the fund for arts and culture 2009 annual report

annual report 2008

The Fund for Arts and Culture in Central and Eastern Europe—2008 Annual Report 1

Message froM our Ceo2008 was a challenging year for The Fund. We provided a variety of

workshops to Russia and Ukraine, held our Fourth Annual Regional

Museum Directors Conference in Romania, and sent a consultant to

Azerbaijan to explore possibilities for Fund activity.

We made major efforts to find options for expanding The Fund’s

activities geographically. Our aim was, and still is, to find a way to

restructure this organization to one with a paid chief executive and

a new Board to broaden our mission. Our desire to widen our reach

is predicated on the proposition that our operating model has been

thoroughly tested. Over 100 senior executives have served in 21

countries where our services have been effective and welcomed; we

would like to offer these same services to countries in Latin America,

the Middle East, and East Asia. Present Fund activities will be folded

into this new larger international organization (The Culture Corps). In

the meantime, we are shortening our name to The Fund for Arts and

Culture to reflect wider interests.

We investigated whether there may be a useful and appropriate

role for our work in India and Indonesia and explored the possibility

of a strategic partnership with the Salzburg Global Seminars. We

solicited options for creating a business model for our proposed

Culture Corps with a business consulting firm, and then more

extensively with the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Alas,

the financial markets collapsed in the months our proposal was finalized.

We also developed new programming options. One was a partnership proposed to us by the Museum

of Political History in St. Petersburg, Russia. At their suggestion, we recruited twelve distinguished U.S.

museum directors to meet with an equal number of Russian directors to explore the role of museums in

creating civic awareness. However, prior to our scheduled November meetings, the political climate in

Russia changed, and our Russian colleagues indicated they did not think it timely to discuss the topic

they had proposed with Americans.

Another new initiative involves a proposed partnership with one of the American Enterprise Funds to

undertake an in-depth evaluation of the cultural capacities in their country of operation. This could develop

into a three-year consulting program with some reimbursement for The Fund. I hope to be able to share

more about this program if it develops in the coming months. China may also be on our horizon.

My own brief October trip to Bucharest, Belgrade, Kiev, and St. Petersburg reconfirmed that requests for

our consultants in the coming year and for 2010 remain strong. Whether we will be able to fulfill these

requests depends, of course, on our funders. Although our overhead is minimal (our only paid staff is

part-time administrative support), our costs have risen. Our support has not. I don’t know what The Fund’s

future holds, but some of it can surely be determined by readers of this report who have generously made

our past work possible.

Jillian Poole

Ice fishing in Kozmodemyansk, Russia

2 The Fund for Arts and Culture in Central and Eastern Europe—2008 Annual Report

In 2008, Jahangir Selimkhanov, Director of the Arts & Culture Program of the

Open Society Institute (OSI) Assistance Foundation in Baku, contacted The Fund

about establishing “a partnership to transfer knowledge about best practices in

cultural management to the state bodies and NGOs throughout Azerbaijan.” The

Fund, in turn, asked Ward Mintz, Director of the Coby Foundation in New York, to visit

Baku, tour museums, meet with their directors, and establish whether The Fund could

be of assistance.

Azerbaijan is located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, and

thus has a rich cultural heritage; some Azerbaijani monuments have been submitted

for entry onto the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is bounded by the Caspian Sea

to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the west and northwest, Armenia to the

southwest, and Iran to the south. It is an oil, natural gas, and mineral rich country,

and its main ethnic group is composed of Azerbaijanis.

Mr. Mintz coordinated his visit with the celebration of International Museum Day.

He visited several museums during his trip, and had the opportunity to meet with

many museum staff members to discuss their concerns. He was also able to view

exhibitions, participate in International Museum Day programs, and take part in an

international roundtable.

While at the State Museum of Art, Mr. Mintz met with its director, Dr. Israfil

Israfilov and deputy director, Ms. Gulyana Mammadova. They had a wide-ranging

conversation concerning the challenges facing their museum and other museums,

particularly those administered by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Dr. Israfilov

explained that most museums in Azerbaijan are under jurisdiction of the Ministry,

while a few are under the Academy of Sciences. There was a feeling that those

administered by the Ministry were set up to serve tourists, while those under the

Academy stressed “scientific investigation.” He explained that the Fine Arts Museum

had no money to do exhibitions, to put collections online, or to do research, while

experienced young scholars receive yearlong fellowships and complete major papers

at museums within the purview of The Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Israfilov also expressed concern with the state of museum studies in the

country. He explained that none of the Art Academy’s museum studies teachers have

museum experience, and students are not required to carry out internships in local

museums as a prerequisite for getting a degree.

Mr. Mintz also visited the offices of OSI with Mr. Selimkhanov and met with its

Executive Director, Dr. Farda Asadov. They discussed the fact that although museums

are experiencing diminished attendance, they are receiving more funds for new

buildings and additions to, or renovations of, existing ones.

While at the Carpet Museum, Mr. Mintz met Ms. Roya Taghiyeva, its director and

President of the Azerbaijani ICOM National Committee, and Mr. Fikret Babayev, Head

of Cultural Policy for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. They discussed the need for

management and marketing training. Ms. Taghiyeva echoed the feelings of Dr. Israfilov

about the need for more professional staff. Among the programs she thought would

be helpful were those on exhibition design and children’s programs, especially the

need to learn how to connect programs to curriculum.

aZerBaIJaNBaku, May 14-19

Consultant:Ward Mintz


On May 18th, Mr. Mintz participated in the first ever International Roundtable,

Museums in the 21st Century: Tasks and Perspectives, co-sponsored by the

Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the ICOM National Committee. Mr. Mintz gave

a presentation entitled Museums and Visitors: Challenges for the 21st Century. His

talk focused on five issues: attracting audiences of different ages and backgrounds;

ensuring that visitors enjoy coming to the museum and are learning; making

collections accessible through a variety of means; having an effective mission

statement that explains the purpose of the museum and the audience it serves; and

financial survival—developing strategies to find the money to operate effectively, pay

staff well, and assure the museum’s future.

Mr. Mintz also shared two American Association of Museum publications with the

attendees: Hein and Alexander’s Museums: Places of Learning and Cunningham’s

The Interpreter’s Training Manual For Museums. They generated great interest,

and Mr. Selimkhanov wondered whether it might be possible to translate these

publications into Azerbaijani or Russian and distribute them to museums in the

country. Mr. Mintz said he would explore doing so.

Several other speakers made presentations at the roundtable. Their concerns

included: the need to make museums more alive for visitors; the need for museums

to communicate national identity; the need for non-traditional solutions to the collective

problems of the museum community; the need for museum staff with different skills;

the problem of low salaries of museum guides; and whether or not schoolchildren learn

during their visits. One speaker suggested that museums should have one free day a

month to combat flagging attendance.

In late October, Ralph Appelbaum and his team traveled to Baku. They also met

with Roya Taghiyeva and discussed The Fund’s current programs and continued

interest in working with her museum. Mr. Appelbaum confirmed that there is much

work to be done with the Ministry, as museums in Azerbaijan rely on top-down

policies for every aspect of their operations. The focus is currently on architecture

and construction. Strategic institution building, interpretative planning, and the

visitor experience are an afterthought. He concluded that if the Ministry is to

become an effective agent for tourism development, change is necessary. How The

Fund responds to this reinvention of the government’s role in cultural development

will define our future in this region.

Recommendations for future Fund activity in the area are currently under discussion.

