It’s said that great art doesn’t come without sacrifice, but the U’s museum is hurting without any gain.
Because of cuts to its operating expenses, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts eliminated three of its 15 full-time positions last May. It also reduced the working hours of the 12 remaining full-time staff members from 40 hours a week to 32.
Among those laid off was Bernadette Brown, the curator for New World and Pacific Islander art; Steve Hayes, a collections and installation specialist; and Bonnie Souliere, the director of operations. The director of operation’s former responsibilities were combined with the finance director’s position.
UMFA’s financial problems are because of the State Legislature’s decision to cut base state funding8212;the main source of funding for the U8212;by 17 percent. Other corners of the U were able to soften the blow by increasing tuition for certain colleges, but the museum wasn’t so lucky.
“The restructuring of your staff is always a painful and difficult thing. It’s nothing personal,” said interim director Gretchen Dietrich. The museum had to make the cuts in order to keep all 10 planned exhibitions for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, an expenditure that stays just within its $2 million annual budget.
“We don’t want the U community to notice we have financial challenges,” Deitrich said. “Yes, we have (them), but the focus is always going to be on creating excellent programming and exhibitions for our visitors and our members.”
The 10 exhibitions, including highlights on American Indian and Mexican art, were planned to be smaller scale this fiscal year, compared to last, independent of the budget cuts. Last year, the UMFA spent $2 million on the Monet to Picasso exhibition alone, which doubled its normal annual budget, Deitrich said. The museum can’t afford to go nearly as grand this time, she said.
Last May, the museum had also worried about a shortfall in the Zoos, Arts and Tourist tax that supplements about $400,000 of its annual budget. But so far this year, the museum hasn’t seen any change in that revenue, Deitrich said.