Open Forum

In my experience I have found museum trustees largely unqualified to  make exhibition decisions.  Fortunately I have never had a board member express interest in the idea.  (Whew!) And, i have always been able to set and implement whatever exhibits staff thought appropriate and feasible.  But, I have heard of circumstances where one or two obstreperous personages insisted on being involved when it came to collection and programming implementation. 

It will be interesting to hear of museums that have board committees charged with exhibition oversight in some capacity.  With luck the Harwood may continue to govern without such trustee involvement (I really wanted to write meddling).  The best argument I can offer is that while the board has every right to express its opinion about exhibits, collections, staffing, budget(s), etc. it is rare for a museum to have trustees with real, actual and helpful experience in the exhibit arena in particular. 

It would be interesting to know the reasons for the person's pressure to recreate the exhibition committee. All too often these folks have no idea, or refuse to accept the fact, that there is such as thing as the museum profession, in all its permutations.  We certainly see this hobby mentality play out in the media which is awash with uninformed opinions based on no internal lengthy museum experience.  I just finished reading Arnold Lehman's superb book Sensation which is about the exhibition presented at the Brooklyn Museum when he was director.  It contained some art, and one piece in particular, that offended the then mayor of NYC, Rudolph Giuliani. Rudy caused a huge controversy.  Fortunately the museum's board, and its chair in particular, stood by the director.  One can only imagine  what would have happened if a trustee took offence when the exhibit was being submitted for board information, or, after the mayor started yowling.  The exhibit planning was, of course, done according to the museum's governance practices.  The fact that the exhibit might prove controversial was not hidden from the board. 

I do not know the Harwood's exhibition planning procedures but presumably an exhibition plan is submitted in advance as each year's annual budget is approved by the board.  This can be used as an argument against having an exhibition committee.  Again, as I noted, it will be interesting to hear opinions (pro or con) about the idea.     

Thank you,

Steve

------------------------------
Steven Miller
Doylestown, PA

Executive Director Retired
Boscobel Restoration, Inc.
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-11-2021 12:41 PM
From: Juniper Manley
Subject: Board involved Exhibitions Committee

Dear Colleagues, 

 

The Harwood Museum of Art disposed of an Exhibitions Committee over a decade ago.  We now have a very persuasive Board member who is demanding the re-establishment of an Exhibitions Committee.

 

Can anyone point me to a best practices model that makes a clear argument pro or con a Boards Exhibitions Committee. 

 

Any feedback or resources are appreciated. 

 

Juniper Leherissey, Executive Director

Harwood Museum of Art

junipermanley@unm.edu

575-758-9826 ext. 106

575-770-2959 cell

Harwood Museum of Art

University of New Mexico

238 Ledoux St

Taos, NM 87571

 

Original Message:
Sent: 11/11/2021 3:27:00 PM
From: Steven Miller
Subject: RE: Board involved Exhibitions Committee

In my experience I have found museum trustees largely unqualified to  make exhibition decisions.  Fortunately I have never had a board member express interest in the idea.  (Whew!) And, i have always been able to set and implement whatever exhibits staff thought appropriate and feasible.  But, I have heard of circumstances where one or two obstreperous personages insisted on being involved when it came to collection and programming implementation. 

It will be interesting to hear of museums that have board committees charged with exhibition oversight in some capacity.  With luck the Harwood may continue to govern without such trustee involvement (I really wanted to write meddling).  The best argument I can offer is that while the board has every right to express its opinion about exhibits, collections, staffing, budget(s), etc. it is rare for a museum to have trustees with real, actual and helpful experience in the exhibit arena in particular. 

It would be interesting to know the reasons for the person's pressure to recreate the exhibition committee. All too often these folks have no idea, or refuse to accept the fact, that there is such as thing as the museum profession, in all its permutations.  We certainly see this hobby mentality play out in the media which is awash with uninformed opinions based on no internal lengthy museum experience.  I just finished reading Arnold Lehman's superb book Sensation which is about the exhibition presented at the Brooklyn Museum when he was director.  It contained some art, and one piece in particular, that offended the then mayor of NYC, Rudolph Giuliani. Rudy caused a huge controversy.  Fortunately the museum's board, and its chair in particular, stood by the director.  One can only imagine  what would have happened if a trustee took offence when the exhibit was being submitted for board information, or, after the mayor started yowling.  The exhibit planning was, of course, done according to the museum's governance practices.  The fact that the exhibit might prove controversial was not hidden from the board. 

