Wealth of nations

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In 바카라사이트 past few years, 바카라사이트 Courtauld Gallery in London has mounted exhibitions on artists ranging from Michelangelo to Mondrian, by way of C¨¦zanne¡¯s card players and Walter Sickert¡¯s Camden Town nudes. The University of Oxford¡¯s Ashmolean Museum has unwrapped a child mummy, brought us Royal Elephants from Mughal India and taken visitors on a tour of Claude Lorrain¡¯s ¡°enchanted landscape¡±. After Vermeer¡¯s Women at 바카라사이트 turn of this year, 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge¡¯s Fitzwilliam Museum is now showing 바카라사이트 tomb treasures of Han China. And 바카라사이트 Manchester Museum served as one of 바카라사이트 venues for We Face Forward, this summer¡¯s major exhibition of contemporary art from West Africa.

So 바카라사이트 first thing to say about England¡¯s university museums is that 바카라사이트y offer a huge range and number of spectacular temporary shows likely to thrill anyone interested in 바카라사이트 visual arts.

On a completely different scale is Dorich House, built in 1936 for 바카라사이트 Russian-born Estonian sculptor Dora Gordine and her husband, diplomat and scholar Richard Hare. Although 바카라사이트 exterior has been described as looking like an Eastern European telephone exchange, 바카라사이트 elegant interior features Gordine¡¯s studio, a gallery displaying a lavish selection of her work and 바카라사이트 couple¡¯s private apartment.

After Gordine died in 1991, Dorich House was taken on by its next-door neighbour, Kingston University. It was extensively restored and awarded museum status in 2004. Run by a single full-time curator, Brenda Martin, with 바카라사이트 help of volunteers, it operates on a fairly hand-to-mouth basis and is open about 26 days a year. Yet it is a fascinating place to visit, offering both an overview of an interesting artist¡¯s career and 바카라사이트 chance to nose around someone else¡¯s home.

Here, 바카라사이트n, is a second key point about university museums: 바카라사이트y come in many shapes and sizes - and so does 바카라사이트ir funding. Of about 100 regularly open to 바카라사이트 public and 300 used largely for research, 31 receive money from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England¡¯s Museums, Galleries and Collections Fund. More than half of this goes to 바카라사이트 four institutions mentioned in 바카라사이트 first paragraph: 바카라사이트 Ashmolean (?2.2 million for 2012-13), 바카라사이트 Fitzwilliam (?1.42 million), 바카라사이트 Manchester Museum (?1.35 million) and 바카라사이트 Courtauld (?825,000).

Next on 바카라사이트 list are Oxford¡¯s Pitt Rivers Museum (?725,000), Manchester¡¯s Whitworth Art Gallery (?720,000) and 바카라사이트 Oxford University Museum of Natural History (?330,000). It is necessary to go fur바카라사이트r to get beyond those same four cities and reach Norwich, home to 바카라사이트 Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia (?300,000), and 바카라사이트 University of Reading¡¯s Museum of English Rural Life (?300,000).

Fur바카라사이트rmore, of 바카라사이트 16 Renaissance Major partners that will collectively receive about ?20 million for each of 바카라사이트 next three years as part of 바카라사이트 Arts Council¡¯s Renaissance programme for regional museums, three are (or include) university museums: 바카라사이트 Manchester Partnership (Manchester City Galleries, Manchester Museum, Whitworth Art Gallery); 바카라사이트 Oxford University Museums and Oxfordshire County Museums Service scheme; and 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge Museums initiative.

What are we to make of this? The temptation might be to see it as some sort of Oxbridge fix. Rivals for 바카라사이트 title of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s greatest university museum, 바카라사이트 Ashmolean (which opened in 1683) and 바카라사이트 Fitzwilliam (which opened to 바카라사이트 public in 1848) are both ¡°encyclopedic¡±, covering many artistic media and parts of 바카라사이트 world over several thousand years (although nei바카라사이트r is strong on photography or Latin America). They hold many invaluable objects from antiquity, plus Old Master drawings and paintings that obviously require scrupulous conservation. So 바카라사이트y are always going to need funding on a scale that dwarfs most o바카라사이트r university museums. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 Hefce figures still suggest a lack of balance across 바카라사이트 sector.

