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Smoky Hill Museum Planning Project Preliminary Report . ( ., PreliaiDat:y Report Smoky Bill Ifas_ Pi8DDiDs Proj ect by Marc Goldring March. 1986 (c) 1986. The Wolf Organization , Introclucti_ Overall l!'iDdiDgs TABLE OJ!' 00HrBRrS . . . . . . . . I - Administrative Structure Commissioners . RECOmlENDATION 1 Staff . . RECOMMENDATION 2 Community . RECOMMENDATION 3 Options for reorgani2ed RECOMMENDATION 4 II - 1!':bJaw:is1 . . . Budgeting. .... RECOMMENDATION 5 Unearned Income . RECOMMENDATION 6 RECOMMENDATION 7 Earned Income . RECOMMENDATION 8 III - Prograa . Exhibitions . RECOMMENDATION 9A RECOMMENDATION 9B . Ancillary programs RECOMMENDATION 10 IV - I!'ive Y_r P1_ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,. . . . . ... structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appendix A: Individuals Interviewed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . '. . . . . . ." . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 . 3 . 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 13 13 . 13 15 15 17 18 18 19 . . 20 . 20 22 23 23 25 . . . 26 27 . , - page 1 - . Iu.1:roc1uc1:ioo In February. 1986. Marc Goldring of The Wolf Organization. Inc. in Cambridge. Massachusetts conducted a planning study of the Smoky Hill Museum for the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission in Salina. Kansas. This study consisted of an extensive review of renovation plans.. exhi- bition and collection statements. budgets. and other relevant printed information about the museum. It also included two days of on-sit.e interviews with.Arts and Humanities Commissioners. staff of the Commission and the museum. City and County Commissioners. and other individuals with an interest in the museum. (Appendix A provides a complete list of individuals interviewed.) This Report will provide a summary of findings. as well as recommendations for consideration by the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission. It will be used as a background paper for a special session of the Com- mission to be held in Salina on April 15. 1986. The purpose of this session is to develop a long-range plan for the Smoky Hill Museum. &. to Bead this Report: This Report is divided into. several parts. After discussing overall findings. it includes several sections dealing with orgsnizationa1 structure. financial concerns and program issues. In each of these sections. there are recommendations which suggest , , - page 2 - planning issues for the Arts and Humanities Commission to consider. These are intended to provide a starting point for the discussions which will take place at the planning session in April. Overall Findings The Salina Arts and Humanities Commission has established an admirable record as an effective. creative. community-based arts agency. In over ten years of existence it has implemented a wide range of activities that have been accepted and supported enthusiastically by the community and by the city government of which it is a part. Its success can be attributed to the skill and dedication of its staff. the City Manager's consistent encouragement of local public funding for the arts and the interest and backing of the community. Indeed. for a city of its size. Salina is a leader'in public arts programming and support. The Commission's activities have increased dramatically within the past three years. There have been two important new initiatives in this period: the planning and implementation of a sub-granting program (the "Horizons" program) and the planning and initial administrative work which will lead to the scheduled opening of the Smoky Rill Museum in October. 1986. This growth in the Commission's activities and the attendant increase in public awareness and scrutiny is indicative of the Commis- , - page 3 - sion's success: it has become a highly visible and valued part of the fabric of life in Salina. Partly because of this rapid growth. the structures that were effective for the. Commission during its early years are no longer as effective in addressing. the present need for flexible programming and community involvement. The roles and responsibilities of the Commissioners. for example. require greater clarification and the mechanisms for gathering community reaction to Commission activities need to be strengthened and improved. Such issues. which will be discussed later in this Report. represent some of the "growing pains" that are common to organizations experiencing the kind of rapid growth witnessed in Salina. However. it is often during times of most rapid growth that the greatest opportun- ities exist to strengthen administrative and governing structures and to facilitate better communication and increased efficiency in program- ming. I - Ad"~nist:rat:ive Structure The Salina Arts and Humanities Commission is a department of city govern- ment with Commissioners appointed by the Mayor. Its Executive Director reports directly to the City Manager. The following discussion of the structure of the Commission is divided into sections devoted to the various constituents that affect the Commission. After this discus- - page 4 - sion. recommendations are presented. with various options for alter- ations in the present administrative structure. ~;gBioGers: The role of the members of the Arts and Humanities Commission is. not clearly defined. On the one hand. all city commissions function in an advisory capacity. without the. power to hire or fire their executive directors and without fiduciary responsibility for Commission projects. On the other hand. the present City Manager has delegated to the Arts and Humanities Commission in particular a con- siderable amount of authority in policy development. At the present time. there is confusion about the roles and responsi- bilities of Arts and Humanities Commissioners in relation to the Exe- cutive Director and other Arts and Humanities Commission staff (including museum staff). As one Commissioner asked. "Is it our job to provide guidance to the Museum. Director. or does the Executive Director do that1" This ambiguity has created situations in which the Commission is often not involved in any meaningful way in the decisions reached by Commission staff. It is also clear that Arts and Humanities Commissioners who have exper- ience sitting on other city commissions may have difficulty re-learning their functions. since the Arts and Humanities Commission appears to work differently from many other city agencies. - page 5,... llBCOIlIlBRDATIOB 1: THE ORIENTATION MANUAL FOR NEWLY APPOINTED ARTS AND HUMANITIES COMMISSIONERS SHOULD BE REVISED AND UPDATED TO PROVIDE INFOR- MATION ON RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMISSIONERS. AS WELL AS COMMISSION PROCEDURES.AND POLICIES. Such a revision would shorten the time required for new Commissioners to understand Commission functioning. It would also provide clear. objective guidance to all Commissioners and eliminate any uncertainty about the appropriate role for Commissioners. The manual should make specific reference to the Smoky Hill Museum and detail the Commissioners' role in policy development. planning. budgeting. personnel. and other relevant areas. Staff: The staff at the Commission has been very stable: the shortest tenured senior staff person at the Commission has worked there for five years. With the planning and opening of the museum. however. new staff members have been added. There is some confusion among museum staff members about the procedures and working relationships within the Com- mission and city government generally. Contributing to the confusion is the the categorization of the museum as part of the Arts and Humanities Commission. This is uncommon in the museum field. (Generally. a museum is an independent nonprofit organi- zation. with a Board of Trustees having fiduciary responsibility and charged with the responsibility for hiring and firing the Executive - page 6 - Director. The Museum Director is most commonly accountable to the governing body rather than to another Executive Director.) Thus. a museum director new to the community is not likely immediately to understand the relationship between the Arts and Humanities Commission's Executive Director and the Museum Director. The existing organization chart clearly shows. that the Museum Director reports to the Executive Director: however. there is some question about which museum-related decisions require the approval of the Executive Director. RBCQIlI'''K..,'AftOR 2: THE JOB TITLE OF THE MUSEUM DIRECTOR SHOULD BE CHANGED TO A TITLE MORE ACCURATELY REFLECTING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THAT POSITION AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. (FOR ExAMPLE: MUSEUM COORDINATOR. DIRECTOR OF. CURATORIAL SERVICES. CHIEF CURATOR. DIRECTOR OF MUSEUM SERVICES). Considering that the museum positions are new. it is under- standable that there is some confusion about decision-making authority. However. it is always important to have job titles that accurately. reflect the position's level of authority. Additional efforts to clarify the overlapping areas of responsibilities for the Executive Director and the Museum Director might be useful as well. City anc1 Coaa.ty GoveZDlllellt: There are areas of pot ent ial confusion surrounding the city and county government and their relationship with the museum and the Arts and Humanities Commission. These stem from the fact that the present City Manager has chosen to delegate significant - page 7 - oversight authority to the Arts and Humanities Commission. While this is an advantageous situation for the Commission, there is no guarantee that it will be continued by subsequent city managers and commissions. Should the situation change, the Commission could revert to the more traditional role of strictly advising the staff. Such a shift might present problems for the Arts and Humanities Commissioners, but it would not necessarily alter the way in which the Commission actually functioned in any significant way. Co--nnity: The Salina Arts and Humanities Commission' has the strong support of both the arts community and the community at large in Salina. It is seen as an effective deliverer of arts programs and a. valuable support service for arts organizations.' There are, however, some com- munity members who are concerned that the Commission may become isolated from the community. In relation to the museum, there are two groups in which this point of view appears strong: 1. AmonR those with a stronR interest in history: Several members of the Historical Society and the Genealogical Society expressed disappointment with their limited inrormation about the new historical museum. 