Smithsonian museums given failing grade

A report compiled by leading US museum directors, which assesses the eight art museums funded and run by the Smithsonian Institution, concludes that they are failing on many levels.

It questions the long-term viability of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York because of “the modest size of audience, ­limited programs and scope of [the] collection”.

It calls for the “administrative consolidation” of the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The two institutions have overlapping collections and occupy the same recently restored building; the report recommends that one director be placed in charge of both museums.

It also warns that leaks in the storage areas of the Freer and Sackler galleries threaten the collection. Leaks are also identified as a problem at the Hirshhorn Museum.

The document, a copy of which has been seen by The Art Newspaper, is the result of an 18-month external review of the art museums and two related art programmes run by the Smithsonian Institution which are collectively known as Smithsonian Arts.

Posted by David on March 23, 2007 9:56 AM