We all here highly appreciated the

precious recommendations and notes

which Ward made during his visit to Baku,

and especially those he expressed in his

thoroughly written report. Each of his rec-

ommended points deserves a profound and

steadily planned action.

~ Jahangir Selimkhanov


The Fourth Annual Regional Museum Conference was held in Bucharest in late

October. This year’s topic, New Directions: Using Museum Assets in the 21st Century,

was designed to underscore that museums in the Balkan region have extraordinary

assets that they can use to build their communities and regions. The conference

explored ways to use these assets.

The Fund’s faculty included Ralph Appelbaum, Nicholas Appelbaum, and Melanie Ide

of Ralph Appelbaum Associates, New York; Marc Pachter, former Director of the National

Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.; Jemima Fraser, Director of the Royal Museum Project

at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh; and Mark O’Neill, Head of Arts and

Museums, Cultural and Leisure Services for the Glasgow City Council, Scotland.

In addition to Fund faculty, the Ministry invited guest speakers, including Dr. Ioan

Opris from the National History Museum; Alexandru Iftimie and Razvan Lazar from the

Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum; Dr. Laura Manolache of the George Enescu

National Museum; Viorel Rau, of the Vasile Grigore Painter and Collector Art Museum;

Wim G. van der Weiden, President of the European Museum of the Year Award; and

Boris Micka, a renowned museum designer in Europe.

The Fund is grateful to the Ministry of Culture for providing financial and logistical

support, and to Ralph Appelbaum, a long-time friend of The Fund, who contributed

toward the cost of the seminar.

Dr. Virgil S, tefan Nitulescu, Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture and Religious

Affairs, began the conference with an overview of the issues facing the museums in

Romania, particularly those relating to achieving professional standards in the care of

collections, sustainable funding, and reaching new audiences.

Wim van der Weiden touched on the subject of reaching new audiences. Because

his job requires that he travel extensively to museums around Europe, he sees trends

as they begin to emerge. He noted that the newest, most important trend museums are

embracing is refocusing their collections to reflect the interests of the public rather than

that of their staff.

Ralph Appelbaum spoke eloquently about what he called the “Third Wave” of

museum development. He explained that the first wave was the establishment of

museums after the Victorian era, the second wave involved the modernization of

museums using new communication psychology and techniques, and the third wave

encompasses a more in-depth engagement with visitors and, above all, a commitment

to storytelling. He noted that building support from everyone who might be interested

in the project (visitors and non-visitors, politicians, the media, and local businesses) is

important to promote the feeling of shared ownership.

To further emphasize Mr. Appelbaum’s main talking points, Melanie Ide, a senior

executive at Ralph Appelbaum Associates, gave a detailed presentation of a case study

of a natural history museum in Texas. She described the detailed planning and project

management processes required to create a new vision for a museum which has depth

and resonance, and which can be sustained through the difficult process of raising

funds, securing community and political support, and delivering the project.

As Director of the Royal Museum Project in Edinburgh, Scotland, Dr. Jemima

Fraser is overseeing a 15-year project to reinvent the 150-year-old historical museum

in Edinburgh, link it with the New Museum of Glasgow, and present international

collections in a Scottish context. When Scotland opened its new Parliament in 1998,

roMaNIaBucharest, October 19-22

Consultants: Ralph AppelbaumNicholas AppelbaumJemima FraserMelanie Yae IdeMark O’NeillMarc PachterJillian Poole

I would like to thank you for making this

conference possible as it became one of

the most fascinating experiences in my life

so far. I do hope that we’ll cooperate in the

near or further future as I strongly believe

that thus I shall enrich both my profes-

sional and personal lives.

~ Participant at the 4th Annual Regional

Museum Conference in Bucharest


there was a serious re-examination of what it means to be Scottish, and how various

identities can be reconciled. The master plan for the Royal Museum Project defines

the museums’ strategic objectives, and links them to wider societal policies, promotes

the use of resources for learning, and enhances the economic role of the museum

through tourism. During her presentation, she used her work to illustrate the role

and use of cultural assets in helping to create an inclusive national identity in a

changing political climate; the role of education and learning using cultural assets;

the creation of an overall master plan for a cultural site; exploration of funding

sources and priorities; and business planning and audience development.

Boris Micka, a leading museum designer in Europe, recounted his experience

of moving from Czechoslovakia and establishing the first modern museum design

company in Spain, at a time when Spain was struggling to put the consequences

of a long dictatorship behind it and build a new and dynamic future. He offered the

success of the museum sector in Spain, which is now one of the most vibrant in

Europe, as an inspiration to all. His presentation described a number of projects

and lessons he had learned as he explored the language of objects, architecture,

and design in museum storytelling.

Marc Pachter shared the lessons he learned as Director of the National Portrait

Gallery in Washington. He focused on the importance of creating spaces where

people feel welcome, where all the elements – the architecture, the colors of the

walls, the deployment of the objects – respond to people’s awareness of space and

their enjoyment of being in safe public spaces among strangers. This approach also

allows displays to direct attention to the objects and to raise questions about them

in simple and unobtrusive ways. He also emphasized the important contribution the

National Portrait Gallery makes to the economy in Washington, especially because it

helped launch the regeneration of its city district.

To illustrate how cultural institutions can reinvent and reinvigorate national identity,

Mark O’Neill recounted the rebirth of civic museums in Glasgow, Scotland. When the

economy collapsed in the 1960s, Glasgow became one of the poorest, most unhealthy,

and derelict cities in Europe. In the early 1980s, the city decided to reinvent itself as

a cultural tourist destination, and in 1983, the Burrell Collection, based on a collection

gifted to the city in 1944, opened. Glasgow was named European City of Culture shortly

thereafter and was able to successfully rebrand itself globally. The city continued to

build on its cultural assets, refurbishing old museums and creating new ones that

served local residents but also attracted tourists. As a result, much of the city’s

regeneration in the past twenty-five years has been driven by culture.

On the last day of the seminar, Dr. Ioan Opris, a leading figure in the preservation

of Romanian cultural heritage, discussed the preservation work that the National

History Museum has done on the historical landscapes at Capidava. Messrs. Lazar

and Iftimie gave an account of plans to modernize the Natural History Museum.

A recurring theme at the conference was the role of museum education

and learning, and its importance in reaching a wide variety of audiences. Nicholas

Appelbaum presented various criteria established for excellence in learning activities,

in which he demonstrated how the quality of the art gallery experience, especially for

younger people, depends not so much on money as on good pedagogy.

Ralph Appelbaum in Bucharest


The relationship of cultural assets to the economy was also a recurring theme.

There was some reluctance to accept that a change of attitude is required in the

cultural sector to find shared objectives with agencies responsible for economic

regeneration and tourism. All the presentations emphasized that it is important for

museums and other cultural institutions to form partnerships with educational and

economic regeneration agencies (especially tourism) and to work on developing

shared agendas. It was continually emphasized that museums must work hard at

ensuring that local and national government policies and strategies include museums

as essential elements in a modern society.

On the final morning of the conference, Ralph Appelbaum summarized the

proceedings in some detail. He noted that the museum of the 21st century should

be designed to engage the community. The visitor should be the object of attention,

and the programs should be socially relevant. A museum’s main goal, therefore,

should be to strengthen the community’s identity and to provide a tool to give form

to that identity. Because museums display objects in the context of a larger life story,

they have become agents of national branding and identity.

In summary, the faculty asked the participants to consider two questions

for their own activity: (1) What will you do? and (2) Whom do you need to involve to

make changes?