'Some individuals question decisions such as deleting the word "Historical" from the name of the museum and the choosing of "The Heritage of Handcrafts" as the theme of the opening exhibition. They are concerned that the new - page 8 - museum will provide "generic history" rather than specific details that reflect life in Salina and Saline County. 2. Among those representing some arts orp;anizations: Many of the individuals interviewed who represented the Salina Arts Center expressed a concern that with the museum project' the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission is moving into areas that pre- viously had been the Arts Center's sole purview, such as ex- hibitions of visual arts,. Another concern expressed by several people was that the Arts Center's fund raising activities might be jeopardized if the Museum were to begin an active fund raising campaign. It is important to emphasize that all of the individuals interviewed felt that the Museum was a positive and important addition to Salina's cultural life despite the concerns noted. These issues, perhaps more than any others, reflect the need for increased dialogue between the Commission and the community, of which this planning project is a part. llBCClMMBIlDATIOR 3: THE ROLE OF THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES COMMISSION IN FORMULATING POLICY FOR THE MUSEUM SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH THE STRUCTURED USE OF COMMUNITY INPUT. (One possible way to do this might be a "Town Meeting," sponsored by the Commission and devoted to the museum, with appropriate museum staff present.) As the President of the - page 9 - Genealogical Society said. "The museum professionals can do a better job - and do it faster and easier - if they consult the many reliable sources in our community." The community is supportive of the museum and a structure that allows for ready lines of communication will stren- gthen that support. OptiGDB fo~ reorganized 8tructa~: These previous discussions suggest that there may be a need for a structural reorganization of the Arts and Humanities Commission. Such a reorganization should respond to the increased volume and sophistication of work being handled by the staff. To that end. three options are provided below; each one represents a different evaluation of the proper level of activity for the Arts and Humanities Commission. Figure 1 provides a graphic representation .of the three options (please note that only executive staff members are included in these charts). While each option posits a differing level of Commission activity. all of the options discussed below presume an increased level of involvement by the Commissioners. OPtion 1: This plan offers the least change in the current structure of the Arts and Humanities Commission. It does. however. provide for greater participation by Commissioners. working as a committee of the whole. in policy development and planning for all Commission activities. Option 1: Option 2: Museum COlllllittee - page 9A - Salina Arts & Humanities COIllIIisaion Executive DIrector Director Special Projects Saline Arts & Humanities CO_18s1en Executive DIrector Director Special Projects Figure 1: I Cl ty Commission !. Director Programs Director Progr4lll8 Organizational Charts Option 3: ~--- - - '--: . - page 9B - Salina Arts & Humanities Commission --'-- Director Museum Figure 1, continued: Director Special Projects Organizational Charts Direc.tor Programs - page 10 - especially the museum. 1 All major decisions about program planning. budget development and staffing should be reviewed periodically by the Commission. While the Commission's role is 'always advisory. it is actively involved in that process in Option 1. as the only non-compensated citizens body with a review function. This option assumes that the Commission's level of activity has reached its highest point. Since the Commission will continue to work as a committee of the whole. the amount of time available for consideration of policy and planning issues will of necessity limit the number of programs in which the Arts and Humanities Commission can be involved. Option 2: The inte~local agreement states that the Arts and Humanities Commission is the legal policy-making body for the Smoky Hill Museum., I Thus. this option provides for greater community involvement in that process through the creation of a separate Advisory Committee for the museum (cf. Figure 1. Option 2.) This committee should be comprised of four Commissioners and five representatives.of the community (appointed by the Commission); the Director of the museum should sit on this com- mittee ex officio. as should the Executive Director. It should meet monthly to address the wide range of issues surrounding the operation 1 The organizational