Big drama at the Phoenix Art Museum (appointed, moving)

[Voebe]

I wasn't aware of this, but big conflicts and confrontations.

Here's the article:

Nightmare at the Museum
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts...ng-up-11231441

And here's the KJZZ interview:

Phoenix Art Museum Director Inspires Praise, Criticism | KJZZ

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Voebe

I wasn't aware of this, but big conflicts and confrontations.

Here's the article:

Nightmare at the Museum
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts...ng-up-11231441

And here's the KJZZ interview:

Phoenix Art Museum Director Inspires Praise, Criticism | KJZZ

While I don't discount all the grievances of the docents, Pela's article comes across as a hit piece. It sounds like he made up his mind about who's to blame before writing the article. Since then, he's faced some criticism for the way he characterized a younger docent after his unannounced participation in a museum tour. Some saw his comments as a sexist observation about female voices.

Likewise, I'm disappointed that KJZZ host Steve Goldstein didn't ask more skeptical questions of Pela during the radio interview. I like KJZZ, but Goldstein is too cozy with the New Times, often giving their writers a platform to publicize their opinions without rigorous inquiry or an attempt to share other perspectives.

There may be a problem with Cruz' management style, but I also know that long-time volunteers can be anchors that prevent an organization from moving forward. As they say, sometimes you've got to break a few eggs to make an omelette. I wish Pela had shared some of the emails used to fire the docents (with personal details redacted of course). I'd like to know if they're as bad as he claims.

[take57]

Interesting tread topic. Had mixed feeling after reading the NT piece. I'd speculate there's a good deal more bubbling under the surface, but I certainly noticed how Pela characterized in the first paragraph that the docents "hate what she’s made of THEIR museum." (Bold mine). I also felt the tone of the docents complaint were more based on their bruised feelings rather than if the changes Cruz had implemented made for a more inclusive and welcoming experience for visitors.

That said I can only imagine keeping all the parties satisfied (none more so than older folks of means) must be thankless at best. I'd also be more sympathetic toward the docents had they expressed a willingness to support the new director in her efforts to remake the image of, as the visiting Indiana couple described as "This is a second-tier museum, so our expectations were pretty low.” rather than poison the well, particularly when it comes to their patron acquaintances.

[yukon]

"She’s [Cruz] asking for money from sources we’ve never seen money from. And she’s getting it.”

He [Jim] created a macrocosm of art lovers who devoted themselves to the museum and who themselves raised money and goodwill.

Charged with reversing the museum’s growing financial deficits and determined to streamline its operations, Cruz quickly made her plans clear: She would do so by soliciting giant corporate donations and romancing big-bucks donors; she’d eschew risky blockbuster exhibitions in favor of those she knew would sell; and she’d ask her curators to build exhibits that could tour the country and increase the museum’s profile and its coffers.


Sounds to me like the former director relied on a few major donors and a small but rich subset of art lovers. Sounds like the current director is trying to open up the museum to a larger audience. Old money doesn't like it when they start to lose power and control. But the new director also sounds like she can be a petty dictator when it comes to dealing with the volunteers.

[Voebe]

I agree that there's some bias in the article, but it sounds to me as if there is also considerable unhappiness and indignation, probably much of it justified.

[Bondurant]

Manufactured drama. Long term volunteers don't like change and want to be coddled.

[Thomasaz]

I’m really interested in this now. I was not aware of the ongoing conflict between the docents and the new art director. The article seemed one-sided. How can you continue to run the museum the way it has been run when it was losing money? Obviously you have to change things. I also don’t like the tone of some of the disgruntled docents, particularly the one that referred to one of the new docents as a “b-word” through email to another docent. That is frankly very unprofessional and I don’t see why that would not be grounds to push someone out, especially one who has admitted to go against new protocol. I don’t believe the director should fire people by email, but on the other hand, there were over 400 docents to deal with. These are volunteers and honestly it would not make sense to meet each one individually. However, it’s really concerning how many people are leaving and complaining.

The Phoenix Art Museum has frankly been considered a low level museum for as long as I can remember. I remember taking some friends and family over the last several years. None of them were overly impressed. They liked it, but the general sentiment was that it was not as interesting as museums they had seen in large cities. Just look at the comment of the tourist who said their expectations were low because they expected the museum to be second-tier before they got there. That really tells you what people think of the museum. I’ve been there many times and I was never wowed away by what was there. In many ways it was very disappointing in comparison to museums I’ve seen in LA or SF. I understand Phoenix will never compare, but there is this feeling that the museum was lacking in too many things. It’s been well known for a while that the museum does not have the funding or interest that museums in other prominent cities have. I expect that to change somewhat as Phoenix continues to develop and central Phoenix gets better.

Personally, I think change is good. I hope that what’s going on right now is good change and not what these former docents and current docents are painting as. The museum was never great in my opinion. I’m sorry if that offends anyone out there. If these drastic changes are needed to push it to a higher tier, than by all means go ahead. It might fail, but looking at how the museum has been the last couple of decades, I’ll take change over the status quo.

[exit2lef]

This week, KJZZ aired an interview with the director of PAM and gave her the opportunity to respond to some of the criticism:

Phoenix Art Museum CEO Responds To Criticism | KJZZ

It would have been better to have aired her comments side-by-side with the original Robrt Pela interview, but at least an opposing viewpoint has been presented.

[Voebe]

Originally Posted by Bondurant

Manufactured drama. Long term volunteers don't like change and want to be coddled.

I think anyone doing useful volunteer work should be coddled. If an organization isn't paying them in money, they should be paid with deference, consideration, appreciation, and freebies.

[exit2lef]

I'm a member of PAM and I received an email this morning from Amada Cruz, the director criticized in the New Times article. She has accepted a new position as the head of the Seattle Art Museum. It seems like a natural career move and I wish her well. On the other hand, I wonder if this is going to make those forces resistant to change feel empowered to continue to dig in their heels, making life difficult for future leaders of the museum.