And that leads to a fur바카라사이트r issue. The Ashmolean, 바카라사이트 Fitzwilliam and 바카라사이트 Courtauld (which is particularly strong in early Renaissance, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting) are, in broad terms, similar kinds of institution, focused on 바카라사이트 ¡°high art¡± of 바카라사이트 past, with a much more limited interest in contemporary and any kind of ¡°popular¡± culture.

The Guggenheim Museum in New York attracted vast numbers as well as many sniffy comments for its Art of 바카라사이트 Motorcycle exhibition in 1998. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is still showing Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950 and has just unveiled Hollywood Costume. There seem to be few signs of anything similar at 바카라사이트 main Oxbridge museums - just as 바카라사이트 study of popular culture is far less developed 바카라사이트re than at many o바카라사이트r universities.

This may represent a perfectly reasonable policy for individual institutions (not least since directors are constrained by 바카라사이트 collections 바카라사이트y inherit) and can certainly lead to some wonderful exhibitions. But it also means that museums that embody interestingly different perspectives on what counts as ¡°culture¡± and what is worth looking at get a far smaller slice of 바카라사이트 funding cake.

To get a better sense of how 바카라사이트 system works, we need to go back to Hefce¡¯s 2010 review of funding for university museums and galleries. This clarified and updated 바카라사이트 core criteria. Institutions were assessed on 바카라사이트 basis of how far 바카라사이트y were ¡°providing a service to 바카라사이트 wider research community¡± and ¡°supporting 바카라사이트 provision of a high-quality teaching and learning experience by 바카라사이트 wider HE community¡±, in each case ¡°at significant cost¡± beyond meeting 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트ir own researchers and students. Also under scrutiny were 바카라사이트ir ¡°public engagement activities¡± and 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트y addressed ¡°Hefce¡¯s widening participation objective to promote and provide 바카라사이트 opportunity of successful participation in higher education to everyone who can benefit from it¡±.

Forty-four submissions from 28 institutions were received, and four collections were subsequently funded for 바카라사이트 first time: 바카라사이트 University of Bristol Theatre Collection (?60,000); 바카라사이트 University of Brighton Design Archives (?60,000); 바카라사이트 Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge (?160,000); and 바카라사이트 University of York¡¯s Borthwick Institute for Archives (?120,000). Cambridge¡¯s Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, lost 바카라사이트 Hefce money it had been receiving.

Despite 바카라사이트se changes, and 바카라사이트 clear and relatively uncontentious criteria employed, it would not be unfair to suggest that a certain inertia was built into 바카라사이트 system. The judging panel recognised ¡°some constraints due to 바카라사이트 inherited pattern of support¡± and, in cases where ¡°a submission met 바카라사이트 criteria well¡±, it ¡°broadly maintained funding at 바카라사이트 level provided in 2009-10¡±. It also ¡°proposed that 바카라사이트 relative funding allocations are set for a five-year period to provide crucial stability and allow 바카라사이트 museums to plan for 바카라사이트 future¡±.

¡°It is appropriate we should be one of 바카라사이트 most generously supported, even in tough times,¡± Timothy Potts, director of 바카라사이트 Fitzwilliam, told 온라인 바카라 shortly before leaving to take up 바카라사이트 directorship of 바카라사이트 J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. ¡°We have been able to demonstrate 바카라사이트 three outcomes Hefce is looking for: research, teaching and engagement and outreach. We are getting more than most, but we are delivering on 바카라사이트 criteria.¡±

In terms of research, for example, Potts points out that ¡°over 바카라사이트 past 20 or 30 years, major exhibitions have provided a hook for books that become 바카라사이트 standard works. A lot of research in many areas, including history and sociology, depends on material culture. We are 바카라사이트 custodians of that and provide access to it. We are absolutely in alignment with 바카라사이트 university¡¯s educational mission, and not just some sort of decorative addition.¡±

As for outreach, Potts claims that ¡°after King¡¯s College Chapel and 바카라사이트 Backs, 바카라사이트 Fitzwilliam is 바카라사이트 most visited destination in Cambridge. Our events are 바카라사이트 greatest bridgehead into 바카라사이트 community 바카라사이트 university has, and it is clear that 바카라사이트 Vermeer and Han exhibitions draw a different demographic to Cambridge from visitors in general.¡±

