We all know the economy has hit us hard over the past few years: major corporations have floundered, jobs have been lost, homes foreclosed, food stamps issued. Museums, unfortunately, are also feeling the burden of the economy.
The Brooklyn Museum recently decided that they can no longer offer extended Friday hours for avid mummy-seekers and contemporary art enthusiasts. While Target Free Saturdays and late-night Thursdays will continue, Brooklyn will no longer offer Friday night entertainment, beginning July 1. The New York Times reports that budget cuts amount to 2.4 million less for the Brooklyn Museum this year. Because of this financial setback, the museum will be closed completely for an entire two weeks in mid-August, with staff taking a 2% decrease in pay. In addition, the museum has just released that they have cancelled a spring 2012 exhibition entitled Art in the Streets, which focuses on grafitti and similar street art forms.
El Museo del Barrio is also feeling strapped for cash, as their budget has forced the museum to reduce the number of extra performances and social activities offered throughout the summer; the staff work week will also be reduced from five to four days a week. A recent press release also notes that the museum has cut back on staff members, laying off at least four full-time employees. This is in addition to the museum's continued search for a full-time director, which continues for over a year now.
The South Street Seaport Museum is crunched as well, laying off important staff members over the past year, and in such financial distress that volunteers have donated essential items and dollars to the museum. It has even offered to sell some of their fleet in an effort to gain funds. In recent news, a new board has been selected in an effort to revive the floating museum, and multiple organizations have submitted plans to redesign the pier. Petitions have been sent and signatures have been signed, with the hope that someone will listen to their cry for help. The museum continues to struggle to return Pier 15 back to life as the economic crisis continues.
Another museum affected by the economy is the American Folk Art Museum, which has been struggling to gain attention ever since its opening in 2001. The New York Times has reported that the Museum of Modern Art, its next-door neighbor, will be purchasing the entire Folk Art museum building. For now, the museum remains open to the public, but eventually, staff will continue to be laid off until its future closing. MoMA will use the space to expand its own collection, taking up half a block on West 53rd Street.
Multiple downtown galleries have also been forced to either close their doors permanently or relocate to a smaller, cheaper space. These include Bellweather, Mehr, Caren Golden, Museum 52, and others.
Support the arts! Don’t let your favorite museum shut down. With hundreds of museums, galleries, and cultural centers throughout the city, New York is one of the greatest cities to experience culture at its best. Donate, volunteer, and contribute any way you can in order to keep NYC culture thriving.
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