Inside the Minds: The Business of Museums--Industry Leaders from The Flint Institute of Arts, University of Virginia Art Museum, and Adams Museum and ... and Critical Components for Success Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Inside the Minds: The Business of Museums--Industry Leaders from The Flint Institute of Arts, University of Virginia Art Museum, and Adams Museum and ... and Critical Components for Success? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Inside the Minds: The Business of Museums--Industry Leaders from The Flint Institute of Arts, University of Virginia Art Museum, and Adams Museum and ... and Critical Components for Success. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Inside the Minds: The Business of Museums--Industry Leaders from The Flint Institute of Arts, University of Virginia Art Museum, and Adams Museum and ... and Critical Components for Success ReviewLike other titles in Aspatore Books' "C-Level Business Intelligence" portfolio, "The Business of Museums" offers practical advice for museum executives. Aspatore publishes C-Level executive wisdom in titles that promise to have a "direct financial impact on the reader's business objectives" (Aspatore). With that business orientation in mind, "The Business of Museums" delivers on Aspatore's promise. As an offering in Aspatore's "Inside the Minds" series, the book is a collection of eight first-person essays written by a panel of experts--all of whom have long tenures as museum directors. The commentary is remarkably candid, offering "behind-the-scenes" secrets from the executive offices. The institutions that they represent reflect a wide variety of circumstances, yet several consistent management themes emerge.
Without exception, every author includes a balanced budget as an indicator of a success. Finishing the fiscal year with a balanced budget seems to be a high priority for museum executives. "Success is measured in ending the year with a balanced budget with a reserve to carry the organization into the next year" (Kopco et al., 2004, p.51).
Another theme that runs through the eight essays is the importance of cultivating a strong Board of Directors. While the particulars of this function varied proportionally to the size of the museum and its budget, it was interesting to note that all of the museum directors emphasized their work with the Board as a key to success. "A Board of Trustees provides oversight of the institution's management and program and acts as fiduciaries as well. The trustees...are devoted to the museum's mission and are committed to its success, demonstrably encouraging and supporting the director and staff. A good board works as a team and with unanimity" (Kopco et al., 2004, p.55).
How important is a museum's endowment? According to the authors, the health of a museum's endowment is directly correlated to the museum's welfare and viability. When the authors turn to the subject of endowment, the prose frequently turns to whist. "Raising money...for the organization's endowment is exceedingly difficult" (Kopco et al., 2004, p.48). "The focus...must be endowments as exemplified by the Getty which few (if any of us) will ever realize" (Kopco et al., 2004, p.23). "Endowment, endowment, endowment--this is the only financial way you can assure a museum's future success" (Kopco et al., 2004, p.118).
Finally, the theme of relevance emerges as a benchmark for success and institutional integrity. A memorable example comes from the Knoxville Museum of Art. The institution had a long history of being open to its visiting public on weekdays from 10:00AM to 5:00PM. "We asked ourselves why are we open during the day when over 90 percent of the adult population is at work" (Kopco et al., 2004, p.83). As an organization that serves adult visitors, it made no sense to be closed in the evening when those visitors might be more able and inclined to visit. After pausing to reflect upon its position in a changing community, the Museum decided to be more relevant to its audience by shifting its hours of operation to 12:00PM to 8:00PM. Museums that fail to recognize changing community circumstances are bound to become irrelevant.
For readers who seek to understand museum management at the executive level, "The Business of Museums" is a worthy title. While the authors surely do not represent every facet of the experience, they do provide testimony that spans the spectrum, bringing their practice into the light.
Inside the Minds: The Business of Museums--Industry Leaders from The Flint Institute of Arts, University of Virginia Art Museum, and Adams Museum and ... and Critical Components for Success OverviewInside the Minds: The Business of Museums is an authoritative, insider's perspective on the ins and outs of operating a museum and the future of the industry, on a global scale.Featuring Executive Directors representing some of the world's leading museums, this book provides a broad, yet comprehensive overview of both the current and future shape of the industry. Discussing financial issues such as managing budgets, acquiring funding and implementing blockbuster exhibitions, as well as artistic matters like developing and changing the content and placement of exhibitions, authors raise critical points around the business and offer indispensable advice for success. From the capabilities and characteristics of the successful museum director to the experts' own definitions of exhibitions that engage audiences, effective marketing strategies that boost attendance and profit, and meaningful vision statements that serve the museum's ideals as well as the public's interests, authors explore all facets of the business - beginning to end. From the processes involved in choosing and employing the right people, to attending to the details that transform a museum visit into a memorable experience, these visionaries articulate the finer points around museums now, and what will hold true into the future.Topics range from university to children's museums and traverse the art, history and culture of diverse regions and communities.The niches represented and the breadth of perspectives presented provide readers with valuable insight and expose them to the inner workings of some of today's great minds as experts offer up their thoughts regarding an endlessly demanding and highly rewarding industry.

Want to learn more information about Inside the Minds: The Business of Museums--Industry Leaders from The Flint Institute of Arts, University of Virginia Art Museum, and Adams Museum and ... and Critical Components for Success?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now