I do not know the Harwood's exhibition planning procedures but presumably an exhibition plan is submitted in advance as each year's annual budget is approved by the board.  This can be used as an argument against having an exhibition committee.  Again, as I noted, it will be interesting to hear opinions (pro or con) about the idea.     

Thank you,

Steve

------------------------------
Steven Miller
Doylestown, PA

Executive Director Retired
Boscobel Restoration, Inc.
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-11-2021 12:41 PM
From: Juniper Manley
Subject: Board involved Exhibitions Committee

Dear Colleagues, 

 

The Harwood Museum of Art disposed of an Exhibitions Committee over a decade ago.  We now have a very persuasive Board member who is demanding the re-establishment of an Exhibitions Committee.

 

Can anyone point me to a best practices model that makes a clear argument pro or con a Boards Exhibitions Committee. 

 

Any feedback or resources are appreciated. 

 

Juniper Leherissey, Executive Director

Harwood Museum of Art

junipermanley@unm.edu

575-758-9826 ext. 106

575-770-2959 cell

Harwood Museum of Art

University of New Mexico

238 Ledoux St

Taos, NM 87571

 

Original Message:
Sent: 11/12/2021 8:34:00 AM
From: Barbara Franco
Subject: RE: Board involved Exhibitions Committee

As a rule, boards should focus on policy and staff on implementation.  There can be a role for board members in setting exhibition policies and long term goals for an organization.  Many museums do not have an exhibition policy. A good project for board members to be engaged without micromanagement.


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Original Message:
Sent: 11/11/2021 3:27:00 PM
From: Steven Miller
Subject: RE: Board involved Exhibitions Committee

In my experience I have found museum trustees largely unqualified to  make exhibition decisions.  Fortunately I have never had a board member express interest in the idea.  (Whew!) And, i have always been able to set and implement whatever exhibits staff thought appropriate and feasible.  But, I have heard of circumstances where one or two obstreperous personages insisted on being involved when it came to collection and programming implementation. 

It will be interesting to hear of museums that have board committees charged with exhibition oversight in some capacity.  With luck the Harwood may continue to govern without such trustee involvement (I really wanted to write meddling).  The best argument I can offer is that while the board has every right to express its opinion about exhibits, collections, staffing, budget(s), etc. it is rare for a museum to have trustees with real, actual and helpful experience in the exhibit arena in particular. 

It would be interesting to know the reasons for the person's pressure to recreate the exhibition committee. All too often these folks have no idea, or refuse to accept the fact, that there is such as thing as the museum profession, in all its permutations.  We certainly see this hobby mentality play out in the media which is awash with uninformed opinions based on no internal lengthy museum experience.  I just finished reading Arnold Lehman's superb book Sensation which is about the exhibition presented at the Brooklyn Museum when he was director.  It contained some art, and one piece in particular, that offended the then mayor of NYC, Rudolph Giuliani. Rudy caused a huge controversy.  Fortunately the museum's board, and its chair in particular, stood by the director.  One can only imagine  what would have happened if a trustee took offence when the exhibit was being submitted for board information, or, after the mayor started yowling.  The exhibit planning was, of course, done according to the museum's governance practices.  The fact that the exhibit might prove controversial was not hidden from the board. 

I do not know the Harwood's exhibition planning procedures but presumably an exhibition plan is submitted in advance as each year's annual budget is approved by the board.  This can be used as an argument against having an exhibition committee.  Again, as I noted, it will be interesting to hear opinions (pro or con) about the idea.     

Thank you,

Steve

------------------------------
Steven Miller
Doylestown, PA

Executive Director Retired
Boscobel Restoration, Inc.
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-11-2021 12:41 PM
From: Juniper Manley
Subject: Board involved Exhibitions Committee

Dear Colleagues, 

 

The Harwood Museum of Art disposed of an Exhibitions Committee over a decade ago.  We now have a very persuasive Board member who is demanding the re-establishment of an Exhibitions Committee.

