Another highlight for me of the recent American Association of Museums Conference was a brief presentation by Ford Bell, President of AAM. In a very short welcoming speech, he said two things that will stick with me for a long time.
A while back (in Bimodal Engagement) I mentioned that I have been hearing leaders of national service organizations weighing in on the importance of substantively engaging with or involving community. Dr. Bell, in his introduction of the conference theme (Creative Community) said, “Creativity is our tool; community is what we build.” That’s a pretty direct commitment to the centrality of community in the work of the museum. The idea that the ultimate function of museums is community building is radically different from what had been my unexamined understanding of the role of museums: guardians of the past. Of the three legs of museum work–preservation, research, and interpretation (education)–community building is the child of education.
But the quote that has set my mind spinning came a few moments later. He said there was a need to understand that museums are “public utilities not private amenities.”
Those five words could launch a two-fold revolution. They should be the rallying cry for reframing the debate about cultural policy in the United States. However, the related revolution, that must come first, is for the museum community, and now I will reframe my focus to the arts community, to make that distinction true.
The public utility argument will work only if arts organizations view themselves as servants of the public. The fact is that, for the most part, they do not. Service to community, broadly understood, is rarely at the forefront of mission statement in the arts. This is a problem in that most of them are 501(c)(3) organizations and public service is supposed to be the reason they hold that status. Moreover, until they adopt a public service frame of reference, the public utility argument will hold no merit in public discourse.
But what a game changer living out the reality of that role would be.
Engage!
Doug