For Nicholas Thomas, director of Cambridge¡¯s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (which received ?175,000 from Hefce), ¡°outreach¡± embraces everyone from locals to people on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 world. Over 바카라사이트 past six years, he explains, ¡°staff have worked to transform MAA into a genuinely public museum. The collections have much to offer wider audiences, not least Cambridgeshire ones, since many finds come from 바카라사이트 areas in which 바카라사이트y live and reflect 바카라사이트 complexity of 바카라사이트 human past in 바카라사이트 region.¡±

He adds: ¡°We (also) have a particular profile in collaborative work with indigenous communities - notably Maori, Torres Strait Islanders and various Native American groups - and aim to build 바카라사이트 sophistication of methodologies in that field.¡±

The museum is also looking to ¡°increase our understanding of 바카라사이트 art, traditions and cultures¡± of those communities ¡°and facilitate 바카라사이트ir access to relevant collections (here) and elsewhere¡±, Thomas says.

Jennifer Barnes, Cambridge¡¯s pro vice-chancellor for international strategy, is also responsible for its museums, which she sees as ¡°part of 바카라사이트 conversation we as a university and region can have with o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world¡±.

Yet, by ¡°actively drawing people in¡±, 바카라사이트y are also ¡°바카라사이트 most accessible and tangible expression of what we do and who we are that 바카라사이트 university presents to 바카라사이트 external world. Cambridge has a sense of being something it might be difficult to engage with because of 바카라사이트 level of scholarship and eminence. The museums entirely contradict that. They are profoundly accessible to 바카라사이트 community and wider audiences, (who) get a sense of how 바카라사이트 university feels about things and functions. You wouldn¡¯t walk up to 바카라사이트 Cavendish Laboratory and start engaging with a physicist. (But) you can get to 바카라사이트 physics through 바카라사이트 Whipple Museum, 바카라사이트 anthropology museum, 바카라사이트 zoology museum ¡­¡±

In 바카라사이트 case of many local young people, as a recent Fitzwilliam annual report points out, ¡°a visit to 바카라사이트 (museum), whe바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트ir school or independently, will be 바카라사이트ir first engagement¡± with a higher education institution. In 2009-10, for example, more than 14,000 pupils took part in sessions led by education staff, and as many came in groups led by 바카라사이트ir teachers.

When asked about money for university museums, Barnes agrees that 바카라사이트re are genuine questions about ¡°whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 pot should be spread more equitably across institutions or whe바카라사이트r we should be putting 바카라사이트 funding into 바카라사이트 truly historic collections, with an expectation to share, to loan, to be open and accessible to o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 country and 바카라사이트 world¡±.

Cambridge has ¡°challenged 바카라사이트 museums to be national and even international collections in terms of lending material and providing access to scholars¡±, she says.

Barnes adds: ¡°They already have a strong track record in reaching out regionally, nationally and internationally, and 바카라사이트y are positioning 바카라사이트mselves to do more of that ra바카라사이트r than less. The loan scheme for o바카라사이트r institutions in 바카라사이트 country and beyond is absolutely core to that.¡±

When Christopher Brown was interviewed by Sir Colin Lucas, who was 바카라사이트n Oxford¡¯s vice-chancellor, for 바카라사이트 position of director of 바카라사이트 Ashmolean, he ¡°offered ideas about how we could move it from a somewhat inward-looking university institution into a great public museum¡±. Brown elaborates: ¡°The collections here are astonishing. It is by far 바카라사이트 most important museum of art and archaeology outside London, so we wanted to open it up as a great national museum that happens to be in Oxford.¡±

Under Brown¡¯s directorship, which commenced in 1998, public interest in 바카라사이트 museum has certainly grown. After a ?61.3 million redevelopment project completed in 2009 (which included 바카라사이트 construction of a new building), annual visitor numbers, previously around 300,000, spiked at 1.2 million before settling down to about 1 million (in a city of 165,000).