 

Can anyone point me to a best practices model that makes a clear argument pro or con a Boards Exhibitions Committee. 

 

Any feedback or resources are appreciated. 

 

Juniper Leherissey, Executive Director

Harwood Museum of Art

junipermanley@unm.edu

575-758-9826 ext. 106

575-770-2959 cell

Harwood Museum of Art

University of New Mexico

238 Ledoux St

Taos, NM 87571

 

Original Message:
Sent: 11/11/2021 3:27:00 PM
From: Steven Miller
Subject: RE: Board involved Exhibitions Committee

In my experience I have found museum trustees largely unqualified to  make exhibition decisions.  Fortunately I have never had a board member express interest in the idea.  (Whew!) And, i have always been able to set and implement whatever exhibits staff thought appropriate and feasible.  But, I have heard of circumstances where one or two obstreperous personages insisted on being involved when it came to collection and programming implementation. 

It will be interesting to hear of museums that have board committees charged with exhibition oversight in some capacity.  With luck the Harwood may continue to govern without such trustee involvement (I really wanted to write meddling).  The best argument I can offer is that while the board has every right to express its opinion about exhibits, collections, staffing, budget(s), etc. it is rare for a museum to have trustees with real, actual and helpful experience in the exhibit arena in particular. 

It would be interesting to know the reasons for the person's pressure to recreate the exhibition committee. All too often these folks have no idea, or refuse to accept the fact, that there is such as thing as the museum profession, in all its permutations.  We certainly see this hobby mentality play out in the media which is awash with uninformed opinions based on no internal lengthy museum experience.  I just finished reading Arnold Lehman's superb book Sensation which is about the exhibition presented at the Brooklyn Museum when he was director.  It contained some art, and one piece in particular, that offended the then mayor of NYC, Rudolph Giuliani. Rudy caused a huge controversy.  Fortunately the museum's board, and its chair in particular, stood by the director.  One can only imagine  what would have happened if a trustee took offence when the exhibit was being submitted for board information, or, after the mayor started yowling.  The exhibit planning was, of course, done according to the museum's governance practices.  The fact that the exhibit might prove controversial was not hidden from the board. 

I do not know the Harwood's exhibition planning procedures but presumably an exhibition plan is submitted in advance as each year's annual budget is approved by the board.  This can be used as an argument against having an exhibition committee.  Again, as I noted, it will be interesting to hear opinions (pro or con) about the idea.     

Thank you,

Steve

------------------------------
Steven Miller
Doylestown, PA

Executive Director Retired
Boscobel Restoration, Inc.
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-11-2021 12:41 PM
From: Juniper Manley
Subject: Board involved Exhibitions Committee

Dear Colleagues, 

 

The Harwood Museum of Art disposed of an Exhibitions Committee over a decade ago.  We now have a very persuasive Board member who is demanding the re-establishment of an Exhibitions Committee.

 

Can anyone point me to a best practices model that makes a clear argument pro or con a Boards Exhibitions Committee. 

 

Any feedback or resources are appreciated. 

 

Juniper Leherissey, Executive Director

Harwood Museum of Art

junipermanley@unm.edu

575-758-9826 ext. 106

575-770-2959 cell

Harwood Museum of Art

University of New Mexico

238 Ledoux St

Taos, NM 87571

 

Original Message:
Sent: 11/11/2021 12:42:00 PM
From: Juniper Manley
Subject: Board involved Exhibitions Committee

Dear Colleagues, 

 

The Harwood Museum of Art disposed of an Exhibitions Committee over a decade ago.  We now have a very persuasive Board member who is demanding the re-establishment of an Exhibitions Committee.

 

Can anyone point me to a best practices model that makes a clear argument pro or con a Boards Exhibitions Committee. 

 

Any feedback or resources are appreciated. 

 

Juniper Leherissey, Executive Director

Harwood Museum of Art

junipermanley@unm.edu

575-758-9826 ext. 106

575-770-2959 cell

Harwood Museum of Art

University of New Mexico

238 Ledoux St

Taos, NM 87571