Future Plans

After the conference, Virgil Nitulescu, Marc Pachter, and Jillian Poole discussed

the future of these regional museum conferences. The Fund’s view is that the Fourth

Annual Regional Museum Conference in Bucharest brought to a close this series of

conferences in Romania. However, it was agreed these meetings provide valuable

exchanges and should be continued in another venue. Dr. Nitulescu had suggestions

on other locations and agreed to explore this matter with us.

Bucharest seminar participants

The brainstorming and team work I

participated in at the Third Annual

Museum Conference last year helped

me construct an exhibition entitled “The

Woman in Society”, which is currently

on display at my museum in Bulgaria.

~ Participant of the 4th Annual Museum

Conference in Bucharest


Three-day museum management seminars were held in both Kozmodemyansk

and Kazan in mid-March. The seminar in Kozmodemyansk was rescheduled from

2007, and at the suggestion of the Russian Museum, the rescheduled seminar was

combined with a seminar requested by Kazan. Both seminars were led by Jillian

Poole, CEO of The Fund, and facilitated by Olga Reva, The Fund’s longtime translator

and colleague to whom we are deeply grateful. We were joined during our entire stay

by Tamara Yakoleva and Olga Bondar from the Russian State Museum.

Kozmodemyansk is a small, economically-depressed town on the Volga River

in the Mari El Republic, population 22,000 and shrinking. It has four small museums:

the art museum, an outdoor ethnographic museum, a 19th Century merchant’s house,

and the Humor Museum. These museums are almost entirely dependent upon three

months of tourist river traffic. During the seminar, Ms. Poole encouraged options for

serving local residents during the off-season, and had the impression some of these

ideas might be implemented.

The art museum gathered forty-five participants for the seminar representing ten

very different museums from the town and from communities in the Mari El Republic;

they were joined by nine participants from the museums of Nizhny Novgorod in the

neighboring Republic. The group was interested, involved, and completely engaged

for the three days. It was noteworthy that two of them had read The Fund publication

Managing for Money.

The seminar began with a representative of each institution describing their

museum, its most important accomplishment in the past year, and its three greatest

concerns for the future. These included funding, staff, equipment and storage

shortages, lack of audience, administrative challenges in dealing with “authorities,”

and acquisitions. Ms. Poole succeeded in addressing all topics.

The first topic focused on the importance of a mission statement. This led to

discussions of core competence and ways to attract people to their institutions. In the

days that followed, Ms. Poole distributed Fund consultant Barbara Charles’ checklist

for assessing exhibitions from the visitor perspective (which is on The Fund’s

website). Participants visited the local museums to evaluate them against the list, and

then created programs while bearing in mind the list’s criteria. They discussed ways

of promoting and marketing these projects. Merchandizing opportunities were also

developed and fundraising options explored, including techniques for implementation.

One lunch hour Jillian Poole and the Russian State Museum team visitors walked

out on the ice of the wide and gloriously glistening Volga River to explore ice fishing

and talk with the fishermen.

According to comments on the evaluation forms and those made to Russian

Museum colleagues, the participants were highly satisfied with the seminar results.

The Nizhny Novgorod team asked for a Fund seminar next year, and they were

assured that their request will have high priority.

Kazan is the capital of the Tartar Republic. Its language, Tartar, and customs are

deeply rooted in history. Its Kremlin is renowned. The city has some twenty museums

considered of importance as well as a number of smaller ones.

The seminar group was comprised of thirty staff members representing thirteen

different organizations—museums, art schools, music organizations, and a union

of schools—an unexpected selection since The Fund had been told it would be a

THe russIaN feDeraTIoNKozmodemyansk and Kazan, March 10-16

Consultants:Deborah EdwardJillian PooleSally Yerkovich

Participants at seminar in Kozmodemyansk


museum audience. It was clear almost from the outset that some held, and were

prepared to defend, convictions and management practices rooted in the middle of

the last century, while others were readily accepting of current best-practices. This

dichotomy produced some tension, but their diversity made for interesting, if not

always cohesive, discussions, particularly in the group-work sessions.

As they introduced themselves, Ms. Poole noted and listed areas of

greatest interest and concern. In many ways they shared concerns reflected

in Kozmodemyansk. And, once again, their introductions clearly indicated little

understanding of mission. Ms. Poole reviewed the concerns with the group,

prioritized them, and agreed to address issues raised. This changed the

original direction and schedule of the seminar program, which was designed

for public relations and marketing, although elements of the original outline

were incorporated.

Under the rubric of Building a Constituency for Your Institution, participants

were given group exercises on ways of enlisting volunteers for fundraising, public

relations, merchandising, and marketing. They talked in depth about press relations,

merchandising, and marketing. The groups developed a variety of promotion ideas,

and were particularly intrigued by the possibilities of “viral marketing.” Again Ms.

Poole distributed Barbara Charles’ visitor assessment document, and they applied

it to their visit to the art museum. This produced rich discussion and perceptive

comments.

Review of the evaluation forms gave the seminar high marks—a couple of

participants were so candid they wanted assurance that their directors would

not see their comments!

Participants at seminar in Kozmodemyansk


Kostroma, September 29-October 2

The Kostroma Art Museum invited The Fund to present a workshop on museum

marketing and fundraising to museum professionals in the Kostroma Oblast.

Sally Yerkovich, President of The Fund, and Deborah Edward, co-founder and past

Executive Director of the Austin Children’s Museum, led the seminar. They were

hosted by Natalia Victorovna Pavlichkova, Director of the Kostroma Art Museum.

Thirty-one participants represented nature preserves, art museums, museums

of regionalism, municipal museums, a museum of literature, and departments and

branches of the Kostroma Museum. Many had already been involved in some

marketing and fundraising on behalf of their institutions, and were interested in

learning how to engage audiences and donors in museum activities.

Ms. Yerkovich gave a presentation on The New Jersey Historical Society and

described how she ensured sustainability by attracting new audiences, diversifying

programs, creating new visitor-focused programs and exhibitions, and attracting

stronger funding support. Ms. Edward led a discussion about why people visit

museums and introduced the concept of using cross-community themes to inspire

programming and marketing. The participants divided into working groups to identify

programmatic themes that would inspire collaborative programs and joint marketing

projects. Their themes reflected the region, focusing upon the Oblast’s forests and

rivers, its unique crafts, and traditional ways of making a living there.

A slide show on the Austin Children’s Museum provoked discussion of visitor-

centered and collections-centered interpretation. The groups used their themes

to develop multi-faceted programs to attract specific audiences. They spent time

preparing presentations to the larger group by creating elaborate and lively graphic

representations of their programs and their marketing ideas.

These activities provided a basis for discussion and presentation about sources

of support. Ms. Yerkovich led a conversation about setting up development systems

by using examples of what to do and what not to do from her museum experiences,

while Ms. Edward gave examples of how to conduct focus groups and presented a

tool for creating a marketing plan. Both Fund consultants described various models

for board and community leadership. The participants were particularly interested

in the logistics of setting up a development office and organizing a systematic

development plan for their museums.

The seminar ended with group presentations. Each group identified how they

would approach marketing and fundraising differently as a result of what they had

learned. It became quickly evident that the participants had fully absorbed the central

themes of the seminar. One group had initially stated that they were interested in

attracting more people, more money, and more people with money to their museums.

