Rainy Day = Museum Day

There is nothing better than going to a museum on a rainy day, and CMA has all the things that make a visit great.  Where else can you see world class art made throughout history, have lunch and shop for books and jewelry?  Granted, things are shifting and changing here all the time (the Deborah Butterfield that I blogged about last week has been moved from Derby Court) but there is so much to see and do. Come visit!

Lisa Dent
Associate Curator of Contemporary Art

Momentum

Wow! What a busy year we’ve had. Following on the heels of our incredibly successful Egyptian exhibition, we’ve launched Summer Fun which encompasses free admission to the Museum and all special exhibitions throughout the months of July and August. The response has been enthusiastic. The building is bustling with visitors enjoying our many exhibitions and programs. Listening to the clamor of voices in the lobby and glancing out at the overflowing parking lot, I have to say a huge thank you to our members whose incredible generosity made Summer Fun possible. Offering free admission during these difficult economic times allows us to support the community that has given so much to us throughout the years. I hope you’ll find the time to visit the Museum and take a respite from the day-to-day challenges we all face.

The Museum has not been immune to the economic downturn however, we continue to move forward.  Renovations on Beaton Hall are nearly complete, which is incredibly exciting for the many staff members who will very soon call the building home. We are also busily preparing for our Chihuly Illuminated exhibition that will open in September. While that may seem quite far in the future, moving and installing thousands of glass pieces is quite an undertaking. And, as all of this is happening, we are looking forward to beginning work on the 1931 portion of our building this fall.

 As exciting as all of this is, we are constantly aware of the challenges we are and will face as the economy begins its recovery. Most of you are aware that both the Ohio Arts Council and Greater Columbus Arts Council have been impacted by budget cuts and those cuts have affected the many organizations they support, including CMA. Donations overall are down and we continue to look for ways to contain costs and streamline our budget, which is projected to remain at around $7 million in the coming year.

I will continue to keep you updated on our progress. Coming soon: Details about our dazzling Chihuly Illuminated exhibition.

Art Speaks. Join the Conversation.
Nannette Maciejunes
CMA Executive Director

Oh my, how time flies!

It dawned on me the other day that I am approaching a year at CMA.  In that time I have tried my hardest to get to know our Members.  This is something that I strive to do more and more each day.  I talk to different members daily on the phone and have realized just how much I love my job!  In beginning this blog, I hope to have yet another opportunity to be in contact with our Members to see what it is that CMA can do to make the most of their Membership.  I also would like to reach out to non-members and show them the value of supporting the Columbus Museum of Art and being a Member.

I am looking forward to blogging and being a voice for you...

Multimedia Production at CMA

I've been with CMA since 2000, and right now is the most exciting time that I've experienced here. There is a lot of really innovative work happening in the Education department, and in the future I'll be posting updates about what we're up to. I hope to use this blog to start a public conversation about CMA's educational philosophy, and to offer some behind-the-scenes looks at how we develop the educational experience at the museum.

I am the Educator for Adult Programs and Multimedia Producer for CMA. Over the past few years we've really stepped up our video production schedule, and I'll be blogging new projects as they happen. For a look at previous CMA-produced documentaries, I invite you to visit the museum's YouTube page.  I post each new documentary there as soon as it's finished.  Some of the titles have been listed in this blog previously and linked on the CMA website, but you may find some unfamiliar ones, too. I'd also encourage you to take a look at the YouTube activities of other museums listed on our channel in the 'Subscriptions' window. Enjoy!

Why does an art museum need computers?

I get this question a lot.  It just so happens we have over 100 computers at the Art Museum.  Our systems are used for your normal everyday things like Microsoft Word and Excel, but we also have special applications that allow for us to manage the collection, keep track of donors and plan special events.

In the IT Department, we manage all these computers and their software. We're a two-man team that works hard and it's soon all going to change. With the renovation, we're building a new network that will be state of the art and have the ability to provide more services to you in addition to the Free Public Wifi we currently offer. If you haven't checked that out yet, come on down, grab a meal in the Palette and surf the web. It's free!

~Thomas Deliduka
Director of Information Technology