By T.J. Greaney
From the Columbia Tribune

Link to Article

“A former executive director of the YouZeum, Gwen Robbins, is suing the interactive science center, claiming breach of contract and defamation. In a petition filed this month in Boone County Circuit Court, Robbins claims the former chairman of the YouZeum board of directors, Glenn McElroy, violated the terms of Robbins’ termination agreement by saying she was forced to step down in October 2008 because of an inability to raise adequate funds.

Part of Robbins’ severance agreement stipulated neither side would make public comments about the termination other than to say Robbins had met with the board of directors and both sides agreed “a change in direction” was needed because of “difficult economic times,” according to the lawsuit.”

In a Nov. 6, 2008, Tribune article, McElroy was quoted as saying the termination stemmed from Robbins’ inability to attract large-money private donors. McElroy repeated the assertion in a radio interview.

Robbins, now doing volunteer work at Children’s House Montessori school, has been unable to find employment since her termination in October 2008. She claims the statements about her success at raising funds for the YouZeum are false, although no specific fundraising figures are listed in her petition.

“It has hurt her reputation as a fundraiser,” said Michael Byrne, attorney for Robbins. “She has been a very successful fundraiser throughout her career, and it is our contention that the statements made have made it more difficult to get a new job.”

The suit also alleges the YouZeum has not compensated Robbins for 173 hours of vacation pay valued at more than $6,000. At the time of her departure, Robbins’ salary was $72,600 a year, including a $10,000 raise she received in July 2007, the lawsuit says.

McElroy did not reply to a phone call yesterday.

The YouZeum opened in May 2008 at 608 Cherry St. after years of false starts and delays. It has endured multiple setbacks during the past year. Dan Fowler, hired in April as director of development to restart the museum’s fundraising effort, stepped down sometime this summer for unknown reasons.

Fowler’s departure came after the resignation in June of Kathryn Ward, assistant executive director, who had run most of the day-to-day operations. At its opening, the YouZeum had five full-time employees; now it has only two and has significantly cut its hours of operation.

The $8.5 million museum is housed in a former federal building, which it occupies at virtually no cost. The YouZeum received $750,000 in federal funding, $250,000 in state tax credits and $350,000 in local public funds.

At its opening, the museum’s projected viability relied heavily on a steady stream of visitors passing through the turnstiles. Leaders projected 60,000 visitors a year would tour the center. But even in the first few months after the ribbon-cutting, the YouZeum was able to attract only 1,500 or so per month.

McElroy and the YouZeum Inc. are listed as defendants in the suit.

Byrne said Robbins, 42, regretted the public nature of the suit but felt she had no other option.

“She hoped that this could have been resolved without the filing of a suit through the YouZeum making an apology and correcting the record in regards to her fundraising, but that has not occurred,” he said. “We felt there was no other option but to file suit.””

• Interviews with visitors
• Mapping of the visitor experience
• Review of exhibition lighting
• Suggestions for changes to visitor flow
• Review of graphics
• Review of wayfinding
• Review of audio visual systems
• Review of exhibition media
• Review of exhibit maintenance and repair program
• A review of the mix of types of exhibit, static, highly interactive, simple manipulatives
• A written report containing, recommendations for changes

If you are interested in a $1000 objective exhibition audit send me an email;

Mark’s Email

for a copy of a sample exhibition audit.

1. We will see another significant correction in the American stock market in 2010.  The correction will continue to put financial strain on museums and we will see several large and small museums and science centers close.

2.  The closure and slow down of museums and science centers will cause the closure of several large and small design and fabrication firms, in 2010 and 2011.

3.   The changes will force many museums and science centers to rethink their business model.  With the changes there will be several new models tried, “museum clubs”- where you are a member of a museum club, “museum cells” – where the museum exists without walls, “small satellite museums” where the main museum has closed, but there are several small exhibitions scattered around a community,  “the combination of institutions museum/library, museum/ town hall”, “member only for profit museums”; the market will decide the best mix.  By 2012, many struggling museums will be greatly changed, with smaller staff and dark exhibit galleries.  The institutions that will survive will be those that can be flexible and change quickly.

4. To drive attendance museums and science centers will need to change exhibitions more often, with new exhibits every month.  The blockbuster exhibitions will be dead for all but the largest / richest museums.  Instead museums will need to have several smaller topical exhibitions several times a year.   The typical two year exhibit design and fabrication model will be dead at all but the largest museums.  Institutions will no longer be able to afford the two plus year exhibit development cycle and with it museum design and fabrication firms will become more service oriented.

5. By late 2011, we will see demand from the public for connectivity.  Museums and science centers will need to more closely collaborate with schools and universities to meet educational and science standards.  The public will demand transparency, ” how are these exhibits adhering to the science standards?”.  The public will demand a more easily understood set of educational standards that can be easily applied.  With the increased connectivity we will see a distance education model emerge, where the museum experience will be expended beyond the walls of the museum.

5. By 2012 we will start to see and increase in museum donations.  The surviving museums will be leaner and quick reacting.  The surviving museum design and fabrication firms will also be smaller and more service oriented.  We will see a new for “profit model” that is sustainable along side the non profit model.  The museum market in Asia will be greatly expanded and there will be more collaboration between Asian and American institutions.

If the above comes to pass, I think it will be good news.  I can foresee the museums and science centers of 2012 as more vibrant and visitor-centric.