At the conclusion of the seminar, this group said that now understood how to begin

a dialogue with their potential sponsors as well as systematic ways to make this

dialogue effective. A second group had stated that they wanted to become equal

partners with their sponsors; however, they realized that they can not just ask for

money, but that they need to do research on their potential donors’ interests and

patterns of support.

Final evaluations were unanimously positive. Individuals mentioned that they

especially appreciated working in teams. They praised the seminar for its organization

Sally Yerkovich created a very

positive and constructive working environ-

ment. The sessions were inspiring and

engaging, leaving the participants highly

satisfied. In their evaluation forms the

overwhelming majority said they will be

able to use the knowledge obtained at the

seminar in their work.

~ Director of the Department for the Art

Museums of Russia, Russia State

Museum


and energy. When asked what other topics they might like to see addressed in future

seminars, they mentioned educational programs for children, museum merchandising,

interpretive design methods that go beyond guided tours, and how to build collections

about contemporary history and art. Ms. Pavlichkova is eager to see participants

begin to work more independently, especially in terms of fund raising, and it appears

they will do just that.

Ulan-Ude, Russia, June 17-19

One three-day seminar was held in Ulan-Ude, the capital city of the Buryat Republic,

in mid-June. The seminar was led by Sally Yerkovich, President of The Fund, and

ably facilitated by Olga Reva, The Fund’s longtime translator. The Art Museum

organized and hosted the seminar.

The Buryat Republic is located in Siberia east of Lake Baikal, the deepest

freshwater lake in the world, and just north of Mongolia. Buryats, numbering some

350,000, are the largest indigenous group in Siberia and are of Mongolian descent.

Traditionally, the region was agricultural, and while it still produces agricultural and

food products, it is also home to aircraft, machine-building, energy (coal and ore

mining), and timber processing industries. Tourism is a growing part of the economy,

and the Republic maintains a tourism website: www.baikaltravel.ru.

Prior to the seminar, Ms. Yerkovich visited the Ethnographic Museum and

Zoological Garden, a large open-air complex outside of Ulan-Ude, with serious

development plans for increased tourism in the area; the Buryat Historical Museum;

the Art Museum; the Ivolginsky Buddhist Monastery (Datsan) Center for Siberian

Buddhism; and the Buryat Theater.

As the thirty-one seminar participants introduced themselves, Ms. Yerkovich learned

how diverse the group was; many were from outside of Ulan-Ude. They represented

boards or departments of culture in small villages; literary, art, and regional museums;

a theater; and a library for the blind. A number of representatives from Ulan-Ude

museums also attended the seminar. Their concerns included the lack of cross-

museum cooperation, developing new audiences (especially young people), lack of

long-term planning, the stagnation of curators, the need to attract funding and media

attention, and the desire to develop traveling exhibitions and exhibition exchanges.

Ms. Yerkovich began the seminar by discussing the importance of effective mission

statements as a means to attract sponsors and define an institution’s unique contribution

to community life. Participants created mission statements for a museum of Old Believers,

an art museum, a ministry of culture, and a library for the visually impaired.

The first day of the seminar concluded with a dinner attended by the Minister and

Deputy Minister of Culture. The Minister of Culture expressed concern for

the well-being of the museums in Buryatia. She predicted that subsidies to cultural

institutions will be reduced in the near future and that organizations will have to apply

annually for support. She felt that this dramatic change will come about in spite of the

push to develop cultural tourism in the region. To create a magnet for future tourists

to the area, the Ministry is very interested in supporting efforts of the Ethnographic

Museum to develop their zoo park.

On July 8, Russia celebrated its brand

new holiday, the “Day of Family, Love and

Fidelity.” This day was chosen because

July 8 honors the memory of two Murom

saints, Peter and Fevronia. Last year,

when we had the seminar in Murom with

Honee Hess and Deborah Edward, we

discussed museum audience extension.

One of the explored ideas was making

a better use of the cultural assets of the

city, including the relics of ancient Murom

monasteries. So, it can be justly said that

The Fund’s experts contributed to the

making of this new national tradition. It

has already attracted a lot of public atten-

tion to Murom and will continue to bring a

great number of tourists, as well as new

audiences to museums, and this meets

our goal for the seminar in Murom.

~ Director of the Department for the

Art Museums of Russia, Russia State

Museum


The focus of the seminar’s second day was upon audiences and visitors. Developing

programs targeted to new audiences produced lively discussion. The groups then visited

local institutions to assess their effectiveness for visitors. The day concluded with an

unforgettable evening visit to Lake Baikal.

After reports and discussions of the previous days’ museum visits, the final day of

the seminar focused upon developing support for cultural institutions, with further

discussions focused on various kinds of support—foundation, corporate/business

(partnerships, sponsorships and in-kind donations), and government—and how

to match an organization’s needs to its potential sources of support. The seminar

concluded with a presentation of letters the working groups wrote seeking flour for a

pancake festival from a pasta factory; support for a photo competition from a camera

manufacturer; help for the library for the visually impaired from an optics company; and

support for an exhibition on workers’ dynasties from the Ministry of Railroads.

Evaluations of the seminar were overwhelmingly positive and detailed. Some

requests were made to see more photos of other institutions and exhibitions, as well

as to have a variety of print materials available to consult. The Fund agreed to review

materials from the Ethnographic Museum and advise them on possible next steps in

their quest for support for their expanded zoological park/garden.

Sally Yerkovch at the Datsan in Ulan-Ude


St. Petersburg, October 30-November 1

Meetings were held in St. Petersburg to plan The Fund’s activities. Jillian Poole met

with representatives from the Russian State Museum to discuss programs for 2009

and 2010. Two regional seminars will be held in Russia, one in Barnaul in June and one

in Nizhny Novgorod in early Fall. The seminars will focus on marketing for art museums,

including audience development and fundraising. Marketing-focused seminars for art

museums will also be held in the towns of Yaroslavl and Kemerovo in 2010.

A seminar for regional museum directors will be held in St. Petersburg in June and

will include discussions and illustrations of ways art museums have adapted buildings

(particularly those not originally designed as art museums) through renovation and

reconstruction. The Fund was invited to send a speaker to cover this topic in a

substantial way.

At the State Historical Museum of Religion, Ms. Poole met with Boris Arakcheev.

The museum has a distinguished collection but one that requires a guide for the

entire experience. Among other things, the museum could use a major signage

project. A Fund consultation in that area might be welcome, and Ms. Poole will

explore the possibility.

The final meeting of the trip was held with Evgeny Artemov, Director of the Political

History Museum. He once again expressed gratitude for the work of The Fund’s

consultant, Barbara Charles, principal of museum design firm Staples & Charles, to

help them plan the renovation and expansion of the museum. Dr. Artemov and Ms.

Poole also discussed the cancelled Civic Consciousness Forum, a conference that was

to be held in November. It was to have been the first conference of its kind, and would

have brought together twenty-four senior museum people from Russia and America,

including representatives from the Hermitage, the State Historical Museum, and the Leo

Tolstoy Museum-Estate in Russia, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, National

Constitution Center, and the Detroit Institute of Art in the United States. Ms. Poole

reiterated The Fund’s commitment in helping the Political History Museum.

Yekaterinburg Visitors to Washington, D.C.

In late October, staff of the Yekaterinburg Philharmony/Ural Philharmonic Orchestra,

including Alla Petrova, Rustem Hasanov, Yaroslav Sartakov, and Elena Vadovskaya

came to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. for a seminar on board

management and marketing headed by the Center’s Chairman, Michael Kaiser.

