The renovated University of Michigan Museum of Art is celebrating its one-year anniversary today since it re-opened following major renovations. Though UMMA has surpassed its attendance goals, museum officials are now expecting that the museum will face budgetary challenges in the next year.
UMMA officials say the museum has been successful in its first year. But despite UMMA’s popularity on campus and its high involvement with the public and students, the museum’s budget is expected to fall from $5.4 million to $4.7 million next year, forcing museum officials to reduce some of the museum’s program offerings.
Kathy Huss, interim co-director and chief administrative officer at UMMA, said in the first year following the re-opening of the museum, museum officials have been able to achieve many of their goals.
“We’ve had many, many opportunities to make this a meeting place for the arts, which is what this building was built for,” Huss said.
Huss said the museum has surpassed its attendance goals, as they have already had more than 250,000 visitors.
Ruth Slavin, interim co-director and education director at UMMA, said the first year has been “fantastic” due to the scope of the programs the museum has offered to both the public and students. Over this year, the museum has hosted classes, exhibitions, film programs and many concerts, Slavin said.
But Slavin said the success of the museum would not have been possible without the initial enthusiasm of the students at the student opening.
“I think that success really started at the very beginning,” Slavin said.
Mary DeYoe, education program coordinator at UMMA, said the museum’s one year celebration entitled “1 year, Many Voices,” will reflect the influence students have had on the museum.
In preparation for the event, students were asked to “respond creatively” to an art piece from the museum, DeYoe said. The winning contributor’s work will be displayed along with student performances, and films made by students.
“We felt like it got students engaged with the works of art,” DeYoe said.
Bob Bohlen, chair of UMMA’s National Advisory Board, said the museum has also been helped by the support of donors. Bohlen was also chair of the museum’s capital campaign — a five-year effort to finance the expansion and reopening of the museum — that raised almost $100 million.
Bohlen said he and his wife — who have an African art gallery in the museum named after them — donated to the museum to aid the educational experience it gives to students.
“I donated because I thought that was a great way to have students on the campus experience and get them into a museum,” Bohlen said.
But Bohlen said future donations may be hard to come by if the economy continues to decline.
“In this economic climate in Michigan, donations are going to be harder to get,” he said.
Stephanie Rieke Miller, external relations manager and senior writer for UMMA, wrote in an e-mail interview that despite Michigan’s economy, they are hopeful that the donations will continue.
“We anticipate that our current donors and new prospects will be engaged by the new UMMA and support our ongoing and future program needs,” Miller wrote.
Private support will become increasingly important for the museum, with the expected budget shortfall Miller said.
Huss said that though some of the budget cuts are due to the economy, much of the budget decline is due the “unusual” first year they have had, with the launch of many new programs and costs of new exhibitions.
To offset the financial impacts, Huss said the museum will not be filling any open or vacant jobs and will also be reducing the number of programs provided. The reduction is also an effort to make sure all the programs are “high quality,” Huss said.
Despite future budgetary constraints, Slavin said the museum has adapted well to the economic conditions.
“Budgets are tight everywhere on campus and we have done amazing things with very little money,” Slavin said.