I’ve covered the topic of museums quite frequently on the blog in 2020. As an historian, they do tend to come up in the realm of exhibition reviews and highlights. However, museums as their own entity have also been a common topic this year. Though the world has turned upside down for most of us, even more so for museums. In and out of lock down, most of their revenue gone, facing staff shortages. And that’s the tip of the iceberg. So, where are museums in 2020?
Museum Hiring
I consider myself to be in a fairly lucky position, museum-wise. I am connected to several different people who work in different areas of museums, across the globe. It can be interesting to read/hear their commentary compared with what museums publicly state- the two do not always line up perfectly. That isn’t to say that museums everywhere are awful, but that we do need to take a critical eye with museums.
With museums losing the majority of their revenue for this year, many museums have let many Front Of House (FOH) staff go, who are typically the people that we interact with as visitors, while their directors, boards, and CEOs are still making incredibly high salaries. FOH, gift-shop, and other lower-level staff have been furloughed or laid off while management is still largely being paid their regular salaries. It is never as straightforward as “fire this management person to save X number of jobs”, but these arrangements could very well affect our museum experiences going forward, at a time when museums need visitors whenever possible.
I would recommend following Fair Museum Jobs (@Fair_Jobs) on Twitter for more on hiring processes.
Black Lives Matter
The Black Lives Matter movement gained an incredible amount of momentum in June 2020. And as historians, many of us are re-evaluating how we study history, how we practice it, and what changes need to be made. It can be easy to limit yourself to certain topics and themes, and continue to look at the same things. We need to challenge ourselves to be better, though. We need to acknowledge and explore minority groups in history, and how historic power structures and groups have contributed to where we are now. (And where we were then.) And museums are not exempt from this.
Many museums are now examining their collections from different angles. They have been looking at the circumstances that their collections were assembled. Were pieces claimed/taken or freely given? Did imperial power structures play a role in acquiring pieces? They are also examining how they are displaying their collections, and the information included in exhibitions. Are museums acknowledging the role of Imperialism? Are they looking at the focus of their collections, and how they can be more inclusive? Some are doing a better job of it then others, but it is an ongoing process.
As patrons and visitors, we can speak with our feet and our donations. Patronise museums that are actively working to be better and more inclusive, and give your donations to them. Provide feedback to museums that you think can do better. It is on us as much as it is the museums to be part of the solution!
Supporting Museums
I wrote a post earlier in the year on all of the different ways that you can support museums. (You can find it here!) Please go read it for all of my suggestions but as we head into the holiday season, remember that many museums have gift shops and are still selling and mailing things out. They often have very unique and hard-to-find items, and if you have any historians or history buffs on your list, they can be a gold mine. Just remember to allow them time to fill the order and mail it out if you want to get things on time!
Another thoughtful way to support museums would be to buy a membership if you can. Although museums may be closed right now or have very limited hours, purchasing memberships are a wonderful way to show your support through these difficult times. Realistically, you may not be able to use it much. However, if you want to see your favourite museums stick around for the long haul, it is a meaningful way to show support. (And might guarantee you entry if there is limited entry.)
If you are looking to enjoy some online exhibitions in the meantime, I can help. These are my favourite fashion history exhibitions that you can enjoy from home!
And if you want to read my thoughts on why museums should be moving online, I can help with that, too.
Finally, here are a few of my favourite museum people on Instagram!
ThatMuseumGirl_
MuseumsAndEmily
Museum.Musings
What do you think of the state of museums in 2020?
Cheers,
The Historian
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