Inside Berks Business: Reading Public Museum

July 8 – 11, 2008Glen Martin

Inside Berks Business - DescriptionInside Berks Business (iBb) is an intensive, five-day internship program

for Berks County educators. Its stated goal is to familiarize teachers with the skills needed in local workplaces so that we can then incorporate these skills in our curricula, thereby ensuring that our students are well-informed and capable as they enter the workforce.

Our own efforts at advising students about career paths and educational opportunities have been enriched by our experiences with iBb. In particular, as Governor Mifflin High School redesigns its Graduation Project requirement to align more fully with job shadowing, career education, and community service endeavors, the iBb program will prove invaluable to guide students’ choices as part of this new initiative.

Each educator spent four consecutive days at a participating business shadowing employees and learning about the organizations under the direction of an internship mentor. My own experience would not have been nearly as rich or rewarding without the careful planning and thoughtful guidance of my internship mentor, Anne Corso, Director of Lifelong Learning at the Reading Public Museum.

Reading Public MuseumThe museum was established in 1904 by Reading-born educator and collector Dr. Levi Mengel, whose life-size, animatronic likeness greets visitors to a first floor gallery to this day. A quotation from Dr. Mengel—whose vast natural history collection formed the nucleus of the museum’s collection on its founding—appears on a dedication plaque in this gallery: “The best way to find the meaning of things is to begin to know by personal experience.” This statement reflects the museum’s direct approach to engaging its visitors, through hands-on experience when possible.

The museum was funded and governed by the Reading School District until 1992 when financial burdens forced the County to step in, providing a $5 million endowment and setting up a Foundation which runs the museum to this day. Though the school district continues to own all museum buildings and grounds, as well as the collection amassed prior to 1992, the day-to-day operations of the museum are carried out by a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entity.

Reading Public Museum (continued)

The Reading Public Museum has an annual operating budget of $1.7 million and has roughly 16 full-time and 6 part-time employees. (Prior to the establishment of the Foundation, a staff nearly double its current size ran the museum.)

In addition to the tireless work of its salaried employees—most of whom wear several “hats”—relying heavily on volunteer labor and assistance from the County ensures the museum’s day-to-day needs will be met. For example, for the past 15 years the County has provided the museum’s security guards, a saving to the museum of $160,000. The County also sends juvenile offenders and individuals of all ages who have been sentenced to community service for minor offenses; they help to maintain the grounds of the museum and perform cleaning tasks within the museum as well.

Summary: Day OneJenn Wilson, VP of Finance & Administration

responsible for finance (including payroll and accounts payable/receivable); human resources (hiring, administrating benefits, orientations); operational administration; and IT (information technology) has a part-time assistant “hybrid positions” are common in a non-profit entity, but RPM is “extreme”; upside is that she is “never bored” her forte is numbers; she worked for a CPA prior to this, but found it boring earned an MBA specializing in finance and has work experiences in accounting; also ran a restaurant for 10 years prior to CPA work most important skills are multitasking, patience, prioritizing, and an ability to work well with others

Summary: Day One (continued)I observed as three “gallery teachers” led tours of very young children (ages

6-9) around the Native American, Natural History, and Egyptian galleries. Talking later with Anne Corso, I learned that they have been trained in questioning techniques and even use hands-on approaches to engage the children in the exhibits.

Paul Pawlaczyk, Preparator began working at the museum within the last few months has part-time, temporary help in setting up larger exhibits; otherwise he is solely responsible for preparing and maintaining exhibits has a varied background in fine arts and carpentry most important skills in his position are having a good “eye” for placement of works to maximize impact on the viewer and provide a pleasant museum experience; carpentry skills; ability to get along with others; ability to interpret sometimes sketchy ideas; and the fortitude to stand his ground when he needs to likened his job to “show business” and had a very lighthearted approach to his tasks, which no doubt helps to relieve stress

