey · 19th May 2013, 11:27 PM

Yes, it is true that museums all over the world are struggling to stay afloat, however, this is not a recent phenomenon.

About 25 years ago I was visited by a curator from a major European museum. This gentleman had an interest in the keris, and this was the reason for his visit.

His museum kept and displayed not only artifacts from the past, but artifacts from the present day. He indicated an interest in acquiring several finely current production, carved Javanese keris hilts that I had which were of patterns that the museum did not possess, and requested that I hold these hilts for him until he received permission from the relevant people in the museum to purchase.

Several months after his return to Europe I received a letter advising me that he had been unable to obtain permission to purchase because of a shortage of funds.

This curator has now retired, and the museum at which he was employed is slowly sinking --- even though it is a major cultural institution not only in its own country, but internationally.

Last year I visited several major museums in Europe as a guest of the curators of the museum departments that dealt with keris. In one of these museums the curator related how in a 17 year period the staff of the museum charged with maintenance and display of the objects in the museum's care had fallen in numbers from 37 to 9.

About 30 years ago I was approached by a museum here in Australia to assist in the identification and cataloguing of SE Asian weapons held in store. I was followed-up on this over about a 5 year period, but the actual work I had agreed to assist with never eventuated. Why? Because museum policy dictated that I must at all times be accompanied by a member of the museum staff, and staff cuts had reduced staff to a level where nobody was available for identification and cataloguing.

It is very easy to blame governments for this lack of museum funding, however, governments in democracies represent the will of the people who elect them, and these same governments are responsible for the distribution of tax moneys gathered from those who elect them.

The vast bulk of people in most, if not all, modern communities never visit a museum and have very little interest in art and artifacts of the past, most especially so when the other responsibilities of an elected government, such as provision of infrastructure and community services, hospitals, education, care for those in a community who are unable to care for themselves, and etcetera, are taken into consideration.

The cure for the deterioration of the museum movement lays in education, but education now is very pragmatic and is designed to fit a student for production and survival in our modern world. I doubt if the classical education that was available in a limited number of schools in my country 60 and more years ago is available any longer, anywhere, in the English speaking world. This is perhaps as it should be:- a knowledge of Homer is not nearly as valuable now as it once was considered to be.

Bear this in mind:- most education is funded by public moneys, and the public do want to see their children leave school fitted to either produce income and support themselves, or fitted to pursue further learning which will ultimately result in (probably) higher income.

Perhaps the only way in which the continuance of museums might be facilitated is to adopt a different philosophy of learning whereby the past is once again emphasised as a valuable component part of a person's knowledge. However, to follow this path would be to undermine the very foundations of modern political endeavour, so it is not likely to happen.

Enjoy our museums while you can, because I doubt that future generations will have the same opportunities that we have had, and to a limited extent, still do have.

Rick · 20th May 2013, 03:40 AM

I remember a certain novel I've read, more than once: The Mote In God's Eye .
Museums were quite important in that story .

Actually, it made me think a bit on this subject ...

Tim Simmons · 20th May 2013, 05:46 PM

The irony is you can bet the government can find lots of money for a raft of pet on trend ineffective and of doubtful long term sustainability projects. In the UK it is things like trying to make people that do not like sport do sport, opera and most of all any nonsense that will appeal to the core voter, people with no taste or imagination at all.

asomotif · 20th May 2013, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maurice

As a matter of fact most of the time it isn't the company or organisation, but the state government who are the culprits by shutting down all financial subvention at once.....

In this specific case, the Tropenmuseum resides under the department of foreign affairs. A very unusual construction, and probably also a very unlucky one for the future of the museum.

19th May 2013, 11:27 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,991	Yes, it is true that museums all over the world are struggling to stay afloat, however, this is not a recent phenomenon. About 25 years ago I was visited by a curator from a major European museum. This gentleman had an interest in the keris, and this was the reason for his visit. His museum kept and displayed not only artifacts from the past, but artifacts from the present day. He indicated an interest in acquiring several finely current production, carved Javanese keris hilts that I had which were of patterns that the museum did not possess, and requested that I hold these hilts for him until he received permission from the relevant people in the museum to purchase. Several months after his return to Europe I received a letter advising me that he had been unable to obtain permission to purchase because of a shortage of funds. This curator has now retired, and the museum at which he was employed is slowly sinking --- even though it is a major cultural institution not only in its own country, but internationally. Last year I visited several major museums in Europe as a guest of the curators of the museum departments that dealt with keris. In one of these museums the curator related how in a 17 year period the staff of the museum charged with maintenance and display of the objects in the museum's care had fallen in numbers from 37 to 9. About 30 years ago I was approached by a museum here in Australia to assist in the identification and cataloguing of SE Asian weapons held in store. I was followed-up on this over about a 5 year period, but the actual work I had agreed to assist with never eventuated. Why? Because museum policy dictated that I must at all times be accompanied by a member of the museum staff, and staff cuts had reduced staff to a level where nobody was available for identification and cataloguing. It is very easy to blame governments for this lack of museum funding, however, governments in democracies represent the will of the people who elect them, and these same governments are responsible for the distribution of tax moneys gathered from those who elect them. The vast bulk of people in most, if not all, modern communities never visit a museum and have very little interest in art and artifacts of the past, most especially so when the other responsibilities of an elected government, such as provision of infrastructure and community services, hospitals, education, care for those in a community who are unable to care for themselves, and etcetera, are taken into consideration. The cure for the deterioration of the museum movement lays in education, but education now is very pragmatic and is designed to fit a student for production and survival in our modern world. I doubt if the classical education that was available in a limited number of schools in my country 60 and more years ago is available any longer, anywhere, in the English speaking world. This is perhaps as it should be:- a knowledge of Homer is not nearly as valuable now as it once was considered to be. Bear this in mind:- most education is funded by public moneys, and the public do want to see their children leave school fitted to either produce income and support themselves, or fitted to pursue further learning which will ultimately result in (probably) higher income. Perhaps the only way in which the continuance of museums might be facilitated is to adopt a different philosophy of learning whereby the past is once again emphasised as a valuable component part of a person's knowledge. However, to follow this path would be to undermine the very foundations of modern political endeavour, so it is not likely to happen. Enjoy our museums while you can, because I doubt that future generations will have the same opportunities that we have had, and to a limited extent, still do have.

20th May 2013, 03:40 AM	#3
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	I remember a certain novel I've read, more than once: The Mote In God's Eye . Museums were quite important in that story . Actually, it made me think a bit on this subject ...

20th May 2013, 05:46 PM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,843	The irony is you can bet the government can find lots of money for a raft of pet on trend ineffective and of doubtful long term sustainability projects. In the UK it is things like trying to make people that do not like sport do sport, opera and most of all any nonsense that will appeal to the core voter, people with no taste or imagination at all.