chart shown in Figure 1 as Option 1 provides a representation of the present organization of the Arts and Humanities Commission. . - page 11 - of the museum. It may organize itself into sub-committees if it sees fit to do so. This option assumes that the necessity for a separate body to advise on museum policy is due t9 the large number of policy decisions that are required during the early stages of a major undertaking such' as the creation of a historical museum. While this committee would undoubtedly be faced with many years worth of work, it 'is possible that after three to five years, all of the major 'policy issues will have been resolved. At that time, the Museum Advisory Committee might be dissolved. Option 3: The museum, of course, is not the only new project that the Arts and Humanities Commission has undertaken recently. The "Horizons" sub-granting program is also quite new, and other initiatives from the Commission are possible as well. Option 3 provides for a set of sub- committees of the Commission that will allow for'a more efficient use of Commissioner's time and provide for the consideration of a broader range of opinion (cf, Figure 1, Option 3). Each committee should be made up of two Commissioners and up to four community members (appointed by the Arts and Humanities Commission); the appropriate staff member, as well as the Executive Director, should sit on each committee ex - - page 12 - officio. 2 The purpose of these committees should be. with the assis- tance of the appropriate staff. to develop policy, review staff plans and schedules, consider budgetary.concerns, and generally provide guidance on the operation and direction of all programs. There might be up to. six committees -. Finance! fund raising, Planning, "Horizons", Museum, . . Festival, snd Program (dealing with all Commission-sponsored projects except those covered. by the other committees). As Commission activities continue .to expand. the activities considered by various committees might become more generic (for example, the "Horizons" Committee might become the."Grants Programming" Committee). Members of these sub- committees should serve in an advisory capacity: any recommendations from sub-c6mmittees should be brought before the full Arts and Humanities Commission where a decision will be made. This option provides for the greatest level of complexity of Commission activity. The sub-committee structure allows the Commissioners to delegate a significant amount of the information review anji analysis to the sub-committees. Such a procedure will allow the Commissioners to focus their attention on matters of policy for the whole Arts snd Human- 2 The Executive Director is usually an ex officio member of all committees. However, it seems unlikely that he or she would sttend all committee meetings, but would instead meet with appropriate staff or Commission members in order to track their activities. - page 13 - ities Commission. The structure will also allow for the greatest amount of community involvement and sense of participation. IIBCCIIlIIBIlDAOR 4: THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES COMMISSION SHOULD FORMALLY ADOPT ONE OF THE THREE ALTERNATIVE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES DISCUSSED ABOVE. PERIODICALLY (AT LEAST EVERY TWO YEARS), THIS DECISION SHOULD BE REVIEWED TO ASSESS HOW WELL IT IS WORKING. It will be difficult for the Commission to continue on a "business as usual" basis. Even option 1, which proposes the least change from the present arrangement, still requires greater clarification of Commissioner's roles and a greater commitment from each Commissioner. It is important to recognize that the choice. of options is real and reflects important differences in the vision of the role of the Commission in the future. II - FinaDeial The financial issues surrounding the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission and the Smoky Hill Museum involve the budgeting process and the generation of income. They are discussed below with recommendations following each section. Bu4getiDg: The budgeting process for the Arts snd Humanities Commission is dictated by the procedures of city government. Within that context these systems appear to function effectively. The City Manager presents - page 14 - a bottom line figure for expenses to the Executive Director, who develops a budget based on that figure. The Commissioners review the Executive Director's budget. This budget is usually submitted, without alteration, to the Cit~~~i~ however, when warranted, the Commissioners have . submitted a budget with alternative funding levels to those proposed by the City Manager. The budgeting .procesa is less clear for the Museum. however. For the. first three years of the inter-local agreement, the County has been contributing $83,000 each year toward the operations of the Museum. That amount has covered all museum staff salaries, overhead and all of .the renovations planned before the museum opens in October, 1986. Once the museum is. opened, the City and County CommissiOns will decide on the proper funding level to cover the Museum's operations, according to the City Manager; While