Museums in Wales need to focus less on their buildings and more on the great collections they hold and the diverse stories they tell, the chief executive who oversees them has said.
Jane Richardson, Amgefa Shimul – Wales Museum, It said a £4.5m budget cut meant it might be better suited to close the site and find new sources of income. But this is also an opportunity to rethink what museums can and should be, she argued.
Richardson, who has been in the job for six months, also defended the museum from “savages.” “Awakening” attack After giving a presentation Black Lives Matter Exhibit and mounted a challenging exhibition that tackled the issue of Trinidad’s overbearing former governor, Thomas Picton. His portrait hung in a prominent position in Trinidad for many years. Cardiff National Museum.
She said she was part of the Museum Wales family. seven museums and one collection center; Hurt by being drawn into the “culture wars” but vowing to keep pushing boundaries, the first thing Vaughan Gething did last week when he became the first black leader of a European nation was to express his pride. He revealed that he had written a letter asking for a tie. collection.
Mr Richardson said: “We went through massive budget cuts and we went through an entire organizational reorganization. Before we embark on the reorganization, we need to get back to our fundamental purpose of why we are here. I thought there was.
“We’ve looked at all the founding documents, and what’s interesting is that they don’t say much about museums. You see about collections, about learning, about the importance of understanding and enjoyment. , I’ve been thinking about what the future of museums really is, and I think the model we move forward with is going to be very different.
“How can we reach out more, be less confined to our own four walls, and focus more on collaborating with people, reaching out to new places, and taking our collections out?”
Richardson acknowledged that the actual building is the centerpiece of some museums. Big Pit National Coal Museum – and that National Slate Museum. “They are a collection,” she said. “But there are other museums that spend a lot of energy thinking about how to fix the roof, even though the building is not part of the story. It’s time for some brave, creative thinking. .”
When asked if this meant any sites would have to shut down, Richardson said: The economic outlook is very challenging and will continue to be difficult for the next few years. We must be courageous and open about what that means. ”
Mr Richardson is in Wales. Law concerning the well-being of future generationsThis requires public authorities in Wales to think about the long-term impact of their decisions. anti-racism action planThere was a “context here to push boundaries and think very differently”, which was stronger than in England.
The Art of the Selfie exhibition in Cardiff is centered around van Gogh’s self-portraits on loan from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris; , an image of herself as Brodeuwedd, a mythical woman made of flowers.
“It’s a very interesting juxtaposition, but people need to see themselves in our museums and galleries. In some cases, every time people try to do that, they get accused of being woke. Yes. I hate things like culture wars. We’re pushing the boundaries hard. We’re gathering around Black Lives Matter. We’re gathering around LGBTQ people. Masu.”
Ideas for generating income include having people stay on the premises. St Fagan’s National History Museum and commercially produce more textiles in that factory. National Wool Museum.
“As a museum, we’re going to have to get smaller,” Richardson said, “but we don’t want to get smaller because of our ambition or our reach.”
