The shift from a scholar to a "communicator"? The latter term covers up what is in fact a significant shift over the decade, a dumbing down to managment and fundraising as the reason for existing at all. Whether one argues with the institution as conservative or outmoded etc. a leading position was founded and operating in relation to the actual mission of the institution, and their varied publics - including the first one which is NOT mass, but specific, target audiences. The movement to managment has been over decades in the U.S. - the fundraiser was always first in line of importance. The p.r. person developed importance in relation to that, and soon locked arms together. The old-notion of a programming or intellectually based, scholar-director found themselves being "advised" by boards, by virtue of the new combination fundraiser/p.r. and of course, in the interest of gaining "the public" interest... Enter the new form, the managment specialist, who is a "communicator" (how much more CEO speak could there be) who is unable to actually formulate any proof of scholarship or differentiation between the kind of institution they are in, but knows how to manage as interface between the sudden new interest in larger and larger publics, press, and fundraising... long story short, suddenly the business of the museum is the musuem, the store, the new sister-ventures in other countries, the blockbuster ticket prices, the travel-trips with members, and so on ad infinitum.

Look no further to the education system to see a trend change, from in the 80s there was a demand for cultural studies to enter into the university and art academies, to since a decade the "curatorial sciences"....

One of the most interesting points in the report, I thought, was that all the efforts to expand the audience have failed, including the focus on blockbuster shows and non-traditional shows (mortorcyles, Star Wars, etc.) In fact, the report says the only real way to expand the audience is to get more people exposed to art at an early age, which has no immediate payoff for institutions and they have limited control of impacting that factor. The "new model" director doesn't seem equipped to fix this, either.