This trip came about as a result of The Fund seminar held in Yekaterinburg in 2007

conducted by Carole Wysocki, Chairman of the Education Programs of the National

Symphony Orchestra, and Michael Brewer, former Chairman of the Board of the

National Symphony. Ms. Wysocki hosted the group during their visit, and The Fund

introduced them to Erica Bondarev of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The group

expressed pleasure and gratitude for their American visit and the opportunity they

gained as a result of their contacts with The Fund.


Three representatives from the Ministry of Culture in Serbia met with Jillian Poole

to discuss the possibility of Fund activities. The Ministry expressed interest in a

number of projects, including developing distinctive, regional festivals for towns and

communities, and developing a cultural route to encourage cooperation among small

towns. The Ministry is clearly enthusiastic about a Fund seminar, and Ms. Poole is

following up with them to plan one for March 2009. She also met with the Cultural

Attaché Susan Delja and Cultural Assistant Marija Bjelopetrovic at the U.S. Embassy,

both of whom expressed interest in supporting Serbian cultural activities of The Fund.

serBIaBelgrade, October 25-27

Consultant:Jillian Poole

Typical building in Kozmodemyansk


Last year, The Fund received a request to assist museums in Ukraine with their

communications, marketing, and fundraising efforts. To this end, The Fund organized

a four-day seminar, Museum Exhibitions, Communications, and Public Outreach, which

was led by Fund consultants Deborah Ziska, Chief of Press and Public Information

at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and Catherine Schwoeffermann,

Executive Director of The Stewart W. and Willma C. Hoyt Foundation in Binghamton,

New York. The seminar was hosted by Ihor Poshyvailo, Deputy Director of the Ivan

Honchar Museum, and Olha Krekoten, Cultural Affairs Assistant at the U.S. Embassy

in Kiev. Our thanks go to the Ivan Honchar Museum for hosting the seminar and the

U.S. Embassy for their support in making the seminar possible.

Forty participants attended the seminar, including 38 Ukrainian directors and senior

staff primarily from art, ethnographic, and history museums in Kiev and the surrounding

suburbs. Two women, one from Ukraine and one from The Netherlands, represented

the Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine.

After welcoming remarks from museum director Petro Honchar, Ms. Krekoten gave

a brief history of Fund seminars in Ukraine and explained the mission of The Fund and

the goals of the seminar. Seminar organizers had requested a short presentation on

trends in U.S. museums in the 21st century, which Ms. Ziska gave. Her presentation

emphasized rising attendance, community outreach, interactivity, family programs, the

use of communications technology, and branding.

Ms. Schwoeffermann’s presentation focused on exhibition planning, development,

and interpretation, especially how to integrate issues of cultural equity, respect, and

acceptance. She explained how she creates exhibitions that are interdisciplinary and

experiential while emphasizing the power of story.

By highlighting four major exhibitions and related education and public programs,

Ms. Schwoeffermann illustrated how exhibitions could be effective without being

expensive, as well as many other considerations, such as positioning of objects to

show similarities, creating vistas to draw people forward, and various ways to tell the

objects’ stories.

The primary topics of Ms. Ziska’s presentation were the elements of a promotional

campaign for an exhibition. She also showed the participants how they could utilize

social media for promotion. Actual examples of branding that targeted young adults

were presented from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Hirshhorn

Museum of Modern Art in Washington, D.C. Flyers, bookmarks, and postcards and

their avenues of distribution to target audiences were presented as effective, low-

budget ways to promote exhibitions.

During the seminar, the participants were divided into four working groups, an

idea that was initially met with some skepticism. At Ms. Schwoeffermann’s suggestion,

each group was assigned to one of four exhibits, and they were asked to spend

one hour visiting or touring them accompanied by presenters and consultants. They

were encouraged to assign people in their group to lead, record, and produce the

presentation, as well as to consider multimedia, such as Web sites and white board

illustrations, or actual examples of objects. It was apparent that they continued to do

research and communicate overnight; all four groups made creative use of multimedia.

In addition to resourcefulness, creative problem-solving, and respect for each

member’s contribution, each group demonstrated that they thoroughly understood

uKraINeKiev, August 31-September 6

Consultants:Ihor PoshyvailoCatherine SchwoeffermannDeborah Ziska

Traditional Ukrainian celebration in Kiev

The seminar was a great success. We

had over 40 participants who enjoyed four

days of intellectual communication. Deborah

Ziska and Catherine Schwoeffermann were

fabulous. We consider it to be the best of all

the Fund seminars we’ve held in Kiev. We

are all very grateful to you for your endless

energy, activity and wisdom.

~ Deputy Director of the Ivan Honchar

Museum, Kiev, Ukraine


the presentations and assignments. Overall the presentations were enthusiastic,

thought-provoking, and professional. Ms. Honchar was so impressed with one group’s

reconceptualization of an exhibit that she asked the group to advise the museum on

an upcoming exhibition.

At the request of the participants, the end of each day was devoted to an open-

question forum with Ms. Ziska. Subjects ranged from how exhibitions are developed

and their timelines to standards of security.

Future Activities

To plan for The Fund’s 2009 activities, Jillian Poole spent two days in Kiev at the

end of October. She met with Courtney Austrian, Cultural Attaché at the U.S.

Embassy, and Ihor Poshyvailo, Director of the Ivan Honchar Museum. It was decided

that another seminar will be planned for Kiev in Fall 2009. The topic will be Audience

Development and Support (Fundraising).

Ms. Poole visited the Museum of Book and Book Printing of Ukraine. Their director,

Valentina Bochkovska, is passionately interested in the restoration of books and

is eager to attract funding to reproduce them for distribution to libraries. Instead,

Ms. Poole suggested that Ms. Bochkovska develop the museum’s excellent story,

currently on their website, into a DVD format for distribution to schools, libraries,

and other museums. She noted that their story explains the history of the books and

illustrations in ways far beyond the original small black and white manuscripts she

was eager to reproduce. Ms. Poole also suggested she explore the possibility of

entering the project into The U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.

Ms. Poole’s final meeting was with Halyna Soroka, Director of the National Museum

of Ukraine Literature. The museum covers the history of Ukrainian literature from

its origins to the present. Though there are many challenges facing the museum/

historical society, the museum offers a plethora of well-attended activities, and their

exhibits are well done and interesting. Ms. Poole is pursuing the idea of holding a

seminar at the museum, which would give the director and her institution some of the

recognition they both deserve.

Jillian Poole chatting with hosts at reception in Kiev


2009/10 sCHeDuleD fuND aCTIvITIes (as of 1/26/09)

March 24-27 Belgrade, SerbiaMuseum Audience Development;

programming and advocacy

June 24-26 Barnaul, Russia Meeting the Challenges in Art Museums

June or later St. Petersburg, Russia Annual Regional Directors Conference

September/October Nizhny Novgorod, Russia Museum Education Opportunities

September Kiev, Ukraine Audience Development/Fundraising

2010 Yaroslavl, Russia TBD

2010 Kemerovo, Russia TBD

The Fund is also exploring the potential of additional seminars in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan,

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and possibly China within the next two years.

Working group presentation in Kostroma


In 2008, The Fund introduced a quarterly e-newsletter, FundLink, to keep friends,

consultants, past seminar and conference participants, and donors updated on Fund

activities. Monika Jansen, FundLink’s editor, includes brief overviews of seminars and

conferences, a list of upcoming events, and other editorials that may be of interest

to our readers. FundLink is published in February, May, August, and November. To

subscribe to FundLink, please email Ms. Jansen at [email protected].