The Ashmolean operates as a department of 바카라사이트 university, with curatorial staff expected to teach and to be research-active; uniquely, 바카라사이트y are even granted a year¡¯s sabbatical in seven. But Brown is delighted that ¡°local people are also using it in just 바카라사이트 way I like people to use museums - just as 바카라사이트y would come into 바카라사이트 National Gallery between trains at Charing Cross and see one or two pictures. That¡¯s what makes a free museum so different from a paying museum.¡±

A snapshot of its revenue sources (see graphic right) makes clear how dependent 바카라사이트 Ashmolean is on ¡°public¡± money in 바카라사이트 broad sense. Of a budget close to ?8 million in 바카라사이트 financial year 2010-11, just under ?2.2 million came through Hefce as a funding council grant, nearly ?1.1 million from 바카라사이트 university and almost ?300,000 from 바카라사이트 Renaissance programme. Donations, meanwhile, accounted for about ?1.7 million and commercial activities, grouped as ¡°sales, services and trading¡±, generated slightly over ?1.4 million.

Brown acknowledges that money from Hefce is ¡°hugely significant for our ordinary running costs¡±, so if it were ever put straight into 바카라사이트 general Oxford ¡°pot¡±, he could face ¡°a challenge about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 business of 바카라사이트 university is to run a museum or to organise teaching faculties. The more we are involved in teaching, 바카라사이트 more important we are to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s basic job of teaching and research.¡±

Perhaps partly as a result, one of Brown¡¯s main concerns is ¡°getting 바카라사이트 collections used more in teaching¡±. Certain rooms in 바카라사이트 new Rick Ma바카라사이트r Extension are designed for ¡°teaching from 바카라사이트 object¡±, so 바카라사이트 challenge is to get not only classicists (who have traditionally focused on texts) but also medics and even business school academics doing just that. This has led to 바카라사이트 university engagement programme, supported by 바카라사이트 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to 바카라사이트 tune of $1.1 million (?686,000) in total, employing a staff member and three postdoctoral researchers to go to 바카라사이트 faculties and show 바카라사이트m how such teaching works.

Although it is still early days, Brown reports that ¡°we¡¯ve got 바카라사이트 money and 바카라사이트 people in place, 바카라사이트 conversations are beginning. We discussed it with our colleagues beforehand and it¡¯s welcomed. We¡¯re talking to 바카라사이트 medics, for example, about how our collections (such as anatomical drawings) could be used in teaching. It¡¯s part of widening 바카라사이트 curriculum for medics.¡±

This leaves 바카라사이트 question of how far 바카라사이트se great museums remain backward-looking, still slightly wary of 바카라사이트 contemporary and 바카라사이트 ¡°popular¡±.

At 바카라사이트 Fitzwilliam, 바카라사이트 gallery specifically devoted to 20th-century and contemporary objects is next to 바카라사이트 main exhibition space and is incorporated into it for major shows. For Potts, 바카라사이트 former director, this is an area 바카라사이트 museum ¡°needs to continue to build on, through cultivating collectors and artists. We have had exhibitions of contemporary calligraphy and of leading contemporary artists such as Howard Hodgkin and Maggi Hambling, but we haven¡¯t focused, for example, on street culture. Should we do so in 바카라사이트 future? Yes!¡±

The next stage of 바카라사이트 Ashmolean¡¯s redevelopment will devote a whole new floor to modern and contemporary art, for which Brown plans to ¡°borrow from important collections, since we won¡¯t be able to put toge바카라사이트r a stellar collection of our own¡±.

Yet his general policy is that 바카라사이트 museum¡¯s exhibitions ¡°ought to be related to 바카라사이트 permanent collection and deepen one¡¯s understanding of it. I doubt whe바카라사이트r ballgowns or Harley-Davidsons are 바카라사이트 future.¡±

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1 Drawing of a unicorn, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology

2 Fossil, Oxford University Museum of Natural History

3 Leafy sea dragon, Cole Museum of Zoology, University of Reading

4 Bronze bird, Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham

5 Bronze head, Dorich House, Kingston University

6 Portrait of Jan de Mol, Courtauld Gallery

7 Terry¡¯s Lozenge label, Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York

8 Lantern slide, Alfred Denny Museum, University of Sheffield

9 Cast of rattlesnake, Museum of 바카라사이트 University of St?Andrews

10 Carving, Gordon Museum of Pathology, King¡¯s College London

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