Summary: Day TwoNancy Chapple, Museum Shop Manager

has retail experience at Borders & Calico Corners; 2 years @ RPM worked as a fundraiser for 14 years, so she has a broader perspective on how the museum works the Museum Shop serves three main purposes: it sells finer gifts, some by local artisans, that are rotated frequently for the museum’s regular customers; it provides merchandise to support the permanent exhibits (such as Egypt); and it carries items to support its temporary exhibits (such as the current Offspring of the Winds)

she has two regular volunteers and two part-time employees to help her run the shop; in these positions, enthusiasm is far more vital than retail experience the museum shop also collects admission fees and memberships she also coordinates the annual Art of the Craft show each spring

Summary: Day Two (continued)Deborah Winkler, Assistant Director /

Collections has been working for the RPM for 16 years, making her one of its longest-serving members does not have a college education, but is a member of MENSA began as the registrar, then was assistant to the director, and then moved into her current positionstorage of the museum’s vast collection is scattered at various points, including the basement of Thomas Ford Elementary School; she took me to the main storage building on the museum grounds, which holds mainly natural history items (butterflies, taxidermied animals, artifacts, fossils, and gems) an Etruscan vase broke recently and will need to be sent out for conservation, which is an unexpected expense; conservation is a dire need for the museum, which will be discussed later

Summary: Day Two (continued)Mike Anderson, Public Relations / Marketing Director

graduate of Kutztown University who started his own advertising agency, from which he retired several years ago the larger his firm became, the more he missed creative work he has been at the museum for 2 ½ years, doing “a little bit of everything” he handles public relations (writing, distributing press releases); creating and purchasing print ads; producing printed literature at exhibits and in galleries; much of the photography at special events and for marketing purposes; making media appearances to discuss exhibits and events; writing and producing radio spots; and maintaining the RPM website has created several new programs, including “Bagels & Bach”

Summary: Day Two (continued)

Ann Wellock, Friends Executive Director processes memberships and is involved in acquiring large gifts to the museum Friends of the Reading Public Museum is a separate 501(c)(3) works closely with Jessica Didow in Development

Jessica Didow, Annual Giving Manager has a degree in professional writing and has extensive cross-cultural experience, working on grants for the NAACP and the PHMC began as the Development Director’s assistant; has worked here 2 years administrates the Annual Fund, which makes up one-third of the museum’s operating budget pursues both individual and business memberships writes grant proposals works closely with the Foundation’s board to attract new members, particularly for the Da Vinci society (donors of $5,000 or more)

Summary: Day ThreeRonald C. Roth, Director & CEO

earned a B.A. in history and an M.A. in museum education at George Washington University was Director of the state museums in Alabama, then worked for a period outside the museum world in the fields of fundraising and marketing curated at Museum of Nebraska Art for three years, and has been at Reading Public Museum for six years as Director, he’s responsible for financial, programmatic, and strategic planning; managing day-to-day operations; managing senior staff; working closely with the Foundation’s board of directors; and he is the chief curator “strategic planning” is the process of deciding what the museum’s priorities will be in terms of programs, marketing, development, and exhibitions this year’s strategic planning has focused on fundraising, planning for the permanent collection, and building audiences through marketing he also has a seat on all museum committees and spends a great deal of time on fundraising

Summary: Day Three (continued)

Ronald C. Roth, Director & CEO (continued)a curator must be an expert in research, art history, and design; he must decide what pieces are appropriate and how each one will elaborate on a show’s or exhibit’s larger themes for some exhibitions, money is raised to bring in outside “exhibition designers”

Alice Botvin, Curatorial Assistant has a Masters of Library Science from the University of Michigan and has experience cataloguing and administrating collections in professional and volunteer capacities worked as a property manager administrator prior to starting here in 2003 does inventory work, lending and borrowing works for shows, accessioning and deaccessioning projects, works on exhibition catalogs and labels, manages rights and reproductions must be proficient in Excel, networking to find items, research, and organization; is sometimes able to work from home

Summary: Day Three (continued)

