"The museum we closed will not be the same as the one we will open". Madeleine Grynsztejn sees four fundamental shifts in how museums meet and lead the challenges ahead.
Museums are catalysts of culture. They generate new ideas and experiences that influence the choices we make both as individuals and across society. Yet in many discussions of museums, what often gets overlooked is their economic impact. Last year, in the United States alone, the museum sector—including children’s museums, historic houses, botanic gardens, planetariums, science centers, zoos, aquariums, as well as visual arts museums like the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), which I direct—welcomed more than 850 million visitors combined.
That this sector attracts 2.5 times the population of the US each year is remarkable in itself. But the economic impact of museums extends far beyond what happens inside their buildings. Collectively, according to a 2017 report from the American Alliance of Museums, these organizations contribute more than $50 billion to the GDP, generate $12 billion in tax revenue, and produce over 725,000 jobs — double that of the professional sports industry. In the wake of COVID-19, the size and impact of this economic footprint means that the health and vibrancy of our cities and communities is closely tied to the fate of museums... Keep reading on artnet News
Museums are catalysts of culture. They generate new ideas and experiences that influence the choices we make both as individuals and across society. Yet in many discussions of museums, what often gets overlooked is their economic impact. Last year, in the United States alone, the museum sector—including children’s museums, historic houses, botanic gardens, planetariums, science centers, zoos, aquariums, as well as visual arts museums like the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), which I direct—welcomed more than 850 million visitors combined.
That this sector attracts 2.5 times the population of the US each year is remarkable in itself. But the economic impact of museums extends far beyond what happens inside their buildings. Collectively, according to a 2017 report from the American Alliance of Museums, these organizations contribute more than $50 billion to the GDP, generate $12 billion in tax revenue, and produce over 725,000 jobs — double that of the professional sports industry. In the wake of COVID-19, the size and impact of this economic footprint means that the health and vibrancy of our cities and communities is closely tied to the fate of museums... Keep reading on artnet News