“Closing is not an option. It is not even under consideration,” Sharril L. McNally, the president of the board of trustees of the Saginaw (Mi.) Art Museum, told the Ann Arbor News (posted on MLive) the other day. And today, the board is set to vote on what to do instead.
Like those of many another museum, the tale in northern Michigan seems to be about over-expansion. In 2003 and 2004, the museum completed and opened two expansions with a cost of $7.45 million to its historic mansion home (left). To help finance trustees’ vision, they took out a $450,000 mortgage. And the increased space added to operating costs, with energy bills alone now exceeding $100,000. According to the ANN:
For the past two weeks, the museum at 1126 N. Michigan — its home since 1948, in the mansion that once belonged to lumber baron Clark Lombard Ring — has opened only for Macy’s Free Fridays and has placed coming exhibitions on hold.
Exhibitions have already been largely based on a permanent collection that contains “2,500 works spanning 4,500 years,” but visitorship did not increase enough to cover costs (it never does) and the museum could not land enough grants to cover costs either. “Among its most memorable works are Saginaw native E. Irving Couse’s depictions of the American Indians in the Old West,” the article said.
Now McNally says the museum may have to relocate to cheaper quarters.
As I write this, the article has 22 comments from readers (plus one from the writer of the article, Sue White), and all of them could by summed up by one: “Very sad indeed. If it wasn’t for that 8 million dollar eyesore expansion 10 years ago, we wouldn’t have this issue…I liked the museum the way it was. That expansion was like taking a classic ’67 Corvette and putting on 22 inch spinning rims and bolting a giant nascar spoiler on the back….whoever the architect was, should refund the museum it’s money, with an apology letter.” Some outright blame the trustees for hubris.
Just like so many other over-reaching expansions in the past 10 to 15 years.
A while back the American Association of Museum used too track museum closings, but it stopped  — the task was too hard to assure accuracy. So I have no definitive information on the topic. Most of those in deep trouble appear to be small museums, but they often took their cue for expansion from the larger museums. It’s amazing to me that so few closings, or moves to smaller quarters, have been made during this long period of economic stagnation.
UPDATE, 8/24: Yesterday’s board meeting seemed to go as promised — the board is assessing a move from the mansion it has occupied since 1948 to one of three locations, all undisclosed, that would be cheaper to operate. There may also be some deaccessioning, according to the Saginaw News, quoting McNally:
As with any large house, it’s amazing to see what you’ve accumulated through the years.This will also give us the chance to take a good look at what we have and what we might trade as we refurbish and enhance our collection. That’s every museum’s goal.
And the mansion?
 The building is ours and we will attempt to sell it. If that’s not possible, we will do everything we can to preserve it. It’s a jewel in Saginaw.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Ann Arbor News