My last two posts have chastised museums for not be transparent about their deaccessioning activities, so before I move on, let me mention a step toward transparency — or at least a nod to the press — by the Association of Art Museum Directors.
I’ve criticized AAMD in the past (and sometimes praised the group, too), usually because they provide so little information and what they do provide in, say, the “State of North America’s Museums” is, basically, useless — at least to outsiders. When I complained recently to a museum director, he explained that some of the numbers are useful to them as benchmarks.
But the other day, AAMD took a step in the right direction, a baby step, but a step. It released the agenda for its upcoming Jan. 16-19 meeting in Ponce, Puerto Rico — not just a barebones listing (which has been available in the past), but more about who is speaking on what and when.
NEA chief Rocco Landesman is the keynote, preceded by an opening session that will include a discussion the recent brouhaha about Hide/Seek at the National Portrait Gallery.
There’s more, including some things I think are important — like the impact of free admissions and the various models for curatorial support groups, which may end up costing more than they are worth. There are sessions on community, government affairs, leadership diversity, etc. Predictable stuff — which is not to denigrate it.
Still, I see nothing on the agenda about gathering better statistics, which executive director Janet Landay told me recently that they’re working on. Bravo — maybe it doesn’t need discussing.
I don’t see anything there on finances, either — maybe those conversations go on in the hallways, between the sessions.
The best part is probably the dinner at and tour of the Art Museum of Ponce (here, if you speak Spanish), which just reopened after an expansion. There, they’ll get to visit Leighton’s Flaming June (above) and the other stellar works in its collection.