this amount has not yet been determined, he expects it to be in the range of $150,000 to $160,000. The City Manager also indicated that additional city or county funds would probably be available if the Museum needed capital repairs or improvements. The City Manager and the Commissioners feel there is a great deal of security in the relationship that the museum has with the city, since much of the museum's budget for operations and programs is provided by public funds. - page 15 - The arrangement described by the City Manager does, however, create some uncertainties in the budgeting process. For instance, the final determination of the availability of funds fOr the museum is contingent on the needs of the many other departments of the city. Thus, funding for the museum may be altered based on the needs of these departments. Further, since city funding is on a year-to-year basis.. planningexpen- ditures for multi-year programming becomes more difficult. JlB(ll-RliIDATIOR 5: PROCEDURES SHOULD BE DEVELOPED TO ALLOW TIlE MUSEUM STAFF TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE EXPENDITURE LEVELS FOR THE MUSEUM FOR THREE YEARS IN THE FUTURE TO BE REVIEWED BY TIlE APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE OF THE COMMISSION. .Since museum exhibitions usually require a two to three year cycle from planning and preparation to opening, it is necessary to budget expenses over that same period. By budgeting with alternative funding levels (for example, "optimistic" and "pessimistic"), the potential problems posed by altered funding levels from local government can be minimized. Uneazued IDeome: Presently, as discussed above, one source of income is being relied upon to provide all of the funds for the museum; thus, should a new City Manager have a different set of priorities, museum funding might be less secure. However, other income sources are possible. Several projects of the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission, most notably the Smoky Hill River Festival, have generated significant amounts - page 16 - of earned and unearned income. The fund raising conducted in connection . with the Artists-in-Residence program. primarUy among the business community of Salina. was also very successful. A possible stumbling block in relation to fund raising for the Smoky HUl Museum is the potential opposition of the city administration and others to such activities. The City Manager. for example. stated that he felt it would not be appropriate for the museum as a governmental agency to engage in fund raising; rather. the museum's needs should continue to be met by government alone. Additionally. representatives of arts organizations in Salina expressed concern about the effect of another solicitor of funds in the community. In the consultant's interviews. a different attitude about the need for other sources of income was expressed by most other people. These opinions varied as to the type and extent of fund raising for the museum. but never questioned the likelihood of such activity. The City Manager has ultimate authority in this area. However. this Report will include a discussion of the option for fund raising. This is not intended to contradict the City Manager's view or to minimize the concerns expressed by others. Rather it acknowledges these different opinions. recognizes the potential danger of relying on a single funding source. and emphasizes that the funding arrangement presently in place for the Smoky HUl Museum varies from the norm among historical museums in the United States.. - page 17 - Most of the individuals interviewed indicated that any fund raising program would emphasize yearly individual gifts at the $25 to $50 level and corporate gifts at the $100 to $250 level. Many individuals were concerned about how much support the community would provide for cultural activities in Salina. Should the museum become involved in fund raising. it would represent another solicitor of funds. and as such.might impinge on the activities of other non-profit organizations in. Salina. Most of the individuals interviewed felt that any fund raising campaign conducted for the museum would have to make allowances for the potential of com- petition with. other nonprofit organizations. Since the museum is part of the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission. its money should be handled through the city. Thus. a special account should be set up within the city's accounting system for contributions made specifically. to the museum. While every effort should be made to get unrestricted contributions. it is likely that some restricted gifts will, also be received. The accounting structure for fund raising should allow for a clear distinction among these various funds. ~OR 6: A PLAN FOR AN ANNUAL FUND RAISING APPEAL FOR THE SMOKY HILL MUSEUM SHOULD BE DEVELOPED BY THE STAFF. REVIEWED BY THE AP- PROPRIATE COMMITTEES. AND APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION WITHIN ABOUT ONE YEAR FROM THE OPENING OF THE MUSEUM. . IT SHOULD THEN BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY - page 18 - MANAGER. This plan should include a dollar goal for the first