Dan's Papers - June 19, 2009 - LOCAL MUSEUMS PURSUE FUNDING, STEALTHFULLY

Art museums on the East End are like every other business or institution - hoping to hang in there and ride out the times.

A survey by The Art Newspaper found that most art museums in the U.S. have lost at least 20% of the value of their endowments. According to the publication, The Guggenhein Museum in New York City has cut 10% of its operating budget, the Denver Art Museum expects to make that 15%, and MassMoCA has cut expenses and programming by 8% and might have to lay off staff. Hanging over just about everybody in the art world's heads are the shrinking endowments.

While artists may look life in the eye and tell us what we don't want to hear, museum officials sometimes seem nervous about uttering the R word. Spokesmen for some East End museums are reluctant to discuss numbers, not wanting to send clouds over what they hope will turn out to be a more glowing summer than some have forecast.

East Hampton's Guild Hall has raised $12.5 million for a renovation project that includes the recently opened John Drew Theater, as well as three art gallery spaces totalling almost 3,000 square feet. Two million dollars more would finish up the job. Guild Hall officials are betting that faithful patrons will grab up the opportunity to have seats named after them and thus put their money where their - well, not exactly their mouths - are going to be.

Barbara Jo Howard, PR Director for Guild Hall, said, "We did well on opening weekend. We're keeping our fingers crossed. It should do well - there's absolutely something for everybody."

Howard said Guild Hall is counting on the August 14 gala to give them a boost toward their goals, adding that it's too soon to predict whether the fancy event will do as well or better than last year's. "We are sensitive to the fact that there are challenges out there," she said regarding fundraising," and we are actively trying to attract benefactors."

She didn't want to go into financial details, saying that she was totally occupied at press time with getting promotional materials out. But she did say, "I'm glad we didn't start renovations this year. I shudder to think of what that would have been like," she added.

Terrie Sultan, director of the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, said of these times, "Of course, we're not immune," but declined to discuss actual numbers the museum is facing or to predict how income this year might compare to previous years. She said that the museum is on a calendar year budget, which helped the board plan for dealing with the deepening recession.

But while thinning portfolios are making many museums nervous, Sultan said, "We have very smart members on our board. Last year, they took all of our money out of the stock market, so we didn't lose any principle. We are extremely lucky, unlike many colleagues."

She said that the Parrish Museum's endowment is small and therefore the museum has not traditionally depended heavily on the interest income. "Fundraising now is challenging," Sultan conceded, but added, "People are stepping up to the plate, and our supporters have been incredibly stalwart. We have broadened our donor base."

The Parrish Museum's fundraiser will be July 11. "We are holding our own in this economy," Sultan said. "Everyone is worried, but people are seeing a glimmer of hope."

As for art sales, Rick Friedman, spokesman for Art Hampton, an annual art sale in Bridgehampton to be held July 9-12, said he has "no doom and gloom" forecast. But he said that for this year's event, "Galleries are considering long and hard what they're going to show. In spite of that, we will be 20% larger this year than last. There will be more selection at the booths."

He said art galleries participating are feeling the pinch of the economy. "I expect they'll offer works that sell for less. There will be more prints and works on paper (as opposed to oils and acrylics on canvas), and artists will be selling for less." Big name artists, he said, "I expect to sell for 10 to 20% less." Friedman predicts good news for buyers: "We're seeing more negotiation on art fair floors."