Our website, www.fundforartsandculture.org, is kept updated by Monika Jansen

and Charles Turner, who regularly post photos, reports, and announcements from The

Fund. Visitors can review trip reports and pictures from consultation assignments as

well as outlines from related presentations. It is also possible to download the complete

texts of two of The Fund’s publications: Managing for Money, available in English,

Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Romanian, Serbian, and Albanian; and

Writing Effective Grant Proposals, which is posted in English, Russian and Serbian.

our CoMMuNICaTIoNs

Kozmodemyansk on the Volga River

Your presentations were excellent and

informative and the first informal response

from the Ministry was one of satisfaction

as expressed by many attendees through

an informal poll taken during our last lunch

together.

In our busy lives it’s easy to forget the plea-

sures of sharing ideas and time with our

international counterparts. The community

of museum professionals shares a special

bond and duty and it is encouraging to see

it flourish with such passion to do good and

get things right in far away places.

Thanks again for your hard word, brilliant

thoughts and friendly spirits.

~ Ralph Appelbaum addressing the

faculty following the 4th Annual Museum



Officers, members of the Board of Advisors, and Consultants for The Fund contribute

their services without compensation.

Officers

Paul H. Elicker has been Chairman of The Fund since 1997. His background

is in private industry and more recently in government-oriented service. He was

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SCM Corporation, a $3.4 billion Fortune 500

conglomerate company. He was Executive Director of The Center for Privatization,

the first and largest consulting firm devoted exclusively to privatization work in about

eighty countries, and has personally participated in assignments in about thirty

countries. By Presidential appointment, he is a member of the Board of Directors of

the Baltic American Enterprise Fund, which is responsible for U.S. foreign aid to small

and medium-sized private enterprises in the Baltic countries.

Jillian H. Poole is CEO of The Fund, which she founded. She has a wide background

in institutional development for museum and performing arts organizations, government

liaison, and nonprofit management, including public relations and fundraising. For

nineteen years she was responsible for planning and executing the development

programs of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, America’s National

Cultural Center, a responsibility that ultimately included its partner The National

Symphony Orchestra. Prior to that, she held a similar position at the Corcoran Gallery

of Art in Washington, D.C. She was also Adjunct Professor of Arts Management in the

graduate school of the American University for sixteen years. She has been retained as

consultant to a variety of cultural organizations. Trusteeships included The North Carolina

School for the Arts, The National Building Museum, the Acting Company and the Erick

Hawkins Dance Company. She currently serves on the Board of the Amadeus Concerts.

Sally Yerkovich is President of The Fund. She has over twenty-five years of leadership

experience in high profile American institutions including the National Endowment for the

Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, New Jersey Historical Society, South Street

Seaport Museum, and Museum for African Art. She has been a volunteer with The Fund

for over twelve years.

Frank S. Johnson, Jr. is Corporate Secretary of The Fund. He has served as top public

relations executive to some of the nation’s best-known corporate, government, and

not-for-profit organizations, including NASA, the U.S. Postal Service, USIA, the Chicago

Board of Trade, General Dynamics, Revlon and others. He is also a former President of

the Revlon Foundation, and served as assistant to the President of the Solomon R. and

the Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundations. He was also a member of the Board

of Directors of the Acting Company and The Virginia Opera.

David F. Graling, CPA, has been Treasurer of The Fund since its inception. He is a

Managing Partner of Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman.

THe fuND’s PeoPle


Governing Board

Marc Breslaw is Executive Director of the U.S. Association for the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees. Prior to this, he was Chief Operating Officer of the New

Israel Fund, and Associate Museum Director at the United States Holocaust Memorial

Museum.

Stephen A. Brown has an extensive 34-year career in international theatre, opera,

and ballet management, which has included the Opera Company of Boston, the Royal

National Theatre of Great Britain, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. After

18 years as Stage Manager for the Metropolitan Opera, he was appointed Company

Manager in 1997.

Karen Franklin is a guest curator at the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living

Memorial to the Holocaust in New York, serves on the AAM/ICOM board, and is Co-Chair

of the Board of Governors of Jewishgen. She is a past Chair of the Council of American

Jewish Museums.

Lyndel King has been Director and Chief Curator at the Frederick R.Weisman Art

Museum at the University of Minnesota since 1981.

Patrick Sears has been in the museum profession since 1973. He is currently Chief

Operating Officer of the Rubin Art Museum in New York City. Previously he was on the

staff of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution,

ending his 20-year career there as Associate Director.

Robert Workman is Executive Director of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in

Bentonville, Arkansas. Prior to this, he was Deputy Director at the Amon Carter Museum

in Ft. Worth, Texas.

Rena Zurofsky is a consultant specializing in museum management and planning,

as well as non-profit business development. Her clients have included art, history, and

natural history museums, and historical sites throughout the eastern seaboard.

Senior Advisors

Robin Berrington, former Deputy Director of President Bill Clinton’s Committee

on the Arts and Humanities and Cultural Attaché to the Court of St. James in London,

retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 1999. During his 32-year career, much of it

spent in Japan, he was awarded the U.S. government’s Meritorious Honor award and

the Superior Honor.

Harold Burson is Founding Chairman of Burson-Marsteller. Burson-Marsteller is the

world’s largest communications counseling firm.

Martis Davis, a past Fund consultant, has an extensive background in public

affairs, public policy, marketing communications, crisis management, branding,

and advertising. His experience includes senior positions in public relations at the

Washington Post, AT&T, Burson-Marsteller, New York City’s Health and Hospitals

Corporation, the AARP, and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at HHS

during the Clinton administration.

It’s clear after every conference that

the ongoing success of The Fund’s work

is a blend of interpersonal, international

dialogue coupled with high level profes-

sional informational exchange.

~ Ralph Appelbaum following the 4th Annual

Museum Conference in Bucharest


Robert W. Duemling served as President and Director of the National Building Museum

in Washington, D.C. He currently serves on the Board of the Society of Architectural

Historians, and is a lecturer in architectural history at Washington College in Chestertown,

Maryland. He is a former member of The Trustee’s Council of the National Gallery of Art.

Jay A. Levenson has been the Director of the International Program at The Museum of

Modern Art in New York since 1996. Prior to that, he was Deputy Director for Program

Administration at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, also in New York.

Senator Richard G. Lugar is Ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations

Committee.

Virgil Nitulescu is the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs in

Bucharest. He also served as Secretary of State at the Ministry, and as a senior counselor

with the Committee on Culture, Arts, and Mass Media of the House of Deputies, where he

drafted or amended legislation related to the audiovisual and cultural sectors.

Marc Pachter is former Director of the National Portrait Gallery. From 1985 to 1990, he

was Senior Cultural Advisor to the United States Information Agency. Dr. Pachter is an

historian author and editor.

Blair A. Ruble is Director of the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies of the

Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. He also serves as Program Director for

Comparative Urban Studies at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

Jane Safer has held senior positions at the New York City Department of Cultural

Affairs and the New York Hall of Science. As a consultant, she has worked with the

Andrei Sakharov Museum in Moscow, the Kunstkammer in St. Petersburg, the National

Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., and the Arts and Business

Council, New York City.

