The crisis in our
NON-PROFIT museums is simply NO MONEY at the present time. The economy is lousy
business is not making a profit because people are not buying stuff. The stock
market is down and our disposable income is damn tight. People have lost jobs,
they don’t have money! TAX revenues are down and that is where
governmental spending comes from………..We all wring our hands
and think this is the end………HEY! all this is cyclic and if we
get off our collective asses and show what we the people are really made of, we
will get our museums back in shape. Volunteering to do jobs that the museum can’t
afford to pay for…….AND when I look at the % of interest of the
general public about cultural life? I.e. Opera 2.1%, Classicical music 4.7% Science
museums 11% what are people doing? TV, Sports, other personal
values.
I
hate to think that dumbing down in America is in fashion.
Bill Mason III
-----Original Message-----
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Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 1:02
PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED];
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Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] No
Access To Universty of Arkansas Museum Collection Wit...
Good afternoon all,
It is a terrible shame that the U of A museum is slated to be closed down for
lack of funding to pay for the curating of the some seven million items in the
museum.
It seems to me that with seven million specimens/artifacts that a small bit of
cannibalization might be in order. Certainly, the university could sell
off some of the museum's collection to raise the funds to keep the museum
operating, at least in the short term. Depending on the size the
meteorite collection, and with some of the larger meteorite dealers in
existence today, that meteorite collection alone might have a significant
impact in reducing the museum's deficit.
Just a thought. I wonder whether anyone at the university considered this
as a possible solution.
Best Regards,
Paul Martyn
In a message dated 6/19/2003 1:45:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
http://www.nwaonline.net/300773699760853.bsp
No Access To UA Museum Collection Without Staff, Director Says
Gentry: Items would be prone to damage without proper oversight
By Johnathon Williams
The Morning News (Arkansas)
June 19, 2003
FAYETTEVILLE -- Johnnie Gentry, director of the University Museum, said
Wednesday that no access should be provided to the 7 million items in
the museum's collection without a professional staff to manage it.
The current collection staff at the University of Arkansas must be
retained if anyone is to use the collection, he said.
"We have the staff. We must find the money to keep them employed. That's
the answer," he said.
UA administrators announced Monday that they will close the museum and
lay off eight staff members at the end of this year. The decision came as
part of a budget cut in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.
All colleges were ordered to cut 2 percent of their budgets by university
administrators. Fulbright College will save about $340,000 by eliminating
the museum, more than half of its required 2 percent.