year's campaign. as well as a plan to distinguish this appeal from those of other nonprofit organizations. perhaps by promoting it in relation to a specific exhibition planned in the coming year. Funding through grants from public sources - the State Arts Agency and the State Humanities Council. the Mid-America Arts Alliance (a regional arts agency). and the federally funded National Endowments for the Arts and for the Humanities - should be pursued with caut,ion. Such funding may be ~sefu1 to support specific exhibitions or other museum activities. Care should be taken. however. to weigh the time spent in applying for grants against the money actually received. IlBCOJlHERDATIOR 7: APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS FOR THE MUSEUM FROM PUBLIC SOURCES SHOULD BE MADE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE MUSEUM DIRECTOR AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES COMMISSION WITH THE APPROVAL OF' THE CITY MANAGER. Eazned IDcaae: Several of the Commission's programs ,generate earned income. including the Smoky Hill River Festival (which generatea enough money to have become self-sustaining) and the education program. Oppor- tunities exist for earned income at the museum. although no decisions have yet been reached on the feasibility of activities in many of the areas in which the museum might generate income. (It has been decided. I , .,',1" -page 19 - however, that no entrance fee to the museum will be charged.) A wide range of other options for earned income exist, including a museum gift shop, a restaurant, a performing arts series, site rental, lectures, educational programming, and other activities. All of these areas are appropriate for museum activities; however, some priority must be set so that the museum staff understands which activities are most important. Further, some of these activities may be appropriate for reasons other than their cash-generating potential. Such factors as increasing museum viaitation, improved community relationships, or enhanced visibility for the museum in the media may all be reasons to choose one income- earning project over another. llBCOIaIBIIDAr.OB 8: THE MUSEUM STAFF SHOULD DEVELOP PLANS FOR A RESTAU- RANT/ICE CREAM PARLOR AT THE MUSEUM WITHIN TWO YEARS OF THE MUSEUM'S OPENING. PLANS SHOULD ALSO BE MADE FOR A PERFORMING ARTS SERIES WITHIN ONE YEAR OF OPENING. These two activities would work to increase visit- ation at the museum and would reenforce the downtown revitalization program. The restaurant appears most likely to earn money for the museum and thus it has been given priority. However, the performing arts series, while it may only break even, should be undertaken as well, since it will encourage people to come to the museum frequently. It must be emphasized that the planning and implementation of the ex- hibition schedule should always take priority over other programming at ~ .,. page 20 - the mUaeum. (See the following aection for a discussion of muaeum programming.) Thus the timetable for these earned income proj ects must provide ample time. perhapa aevera1 yeara. for planning and implemen- tation. III - l'roKraa The primary function of the Smoky Hill Muaeum ia to mount exhibitiona. but there are many other activitiea that are appropriate aa well. A muaeum's program - eapecia11y during the atart-up phaae - is a matter which ia alwaya subject to much debate. Thua. communication between the profeaaiona1 staff of the museum and the community is of the greatest importance. Br:hi.hiti0D8: The key program of the museum will clearly be its exhib- itions. During the consultant's interviews. some of the most heated discussions revolved around the issue of what the new museum's exhibitions should involve. Many individuals who are active in the Historical Society or the Genealogical Society have concerna that the exhibitions to be mounted will be: 1. Focussed on a generic history of the pioneera in the Mid-west. rather than on the history of the city of Salina. Saline County. and the state of Kansas; - page 21 - 2. Oriented toward the display of the visual arts. rather than historical artifacts: 3. Dependent on travelling exhibition materials. rather than using the historical museum's own extensive permanent collection. These concerns reflect the depth of community feeling on matters relating to the historical museum and underline the importance of the adminis- trative issues raised in 'Section III above. They also emphasize the importance of developing, a community input mechanism as discussed above. While the Museum Opening Committee is already beginning to address some of these concerns. there is presently no structure to assist the museum staff or the Commission in reaching decisions on any aspect of the exhibition program. There are many important issues relating to exhibitions that will require both the professional expertise of museum and Commission staff. as well as the opinions of all segments of the community to be resolved. More- over. once these policies are resolved. they must be communicated to the various constituencies of the Smoky Hill Museum. Among the questions which must be addressed are the following: 1. What should the content of the various exhibitions be? - page 22 - 2. What should the balance between temporary and permanent ex.hi- bitions be? 3. How frequently should the temporary exhibitions change? 