Maintaining our museums

COURTESY PHOTO The Imaginarium in Fort Myers. The Getty. The Museum of Modern Art. The Smithsonian.

They're just like any business these days — scrambling to restructure finances and making sacrifices in order to survive.

As people have less money to spend on recreational uses, visitor numbers have dropped considerably at museums around the country. Schools have eliminated field trips from budgets, and loyal sponsors and members, many of whom have suffered business or investment losses, aren't making donations at the same level — if at all.

Government-funded museums are seeing less money since arts and culture are among the first expenses to go during budget cuts. Museums turn to grant sources, which are also drying up.

Some institutions have been able to adapt and thrive, while others have had to sell off some of their collections just to stay open. The Smithsonian board considered charging admission for the first time in

its history after its endowment lost about $200 million because of stock market declines.

COURTESY PHOTO Southwest Florida Museum of History. At a time when even iconic national museums have to restructure their budgets, local art, science and history museums must do the same and think beyond the usual for creative solutions to their economic woes. Effects vary widely

At the volunteer-run Museum of the Islands on Pine Island, attendance and membership are only slightly down, said Museum Director Sharon Traylor.

At the Immokalee Pioneer Museum, one of the four Collier County-run museums, budget cuts have stunted new projects.

On Sanibel, the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum has had to "slow down or stop growth in several areas," according to José Leal, its director since 1996.

At the Williams Academy Black History Museum in Fort Myers, Director Alibaba Lumumba reports decreases in visits, sponsorships, memberships and donations. The volunteer-run museum recently underwent major renovations, including ceiling repairs and termite extermination, funded by the City of Fort Myers.

But the makeover couldn't stop the havoc of the economy.

According to the 2008-09 Fort Myers city budget, revenues for the Southwest Florida Museum of History were expected to decline 32 percent from the previous fiscal year partly because of the economy. Annual revenue for the Imaginarium is expected to be $479,400, $140,100 less than the last fiscal year.

Matthew Johnson, general manager of the city's Imaginarium and Southwest Florida Museum of History, said both have experienced slow attendance in the last couple of years. "The economy has taken a hit on tourism in this area, which is going to affect us, especially this upcoming season. I think we're all anxiously awaiting what kind of numbers come in," Mr. Johnson said.

While revenue and attendance have deceased, admission and other costs have not gone up at the history museum. In fact, the museum reduced some of its prices. There have been no layoffs, either, although there is a hiring freeze and an empty position.

"As in other industries, the staff you have is asked to pick up," Mr. Johnson said. "Workloads increase."

Making changes to adapt

Mr. Johnson said the history museum and the Imaginarium are looking at new ways to reach public school students because of school budget cuts on field trips. "Now we go to the schools," he said.

The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum also has new programs at lower costs. Marketing efforts have increased, promoting the museum as unique (the only professional shell museum in the country, according to Mr. Leal) and part of Sanibel's natural environment.

Also in Fort Myers, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates has increased its hours to stay open Thursday to Sunday nights. The Estates will also be open during the evenings of all the Boston Red Sox afternoon games.

They're expanding marketing efforts, too. "We continue to reinforce our relationship with the Lee County Tourism Bureau and Visit Florida to maximize national and international marketing," said Chris Pendleton, president and CEO of the Estates. A partnership with area hotels offers ticket packages to guests who want to visit the property, and the Estates are also collaborating with Lee County public schools to encourage family visits at free or reduced rates.

Storms on the horizon?

For many local museums, the effects have not yet been felt. Things are running smoothly, but the gray cloud of economic downturn hovers.

At the Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch, Lee Mitchell reports visitation is down a bit. While the 15-acre ranch that dates from the early 1900s seems to be doing fine now, he added, the future is uncertain. Operating expenses have been severely cut, and there's no capital money for new projects in 2009 he added.

The Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida in Naples experienced a smooth year in 2008 and an increase in visitors.

"However, we are projecting in this year's budget a 35 percent decline in income," said Godfrey Levy, the museum's director. The museum, which holds regular lectures and education programs on the Holocaust and genocide, will be looking for new grant sources and increasing fundraising, publicity and outreach activities. "We're looking to reduce expenses wherever we can," said Mr. Levy.

Similarly, the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum is preparing for the unknown. "Generally speaking, 2008 was a good year; we were pretty close to achieving the income goals prescribed by a relatively ambitious budget," Mr. Leal said. Contributions at the end of 2008 were not as good as predicted, however, and the 2009 budget is more conservative, he added.

At the Collier County Museum in Naples, Manager Ron Jamro said currently things "couldn't be better." But what's to come is another story. The county museum is funded through tourist taxes — "and that's the part of the economy we're most concerned with," Mr. Jamro said. "What I'm hearing is that we should brace ourselves for about a 10 percent decrease this fiscal year in tourist revenue."

But no one really knows, he added. "It's crystal ball time. Will tourists come or will they not?"

The Holocaust Museum also relies heavily on visitors from outside the area, Mr. Levy said, which is why the museum is stepping up advertising efforts outside Southwest Florida.

Make do on a shoestring

Budget cuts are a way of life for many museums, including the Collier County Museum, said Mr. Jamro. "We're used to doing things with the bare essentials. The whole operation is geared for lean budgets," he explained. "We're used to hardship." For the first 15 years of its existence, he added, the museum operated on less than $200,000 a year.

Collier County currently operates four museums; a fifth — a historical museum on Marco Island is scheduled to open in October, according to Mr. Jamro.

Other local museums are more than optimistic for them, business is blooming. Anne Cull, curator of the Cape Coral Historical Museum, reported a slight drop in visitors and gift shop sales before the holidays. But after and since the opening of a new building business has steadily improved, she said. She attributes this success to the expansion and publicity.

The Naples Museum of Art at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts has also managed to flourish in tough times. "Revenue has gone up. Turnout has gone up. Publicity has gone up," said Myra Daniels, CEO of the museum.

In tough times, Mrs. Daniels added, "It's up to the museums to grab people into them. The smaller groups may not make it. This will separate the strong from the weak." She attributes the Naples Museum of Art's success in part to the high-caliber talent of exhibition artists and guests at the museum. But overall, she can't fully explain it.

"I can't really tell you how we do it. We just work hard," she said. She also acknowledged the lack of competition for an art museum in Naples. "We're the only ones around."

Moreover, private funds make up the majority of museum support. And the community of Naples continues to contribute to private funds for museums. In 2010, the city will become home to a new museum. C'Mon, the 30,000-square-foot Children's Museum of Naples, has been in the works for seven years and will be funded mostly from private donors.