[Nhcoll-l] More on the gauntlet

Wed Mar 25 09:47:47 EDT 2015

A response from the Smithsonian Institution to the open letter and NYT article:http://newsdesk.si.edu/releases/smithsonian-statement-exhibition-content-and-donors
Included in that response, a link to the Smithsonian's statement on climate change in association with a symposium on the Anthropocene hosted there last year:http://newsdesk.si.edu/releases/smithsonian-statement-climate-change
To those who haven't had the chance to visit and see for themselves, many current and recent exhibits at the NMNH contain content regarding human effects on the environment, including not only climate change but pollution, resource consumption, genetic modification, and environmental manipulation. Natural history museums are unique in their ability to house collections and exhibits linking physical and natural sciences to anthropology. That said, the interesting debate lies in where the line is in an exhibit between presenting objects and explaining facts, and advocating a position. The idea that a particular donor to an exhibit could somehow steer exhibit content or affect public perception is unnecessary when that museum has a policy separating donors from the exhibit design and content generation process. That policy needs to be made as clear to the public as it is to the donor signing the deed of gift. And with that, hopefully the debate can be realigned to how best to disseminate scientific information to an audience looking for accuracy.
Michelle PinsdorfMuseum Technician, Vertebrate Paleontology Preparation LaboratorySmithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History 

     On Tuesday, March 24, 2015 2:31 PM, "Bryant, James" <JBRYANT at riversideca.gov> wrote:

 Yep: I worked at the IZ when it was plain ol' vanilla "Insect Zoo". What transpired in the early '80s, after I left, was an attempt to leverage the high popularity of the IZ into outside support for a refurbishment and (as it turned out) total remodel of the Zoo. The naming of the "new" exhibit was, as I understand, a highly contentious issue. What was settled on was that it would be called the "O. Orkin Insect Zoo" after the company's founder, and I think that's still the formal name today. The National Air & Space Museum seems to have had fewer qualms about renaming the Langley Theater (named after an early SI secretary) the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater, but the planetarium is still named after Einstein, since opening in 1976. No corporations interested in "buying" a planetarium? Isolating a museum's assets from the overall mission, to use them as fundraising tools, can create targets for criticism and put the entire institution at risk.

As this "pop-up museum" has demonstrated, anyone can make allegations. Effective, ethical institutional management is an important way to ensure that allegations have no basis, specious or otherwise. Everyone should feel free to support - or not - a public, non-profit museum, and in doing so strengthen - not weaken - its mission.

James Bryant

-----Original Message-----
From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Ellen Paul
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 9:51 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] More on the gauntlet

Orkin Insect Zoo. No joke. There is an Orkin Insect Zoo at the NMNH.

I think that every organization that relies on donations is aware of the risk involved in accepting corporate funds. Museums are not the only organizations dealing with this dilemma. Many nonprofits have had to deal with the issue of accepting donations from individuals or corporations who have been accused of or are actually guilty of various sins such as racism, sexism, homophobic policies, illegal or unethical conduct. This particular case is more challenging than most because it is alleged that the funding source is subverting the science or at least forcing the recipient to remain silent. In other words, there is implied by the open letter and its authors an actual impact of the funding on museum research and education. Too bad the writer of the article didn't insist on evidence.

In any case, I doubt it is the case that AMNH fundraisers don't know about controversies associated with the Kochs and in particular this controversy, and didn't discuss the potential downsides. They are a pretty sophisticated operation.

Ellen

Ellen Paul
Executive Director
The Ornithological Council
Email: ellen.paul at verizon.net
"Providing Scientific Information about Birds"
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.nmnh.si.edu_BIRDNET&d=AwIC-g&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=c8k-EbRPyulFY10bpEiFHmgEW6klXQbfsnPL8I9dz9U&s=BKp1LsVhOafx1pt4FvD0ptyLHpsb0P9OlZMxU4aeqkI&e= "

On 3/24/15 12:34 PM, Bryant, James wrote:
> Thank you, Beth, for your reasoned and thorough response. Critics focusing on these issues should keep in mind what is being "sold" as well as what is being "bought". Indeed, it brings to mind how  - in a previous presidential administration -  selling naming rights was considered as a potential way to raise support for the National Parks.
>
> As a large number of museums in many disciplines have engaged in a heated competition for the private dollar, they have adopted (and rewarded) some of the fund raising methods employed by development and sports promoters, and it seems as if there was no attention given to the risk involved. As the Great Recession should have taught everyone, there is no such thing as making money without risk.
>
> James M. Bryant
> Curator of Natural History
> Museum Depart., City of Riverside
> 3580 Mission Inn Avenue
> Riverside, CA 92501
> TEL: 951-826-5273
> FAX: 951-369-4970
> jbryant at riversideca.gov
>
>

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natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
society. See https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.spnhc.org&d=AwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=vG17rDh9MOXDUONYX9UtuuuBdQBRS8eHTbzrMRbyVg0&s=zUUXy8Ns9WqBlnaPk4zrfYO9EZWHEQ10A-I1TQDIER4&e=  for membership information.
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