Mark Mazurkiewicz, Planetarium Manager / Producer took a RACC astronomy course held at the planetarium in 1992; his professor mentored him and he was hired to run the planetarium from 1990-1992, the planetarium was closed, but once the Foundation was established, board member Albert Boscov insisted that it reopen the planetarium is part of the Reading Public Museum, but it is isolated both physically—occupying its own building—and in terms of the budget responsibilities include managing events at the planetarium, which can be rented for corporate functions and private affairs; producing and narrating star and laser shows; answering questions from visitors, the vast majority of whom are students of all ages; and maintaining the building and equipment a year ago, the planetarium raised funds to purchase a digital projector to replace the outmoded slide projectors which had produced star shows for decades; the planetarium has seen both attendance and revenue increase since this development

Summary: Day FourAnne Corso, Director of Lifelong Learning

unlike many other RPM employees, who came here after jobs in other fields, Ms. Corso knew from her first museum visit as a young girl that she wanted to work in a museum—in some capacity—when she grew up she earned a B.A. in art history and worked for a commercial gallery for two years, then volunteered at museums; she held a PR/advertising position at a museum in Delaware she went to University of the Arts while working full-time to pursue her Masters in Museum Education; her first post-M.A. position was managing kids’ camps at an arts center on the Main Line similar to the GoggleWorks she moved on to the Delaware Art Museum as studio programming manager, then became Director of Education; the museum began to have financial hardships, and she looked elsewhere has been working at RPM for approximately 1 ½ years

Summary: Day Four (continued)Anne Corso, Director of Lifelong Learning (continued)

her job involves linking the museum’s broader collections with school curricula and attracting school visits; developing and maintaining collaborations with local institutions; training classroom teachers for camp programs and gallery teachers for tours training of gallery teachers is a one-year program and involves a broad base of art and civilization; use of questioning techniques; how to deal with disruptive kids; and how to move away from lecture and toward highly engaged, kinetic, hands-on approaches to learning she must focus on three different audiences in her educational programming: adults, schools, and families created a “Kids’ Corral” tied to current horse exhibition—a family-friendly space in which children can explore horse-related topics, play games, read books, and have direct contact with equine artifacts approximately 8,000 school students visit the RPM each year

Summary: Day Four (continued)Lauren McCarroll, Special Events / Volunteer Coordinator

has been at RPM for nearly one year; worked at the Allentown Art Museum for three years in museum education she received a degree in Art History and Architecture and volunteered at the RPM for six months is responsible for planning special events, including private parties; organizing the annual Gala with a committee of volunteers; coordinates exhibition openings; raising funds and decorating is also responsible for coordinating volunteers and is trying to remedy the current lack of a volunteer database; she has assistance from Ann Wellock has just accepted responsibilities in the field of education, focusing mainly on adult education, lectures, demonstrations, and special events like “Jive After Five” and “Noontime Knowledge”

I concluded my experience by shadowing an Opportunity House camp and observing the educational experiences they enjoyed in and around the museum.

Skill Requirements / Salary RangesBecause “hybrid positions” are common in a non-profit organization, anyone

wishing to work at Reading Public Museum must first and foremost be prepared to wear many “hats.” An employee hired to work in development, for example, may soon be given added responsibilities—such as coordinating volunteers, planning some events, and creating educational programming—due to budget and staffing cuts.

The most vital skills, therefore, are multitasking, working with strict deadlines and tight budgets, and dealing with an array of different personalities and agendas. It is also important to adapt seamlessly to unforeseen changes and snags. The individuals I spoke with said that they are always busy and never bored, but their personality types are such that they would not have it any other way.

Nonprofit workers are not “in it for the money” but for the mission: one must have a passionate dedication and personal commitment to the arts in order to thrive in a job here. Entry level positions at the museum would be salaried in the range of $28,000 to $32,000 a year with another $5,000 to $6,000 worth of fringe benefits (vacation, health insurance, and the like).

Greatest AssetIt would be easy to say that the Reading Public Museum’s greatest asset is its staggering, world-class collection of more than 300,000 items, which includes natural history items, prints, artifacts, sculptures, and paintings, and ranges from the creations of prehistoric cultures to modern art.

