Directors discuss getting the hang of museums

Blockbuster shows that attract hordes of visitors have been the gold standard of museum success for decades, driving up attendance, garnering publicity and sponsors, earning money (sometimes) and providing a sizzle of glamour. Think King Tut, Star Wars, Pompeii, Picasso and Frida Kahlo.

But are those the right things to crow about? Or should museums have other concerns -- such as taking care of their collections, publishing new scholarship, educating the public, raising quality, luring repeat visitors?

Last week, directors of the Twin Cities' top three art museums -- the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Walker Art Center and the Weisman Art Museum -- met to strategize about more effective ways to define and evaluate their programs.

"This is a wider issue that museums have been grappling with for several years," said the Walker's Olga Viso. "As institutions, we've been looked at in limited ways -- finances, attendance -- rather than at the qualitative things."

At a time when arts organizations often seem to be competing for audiences, these three have been eager to cooperate. This fall, the Walker and the Institute will share an exhibition of architect Eero Saarinen's work. This spring, the Weisman hosted a seminar for the boards and staffs of all three institutions, at which Max Anderson of the Indianapolis Museum of Art challenged them to refine their values and mission, align their programs and get clever about measuring success.

"The important thing is to pick what matters to you and measure that," said the Institute's Kaywin Feldman.

"For some, that might be scholarship; for others, touring exhibitions," said the Weisman's Lyndel King.

In the spirit of bipartisanship, boards of the Walker and Institute even met for a game of mini-golf on the Walker's artist-designed course. Board chairs Deb Hopp (Walker) and Brian Palmer (Institute) won.

"No. This is the arts; everybody won," Feldman said with a laugh.

MARY ABBE