4. How many exhibitions should be developed by museum staff and how many travelling exhibitions should be obtained from other sources? . 5. How much of the permanent collection should be. utilized? In what format? 6. Should exhibition catalogs be produced for all major exhibitions? Who will write them? How w.il1 they be funded? 7. Should a policy of cooperative exhibition development (with such institutions as the Salina Art Center) be implemented? It is also a priority for the museum staff to develop a comprehensive plan of exhibitions for at least three years into the future. This will provide the proper amount of lead time for the planning and mounting of exhibitions. RBCOIlMJwJArIOR 9A: THE MUSEUM STAFF SHOULD ESTABLISH AN EXHIBITION SCHEDULE FOR THE MUSEUM FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF OPERATION. THIS SCHEDULE SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE AND ADOPTED BY THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES COMMISSION. . This schedule should have two parts. The first part should list all maj or and minor exhib- itions for each year, along with all ancillary events planned in con- junction with them. (These plans will of course become more vague as they go further into the future. For instance, it is not necessary to specify the exact program to be held in conjunction with an exhibition - page 23 - in Year 2 or even the exact content of an exhibition in Year 3. However, several options should be provided, so that the general thrust of the exhibit schedule is apparent.) The second part should detaU the schedule for opening additional spaces in the museum. RBCOIfi'IRM>ATIOR 9B: AFTER THE COMMISSION HAS REVIEWED ALL POLICIES RECOM- MENDED BY THE MUSEUM STAFF RELATING TO EXHIBITIONS, THE STAFF SHOULD COLLATE THE POLICIES INTO A MANUAL THAT WILL PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT ON EXHIBITIONS. This information should be made available to interested community members so that they can understand the underlying philosophy that informs the decisions that are made in these areas. AncU1ary programs: Most museums conduct a wide range of ancillary activities designed to enhance and expand the value of the exhibition offerings. Many people interviewed felt that there are a great number of activities that might assist in the interpretation of the historical artifacts that are displayed at the museum. While not every museum will provide all of the activities discussed below, the full range should be examined, so that priorities may be set among them. The list below suggests areas which the consultant feels are most worthy of closer examination. 1. Educational programs: USD 305 presently uses many programs developed by the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission. While - page 24 - the funding for additional programming might be limited, there are many ways that the museum could be used as an aid in teaching the history of Salina and the region to youngsters. Activities might include special docent-led tours of exhibitions; guided' reviews of items in the :permanent collection that are in storage; special teaching materials developed by museum staff for use in the schools. 2. Joint prol1;ramminl1;: While it is clear that there is no place in the museum for exhibitiona devoted solely to t'he visual arts, a relationship with the Salina Arts Center might be'developed, so that when the Smoky Hill Museum is planning eXhibitions', the Arts Center might develop concurrent exhibitions of visual arts. Such a relationship would allow each partner to bring its unique program and expertise to the exhibition and enhance the program available to the community. Such' an 'arrangement might also be possible with the Library and the Historical Society. 3. Volunteer/Docent Prol1;rams: Any museum relies upon an active group of volunteers and docents to perform a wide range of services, ranging from guided tours of exhibitions to staffing a gift shop to answering the telephone. It is important that all volunteers be properly trained and that the museum staff - page 25. - have a syst.em for utilizing the available skills of volunteers to the utmost. 4. EveninR Lecture Series: The history of any region is brought to life through contact with the individuals who have lived some of that history. A series of lectures. perhaps illustrated. would provide an important opportunity to bring that enriching experience to the community. S. Historical Tours Pro&ram: A program might be developed in conjunction with the Historical Society.devoted to weekend day-trips to important. historical sites in Saline County. While not occurring in the museum itself. this program could create a sense of the larger context of the objects displayed . at the museum and could provide important links between the Historical Society and the Arts and Humanities Commission. RBCOIlII&lDATIOR 10: THE MUSEUM STAFF SHOULD DECIDE WHETHER TO IMPLEMENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. JOINT