John C. Whitehead is past Chairman of AEA Investors Inc. and a former Deputy

Secretary of State. He currently serves on the following boards: Chairman of the

Goldman Sachs Foundation, Co-Chairman of the Greater New York Councils of the Boy

Scouts, the Nature Conservancy, the East-West Institute, and the Eisenhower Exchange

Fellowships. In late 2001, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Lower

Manhattan Development Corporation, the organization responsible for the rebuilding and

revitalization of Lower Manhattan. He is also former Chairman of the World Trade Center

Memorial Foundation.

Consultants Who Served in 2008

Nick Appelbaum is an education specialist and historian at Ralph Appelbaum Associates

in New York. He is currently involved in planning Africa’s first Presidential Library in

Nigeria, and he supports other RAA projects in content development, writing, and

strategic positioning.

Ralph Appelbaum is President of Ralph Appelbaum Associates, a New York City-

based firm that plans, designs and produces museum exhibitions, visitor centers, and

educational environments, including the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Corning

Museum of Glass, and the Rose Center for Earth and Space of the American Museum of

Natural History.

Deborah Edward was Founder of the Austin Children’s Museum, which she led for

sixteen years. She was Executive Director of Greenlights for NonProfit Success, providing

Ralph Appelbaum’s team was

excellent and their presentations were

memorable. They shared knowledge in

their particular fields, which was beneficial.

Not less significant was learning about

the cultural revival in Scotland. The local

communities’ support of the museums was

essential for their economic recovery, and

I argue that this is equally important for the

transition of our countries.




consulting, education and resources for nonprofits of all kinds. In 2006 she took a lead

role in launching Psychology Without Borders, an international nonprofit alleviating

suffering caused by disasters.

Jemima Fraser is Project Director of the Royal Museum Project at the National Museum

of Scotland in Edinburgh. The project, of which she was a key developer, will incorporate

the Royal Museum and Museum of Scotland into one site and oversee the complete

renovation of the 150-year-old Royal Museum. Previously, Ms. Fraser was Head of

Education at both the National Museums of Scotland and Glasgow Museums.

Melanie Yae Ide has been a planner, designer and project director for over 18 years

at Ralph Appelbaum Associates in New York.

Ward Mintz is Executive Director of The Coby Foundation in New York City. He was

Deputy Director for Programs and Collections at The Newark Museum, responsible

for curatorial, education and collections-related activities, including the exhibition

program. Prior to that he was Assistant Director of Programs of The Jewish Museum

in New York City.

Mark O’Neill is Head of Arts and Museums, Cultural and Leisure Services for the

Glasgow City Council in Scotland. He was previously Head of Glasgow Museums. He

originated the concept for and established the St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life

and Art, one of only four museums of religion in the world. For the past twelve years,

he worked on the Heritage Lottery-funded redisplay of the collection of Kelvingrove Art

Gallery and Museum, which is the most visited museum in Britain outside of London.

Marc Pachter. See biography in “Senior Advisors” section.

Jillian Poole. See biography in “Officers” section.

Ihor Poshyvailo, Deputy Director of the Ivan Honchar Museum in Kiev, is a scholar and

researcher in arts and crafts and has published numerous articles and several books.

Catherine Schwoeffermann is Executive Director of the Stewart W. and Willma C.

Hoyt Foundation in Binghamton, New York. She was previously Curator and Program

Director at the Roberson Museum, also in Binghamton. Ms. Schwoeffermann has

served on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Association

of Museums, the Institute for Museum and Library Services, and the New York State

Council on the Arts.

Sally Yerkovich. See biography in “Officers” section.

Deborah Ziska is Chief of Press and Public Information at the National Gallery of Art in

Washington, D.C. She has thirty-seven years experience in communications, marketing,

public affairs and management.

Annunciation Cathedral in Kazan


Consultants Who Have Served in Prior Years

James C. Armstrong was a Principal in the management-consulting firm Armstrong/

Stelzer in New York City.

Hubert Bari, an independent museum consultant. Works include the Neanderthal

Museum and the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Exhibit in Glasgow.

Paxton Barnes, an exhibit designer with recent projects at the Tyler Arboretum, Bronx Zoo

and New York Botanical Garden.

Guillermo Barrios, former National Director of Museums, National Council of Culture in

Venezuela.

Graham Beal, Director of the Detroit Institute of Arts. He has held directorships at the Los

Angeles County Museum of Art and Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska.

James M. Bradburne, a British-Canadian architect and designer and museum specialist,

has designed World Fair pavilions, science centers and international art exhibitions. He is

Director General of the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence.

Michael Brewer was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Symphony

Orchestra for five years and has been a member of the board since 1994. He also sits on

the boards of the Youth Orchestra of the Americas in Arlington, VA, the Joyce Foundation

in Chicago, and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C.

Teresia Bush was Senior Educator, Department of Public Programs at the Smithsonian’s

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Stefano Carboni is Curator and Administrator of the Department of Islamic Art at The

Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Kathleen Charla, a Russian language scholar and a communications expert, has

consulted for various Russian cultural institutions. She ran her own advertising/marketing

firm and was named Detroit Adwoman of the Year in 1991.

Barbara Fahs Charles is Managing Partner of Staples & Charles, Ltd., a museum

interpretative planning and design firm in Alexandria, Virginia. Recent projects include

the reinstallation of the permanent galleries of the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Patricia Ciraulo was Deputy Director for External Relations, Russian National

Orchestra, Moscow.

Andrzej Choldzunski, an award-winning Polish architect and teacher of architecture

currently residing in France.

Ruth Ann Coggeshall was Chief Development Officer of the National Gallery of Art in

Washington D.C. She is now an independent consultant.

Martis Davis. See biography in “Senior Advisors” section.

Louise Douglas is the General Manager of the Audience and Program Division at the

National Museum of Australia, Canberra, the major institution charged with researching,

collecting, preserving and exhibiting historical material

of the Australian nation.

Jacqueline Duke has been Deputy Director at the Museum of International Folk Art in

New Mexico since 2000.

Paul Elicker. See biography in “Officers” section.

Working group putting together their project in Kostroma


Stephen Feber has twenty-seven years of experience in the leisure and tourism

sectors with a particular focus on visitor attractions, urban regeneration, heritage

and project inception, development, and operations. He has worked as consultant,

development director, and chief executive for museums, National Trust properties,

and interactive centers.

Miguel Fernández Félix, Director of the National Museum of Viceroyalty in Mexico City.

He was Mexico’s cultural attaché to UNESCO and followed this assignment with the

directorship of the Dolores Olmedo Patiño Museum.

Barbara Franco is Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum

Commission. Prior to this she was President and CEO of The Historical Society and the

City Museum of Washington, D.C. She has wide experience in promoting community

history and heritage tourism.

Karen Franklin. See biography in “Governing Board” section.

James H. E. Finke was President and Chief Operating Officer of Commodore

International, Ltd., and Vice President of European Operations for Data General.

Patrick Gallagher, President and Founder of Gallagher & Associates, a leading

professional design firm that creates exhibits for public and private sector museums,

visitor centers, and natural science centers. Clients include the Gettysburg National

Military Park, Oceans Hall at the Smithsonian Institution, and the International Spy

Museum in Washington, D.C.

Anton Ginzburg, Partner in the design firm Studio RADIA. In 2004, he created a

collection of products for Cooper-Hewitt and the National Design Museum.

Jessica Glass, a video producer, editor, technical director, audio-visual installation

consultant and technician, and film/video projectionist with the Metropolitan Museum

of Art in New York.