But in truth, the museum’s greatest asset is its people. A small but dynamic group of people has been assembled to look after this collection, to expand it when possible, to showcase it to the public. Every employee of the Reading Public Museum completes the work of several people, adapting to new challenges and being energized by new opportunities. They are enthusiastic, tireless, and endlessly innovative, stretching each dollar to its maximum value in providing an engaging and stimulating learning environment for museum visitors.

Greatest ChallengeThe employees I interviewed mentioned many different challenges for the Reading Public Museum—unfinished projects, lack of time or space, and low morale—but at the root of all of these challenges is the lack of adequate funding.

On its very modest budget, the museum must maintain its building and collections; run a planetarium; and look after a gorgeous, 25-acre arboretum—all while attracting new members and visitors to its facilities through inventive programs and exhibitions. Several employees bemoaned the fact that there is an extensive list of pieces in the collection that need conservation, but inadequate funds exist to send them to a conservator. A large-scale renovation is currently underway at the museum, a large focus of which is creating temperature- and humidity-controlled storage spaces for its collection—at a cost of several hundred thousand dollars. Fortunately, some of the museum’s most generous donors saw the importance of stewardship and donated funds to defray the cost of the renovation, but more is needed.

Several initiatives are being pursued to alleviate this financial pinch, which has resulted in the combining of job positions. The museum is seeking more public funding through grants at all governmental levels; more major donors; and a growth of its endowment.

Technology at the MuseumThe use of newer technologies can be seen in many places at the museum, although some technological upgrades or innovations remain stuck in the planning stages due to lack of funding. Some examples:

Some exhibits have interactive features such as push-buttons and computer kiosks; other galleries will eventually incorporate podcasts and touch-screen exploration A collection database program is being implemented, converting its current card catalog system to a searchable image and information database that will eventually be available to the public through its website; lack of funds and time are delaying the project Digital projection in planetarium and for committee meetings held there Friends of the Reading Public Museum is developing electronic communication for membership renewals to save paper and postage The Museum Shop Manager and Curatorial Assistant in particular use the internet to locate items and make retail and curatorial connections

Career Awareness ConnectionsGovernor Mifflin’s Graduation Project requirement is currently being

overhauled to focus specifically on career research and shadowing. Advisors will be asked to help students discover their aptitudes and interests using a program called Career Cruising.

On this website, a student can begin by completing a Career Matchmaker quiz, in which students rank their interest in 39 different categories on a sliding scale from “Dislike Very Much” to “Like Very Much.” The categories range from “Presenting ideas and information in writing” to “Understanding Technical Drawings and Diagrams.” The aptitudes revealed by the student’s responses are then used to create a list of ideal careers.

Once this is done, students can use this website to explore these careers, investigating responsibilities, listening to audio testimonials from real professionals in those fields, and checking out postsecondary options for pursuing these careers—ultimately creating Career Portfolios. I will use the information I gathered at the museum to facilitate their explorations. PA Career Education and Work standards addressed will include 13.1.11.A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.

Final ThoughtsThroughout my experience, I learned a great deal about the governance of the museum and the constraints on what initiatives are possible to due its tight budget. For example, unforeseen expenditures can easily arise, exceeding budgets and disrupting other programs; lack of money and staffing can also delay projects.

The museum is taking steps to address financial shortfalls and engage the community in the stewardship of the collection. There is talk of reinstating a program called “Adopt a Painting” whereby individuals could pay for needed conservation for their favorite works. An effort is also underway to establish an endowed curatorial position, as can be found at many major museums.

The Reading Public Museum has made great strides in attracting families, one of its past strategic initiatives, and is aiming to attract diverse audiences with shows focusing on horses and motorcycles. Director and CEO Ron Roth has taken great pains to ensure that the museum’s employees are in the optimum positions to maximize their talents, and to meet technological and logistical challenges in remaining a vital educational hub well into the future.