by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Art museums are known for offering galleries full of exhibits, stores filled with related merchandise and in some cases, coffee shops and restaurants. What visitors don’t see, and don’t always realize, is there are many tasks taking place behind the scenes. A museum is after all a business and that entails everything that goes along with running a business from staffing to covering operating expenses to building maintenance.
“Historically, museum directors have come from the artistic side, but more and more you’re seeing people with business backgrounds in the job. I bring business acumen rather than artistic or curatorial experience,” said Debbie Broder, who moved into the director’s office at the Museum of Contemporary Art two weeks ago. George Kinghorn, who was MOCA Jacksonville’s director is now the museum’s curator.
Broder is an example of the latest trend.
With both a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and an MBA from Southern Methodist University, Broder has brought her education plus career experience in advertising and public relations to MOCA. She was most recently the director of development at the Cummer Museum and said she doesn’t believe the change of genre from classical art to contemporary art will be a significant shift.
“The mission of the two museums is very similar – to bring art and art education to the community. While the Cummer’s collection and exhibitions focus on art history, contemporary art is the art of our times, so you might not recognize an artist’s name like you do at the Cummer.
“In contemporary art, there are more artists and their work available compared to classical art. In that realm, society has filtered the art leaving what is considered relevant. Contemporary art museums select artists believed to be creating the interesting and visionary works of our time. MOCA is about what’s happening now and creating a dialogue.”
Broder also said she expects using her expertise on the business side of the museum will come in handy during the current fiscal climate especially in terms of support from the City.
“In this time of tremendous pressure to be economical among all institutions, we want to be efficient with our resources,” she said. “We want to serve untapped audiences without duplicating other things that are already available in the market.”
That concept goes beyond selecting artists and exhibiting their work. MOCA has become a popular venue for special events and Broder said she plans to continue to help support the bottom line by building non-traditional segments of the business. She also wants to change the way the public views visiting a museum.
“Companies are looking to MOCA as a place to hold private events because it offers their guests a unique experience. They can have wine and cheese anywhere. Having art infused into an event gives it a special flair. We want people to feel about coming here the same way they feel about going to the beach or shopping at a mall. We want the museum to be part of their life experience.”
While she said it will take some time to fully develop the specific details of what she will ultimately contribute to the future of the institution, Broder is excited about her new role in the cultural community. She has already identified some of the things she wants to accomplish as MOCA’s director as well as her main priority.
“I like the creativity of the job and having the ability to engage all the constituents of the museum – the staff, the trustees and patrons, the members and the public. I believe I can help bring an even greater connection between contemporary art and the community.
“I walked into a great situation with the opportunity to take MOCA to the next level. I’m here to help the museum grow,” she said.