PROGRAMMIW. VOLUNTEER/DOCENT PROGRAMS. AN EVENING LECTURE SERIES. AND/OR AN HISTORICAL TOURS PROGRAM. IT SHOULD THEN DEVELOP A PHASED PLAN FOR INSTITUTING SOME OR ALL OF THESE ACTI- VITIES.THIS PLAN SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL BY THE FULL COMMISSION WITHIN ONE YEAR AFTER THE MUSEUM OPENS. . - page 26 - . IV - Five Year nan The .five year plan is the key planning document for the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission. Once it has been completed and approved by the Commission. it will form the basis for all activities and provide a consistent context for all decision-making. It is important to keep in mind. however. that a 10nK range plan must be revised yearly so that corrections. can be made for chanKinK circumstances. While it is important to reach agreement. it is equally important to recognize that the process of planning never is finished - it is on-going. The outline that is provided on the following pages divides the planning process into three general areas - administrative structure: financial: program. Each area has been provided its own five year time line. Please keep in mind that this document has been developed before the COrDmission's planning session on April 15. It is meant to provide a guideline to participants. in order to structure that discussion. More detail may be provided during the planning session itself and other. more significant. changes may be made as well. Of course. the earlier years appear to have more activity; this simply reflects the greater ease with which that period is viewed. Appendix page A.27 Appeadix A: Individuals Interviewed The following individuals were interviewed during the. two days of on- site fact finding conducted by the consultant. Roy Allen Member. Saline County Commission Mazy Nell Beatty Chair. Salina Arts and Humanities Commission Lisa Callaway Curator. Smoky Hill Museum Marilyn Dowell Founding member and current Board member. Salina Arts Center; arts patron Sam Evans Partner. Evans Grain Company; arts patron Susan Glenn Director. Salina Arts Center Karen Graves Member. Salina Arts and Humanities Commission; arts patron Saralyn Reece Hardy Arts Programmer. Salina Arts and Humanities Commission Lana Jordan Festival Coordinator. Salina Arts and Humanities Commission Ann Knowles President. Board of Directors. Salina Arts Center Judy Lilly President. Board of Directors. Smoky Valley Genealogical Society Mazy Maley Member. Museum Opening Committee; local his- torian and genealogist S. C. McCrae Vice President. Salina Historical Society Joe McKenz ie Interdepartmental Librarian. Salina Public Librazy Dusty Moshier Member. Salina Arts and Humanities Commission; attorney . Appendix page A.28 Pat Neustrom Member and former chair. Salina Arts and Humanities Commission Rufus Nye Salina City Manager Gayle Rose Member. Salina Library Board: member. Museum Study Committee and Museum Opening Committee Sydney Sodaberg Member. Salina Arts and Humanities Commission: member. Salina City Commission Harold Schmidt Director of Elementary Education. USD 305 Ed Stelfox Director. Smoky Hill Museum Don Timmel Partner. Wright-Lorenz Grain Co.: member and former chair. Salina Arts and Humanities Commission Jack Weisgerber Member. Salina Arts and Humanities Commission . YEAR 1 (1986) YEAR 2 (1987) . ~dminis- frative I tructure ,. ApprcNe public meeting CalCept Set scbeduJ.e for public meetings Decide em strUCtural alte=ives . Appoint liar sub-calmittees All liar cc:amittees have IIlI!t ApprcNe liar jcXl title leri.se orientatiallllBlll.lal far Carmissialers inancial Revisor budgetiJlg pttlC5S App.....e liar budgetiJlg ptocedw:es Deve1gp three year budgets Decide em whether to have a "I'WlII lIllmlal fuIld-I:aiSmg . appeal Design (including settizlg goal) the lIllmlal appeal .. Decide em Ullemled :incane activities . Rerier .pracedlm!s far tmdtizlg unemed mecme !leIelgpner pracedlm!s far t%8cking unemed inccme . ogram Deve1.gp E!IdIibitial ....'-10.1 e PM.erI "W~...... E!IdIibitial schedule Relri.erl approve E!Idrlbitial policy IIIlI'IIIIIl Pzplote Clptials far ancillmy p."'!\..... activities Decide aI ancillmy progtall activities !leIelgp volumeers/ docent p.og.au Pzplote gptials far joint prograauing l!Iplote optials for educaticml prograauing with U&l 305 < . YEAR 3 (1988) YEAR L (1989) YEAR 5 (1990) Begin plarming process for nal decade Ccmplete 100g- range plan IeriEsr/ l:eYi.se t&7 stmcture IeriEsr/ l:eYi.se CCIIIIli.ttee msrxlates IeriEsr/ rerise cClllllittee IIIIIDdates ' New cCIIIIIittee appointments New CCIIIIli.ttee appointments New c:CIIIIIittee appointments !leI7e1op thl:ee year budgets !leI7e1op thl:ee year budgets !leI7e1op thl:ee year budgets " Fizst amua1 appesl begins SeCcDi armusl appesl begins ThiId amua1 appesl begins !leI7e1op plans for Perfcn:ming Arts series Fizst erent in Perfcn:ming Arts series !leI7e1op. plans for RestaUrsnt Restsumnt opeIlS Update! rl!I7is.1 exhibitiat schedule Update! rwiar ezh:ibitiat sc:heduJ.e Update! rwiar E!Idrlbitiat schedule Update! rl!I7is.1 E!Idrlbitia'lS pcilicy IlIllnUBl Update/rwiar sncilla1y progmn act ivities !mp1enent volunteers! docent progmn