I think this is a question that has plagued many a collections staff and museum policy makers. I don't have an answer for you except to ask you to examine why you thought this group "an exceptionally low risk". Because they were adults? Because they are frequent museum visitors? Because they felt a greater sense of ownership due to monetary contribution or political affiliation? A person who feels like they own or are entitled to a space will treat it very differently than someone who sees themselves as a guest. At one such high end gathering of major donors in a museum I previously worked in, someone used a display as a garbage receptacle for their tissues and chewed gum. And past experience must have led the museum to expect this behavior since almost every single visitor service staff person was scheduled that night to monitor the exhibit space where this event was taking place (so fortunately the gum was found relatively quickly).
I am not trying to say that relaxing of food policy is never called for. Fundraising or celebration almost always means food will be involved. But I would caution against making the decision based on who is "worthy" of having those rules bent. If the goal of a museum (or at least hopefully everyone can agree one of the goals) is for for every visitor to feel some sense of ownership and belonging, shouldn't everyone be offered the same exceptions? In that case I would not look at it though the prism of who but rather what. Assuming everyone will treat (or mistreat) your galleries the same if given the same chance to feel ownership, what is the risk based on all the other factors? How fragile is the display? Are there any parts of it exposed? How much circulating staff can be present to offer gentle reminders about trash and climbing on things? How long is the event? What is the expected number of attendees? How much alcohol is likely to be imbibed (are there drink limits or a bar tender who can refuse to serve someone visibly intoxicated)? What kind of food is being served (is it messy, does it require two hands to eat and if so are there plenty of tables, chairs and trash cans available)? How susceptible is the space to pests (is it near an exterior door that will be opened frequently)?
After assessing these criteria, if you feel your gallery or special exhibit can withstand certain kinds of food exposure, then you could examine whether or not a particular event would fall under the risk level you are prepared to undertake rather than trying to form a judgement about the group attending. If nothing else, it bases your decision on much more easily calculable factors.
Thank you for letting me get a little preachy. I know it is a constant struggle for museums to balance best practices for collections care and best practices for outreach and human interaction with said collection. It's too bad the two things are so often mutually exclusive when the first is basically completely irrelevant without the second (why care for a collection at all if no one will ever interact with it?).
Best of luck and I hope you get lots of attendance for your William Eggleston exhibit!
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Michelle Nash
Assistant Collections Manager
Coos History Museum
Coos Bay OR
Original Message:
Sent: 09-29-2016 06:48 PM
From: Robert Saarnio
Subject: Food & Beverage in Galleries, special occasion exceptions?
Colleagues,
Last night we had a very high end function with major upper-tier University donors, our Governor and other dignitaries. A very successful food & beverage reception before a major concert in a nearby performing arts center.
All reception attendees were limited to our lobby and the one adjacent gallery (only) in which we traditionally permit food and drinks. As a result fewer than a handful took advantage of our major William Eggleston exhibition in our largest Temporary Exhibition gallery.
Lost opportunity to engage them with one of the largest shows in our history, in part because they only had one hour, but significantly also because no one was permitted to stroll with their very high-end wine and exquisite appetizers into the galleries.
My question: who among you might have adapted or relaxed policies regarding exceptions to food & beverage in the galleries? In retrospect, several staff and I are thinking that this would have been an exceptionally low risk group to have dropped our food & beverage gallery policy.
Sorry to raise such a common subject, but I'm looking for perhaps the uncommon approaches, or any special-exception, special-circumstance adaptations.
Many thanks!
Robert
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Robert Saarnio
Director, University Museum and Historic Houses
University of Mississippi
Oxford, MS. 38655
808-284-7380 (c)