Facing a dramatic downturn in its endowment and waning city support, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is cutting staff, delaying exhibitions, curtailing programs, trimming salaries and — subject to city approval — increasing admission fees.Read the Inky report here.
The cuts will bring the museum’s operating budget down by about $1.7 million to $52 million for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, and, the museum hopes, will stave off a deficit the following year forecast as high as $5 million.
The museum will eliminate 30 positions — about seven percent of the staff — in all areas, though no curators are being let go. Of those 30 jobs, 16 are layoffs of current personnel, with the remaining positions lost by not filling vacancies.
Senior staff will take salary cuts of between five and 10 percent, said interim CEO Gail M. Harrity yesterday.
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Thursday, February 26, 2009
PMA Woes
Sad to hear that the PMA is having economic woes! Delayed exhibitions and increased admission fines don't sound good for endowment and city support, either...I believe that for the most part, though, the art industry has surprisingly not been heavily impacted by the recession.
ReplyDeleteArtists and galleries are moving their work online and becoming more efficient by utilizing technology and software like Masterpiece Solutions and our currently converted Masterpiece Online gallery. (www.masterpieceonline.com)
Thanks for your post!
Emily (Masterpiece Solutions)