Elaine Heumann Gurian is a consultant/advisor to a number of museums and visitor

centers that are beginning, building or reinventing themselves. Clients include the

Nassau County, New York Parks and Recreation Service, the Museum of the City of

London, the National Children’s Museum, Washington D.C., and The National Museum

of the American Indian, Washington, D.C.

Wayne Harvey is Comptroller for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. He is a former CFO

of several nonprofits including EastWest Institute, Big Apple Circus, Orbis International

and Center for Reproductive Rights.

Kenneth Haas* was Managing Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Honee A. Hess is Director of Education at the Worcester (Massachusetts) Art Museum.

Jonathan Hess, AIA, is Executive Vice President of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf

Architects in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mr. Hess’ work has included museum design

expansions, including the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Children’s Museum in

Indianapolis.

Michalann Hobson is an arts management consultant with extensive experience with

theatres and theatrical programs.

Virginia Hubbell is President of Virginia Hubbell Associates. She serves as Executive

Director of The Mental Insight Foundation in Sonoma, California, and Grants Program

Consultant to the Louis R. Lurie Foundation in San Francisco, California.

*deceased

Conferences of this size and scope

are crucial as they stimulate our creativity

and, most importantly, remind us why we

have chosen this path, a path in a former

communist country where mentalities (not

society) change at an amazingly slow pace.




Aldona Jonaitis has been the Director of the University of Alaska Museum since 1993.

Robert C. Jones is President and Executive Director of Opera Pacific. He has extensive

background in museum and arts management.

Jerold Kappel is Director, External Affairs, at Opera Pacific. He was Director of

Development at the American Association of Museums in Washington, D.C.

Brian Lacey, former Director of the Museums of Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Gilbert Levine conducts worldwide. In 1986, Sir Gilbert Levine became the first American

to head a major orchestra in the East Bloc when he was appointed Artistic Director and

Principal Conductor of the Krakow Philharmonic.

Sharon Litwin is Senior Vice President, External Affairs of the Louisiana Philharmonic

Orchestra. She was formerly Assistant Director of the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Elaine M. Lomenzo was Managing Director of the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema.

Laura Longley was Director of Communications at the John F. Kennedy Center for the

Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. She is now an independent consultant.

Sandra Lorimer, an independent museum consultant from Ontario, Canada, specializes

in the communication and management aspects of museum exhibition development.

Peter Lyman, University Librarian for the University of California, Berkeley.

Jack McAuliffe founded Engaged Audiences LLC as an executive coaching service

to help orchestra leadership teams develop the strategies, infrastructures, and skills

necessary to retain engaged audience members. He is the former Vice President and

Chief Operating Officer, American Symphony Orchestra League.

Christine M. Miles is Director of the Albany Institute of History & Art. Prior to that she

worked at six museums, and has served as President of both the Museum Association

and the Gallery Association of New York State.

Ann Mintz has twenty-five years of museum management experience. She has served

as Director of the Berkshire Museum, and CEO of the Chester County Historical Society.

Amy Módly is the former International Liaison/Special Projects Director of the Cultural

Office of the Deputy Mayor of Budapest.

Valerie Morris is Dean of the College of Charleston, S.C. School of the Arts.

Klaus Müller is a museum and web consultant, independent filmmaker, and European

Program Coordinator for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C. Dr.

Müller is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Pamela Myers is Director of the Asheville Art Museum in North Carolina. Prior to that

she was Director of Exhibitions, Guggenheim Museum, which included responsibility for

exhibition and public programming at New York City, Venice and Bilbao sites.

Susan Nichols is the Lunder Education Chair at the Smithsonian American Art

Museum. She was the founding director of Save Outdoor Sculpture! Heritage

Preservation, an award-winning national cultural program to inventory all public

sculpture in the United States.

Barbara Niemczyk was Director of St. Petersburg 2003 for CEC International. She

has taught literature, culture and film of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in

several U.S. universities.

Seminar in Kozmodemyansk


Jane D. Norman was Exhibits Conservator for the Freer Gallery of Art and the

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, museums of Asian art of the Smithsonian Institution,

Washington, D.C.

Gary Osland is Principal of Osland Design Associates, Inc., New York City.

Jack Pascarosa was formerly with Ralph Appelbaum Associates.

M. Drake Patten is Executive Director of The Steel Yard in Providence, Rhode Island,

and was formerly with the Millay Colony for the Arts in Columbia County, New York.

Elisa Phelps was the Director of Collections and the Curator of Anthropology at the

Witte Museum in San Antonio, Texas.

Jill Emery Phillips was Director of International Visitor Programs at the United States

Information Agency.

Charles R. Ritcheson was Vice Provost and Dean of Libraries of the University of

Southern California, and former U.S. Cultural Attaché in London.

Julius Rudel was General Director and Principal Conductor of the New York City

Opera for twenty-two years, and now conducts worldwide.

Jane Safer. See biography in “Senior Advisors” section.

Lady Sainsbury was Prima Ballerina of the Royal Ballet. She is a teacher and coach at

the School of the Royal Ballet and the Ballet Rambert.

Lord Sainsbury, former Chairman of Sainsbury’s Ltd., former Chairman of the Board

of the Royal Opera and Ballet, and a member of the board of the National Gallery,

London, and of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

A.N. Scallion, former Director of the Corporate Support Program for IBM.

Sheldon Schwartz was Executive Director of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.

Patrick Sears. See biography in “Officers” section.

Mary Delle Seltzer, former Director of Corporate Advertising and Cultural Sponsorships

for AT&T, and former Director of the Oklahoma Art Center.

George Stuart Sexton, III, Principal, George Sexton Associates, a Washington, D.C.

consulting firm in architecture and museum services.

Ken Shifrin has been Principal Trombonist of the City of Birmingham Symphony

Orchestra and the Radio Stuttgart Orchestra, and Associate Principal with the Israel

Philharmonic.

Kathy Dwyer Southern is President and CEO of the National Children’s Museum in

Washington, D.C. She serves on the Boards of the American Association of Museums,

and the International Committee on Museums, U.S.

Julian Spaulding was former Director of the Glasgow Museums and Galleries with

overall responsibility for ten venues for the Museum.

Chris Stager, Principal of CR Stager, a marketing and audience development firm. He

has consulted with The Cleveland Orchestra, The Boston Pops, Houston Grand Opera

and many symphony orchestras around the U.S.

Robert Staples is Design Partner of Staples & Charles, Ltd., a museum interpretative

planning and design firm in Alexandria, Virginia.

The most interesting presentations for me

were Marc Pachter’s, because it was gen-

eral, practical, offered many things to learn,

and corresponded to my personal field of

interest and research; Ralph Appelbaum’s

for his final conclusions; Mark O’Neill’s and

Jem Frazer’s for their case studies and

good examples of strategies and tools for

museum development, and Nick Appel-

baum’s, who analyzed strong and weak

points of educational trends at museums.

The conference was very inspiring and

made me realize the need for changes at

my own museum. It also left me feeling

enthusiastic about the process of develop-

ment and the future of museums.

I hope to follow up with some of the people

I met in Bucharest. We have already

discussed the possibility of exchanging ex-

hibitions in the near future with colleagues

from Moldova.




Cathy Card Sterling, an independent consultant, served as Director of Corporate

and Foundation Relations with The Phillips Collection and Administrative Officer and

Exhibitions Manager with The Corcoran Gallery of Art, both in Washington, D.C.

Gary Sturm is Chair of the Division of Music, Sports and Entertainment at the National

Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution, and is responsible for its

diverse collection of 5,000 musical instruments.

Martin Sullivan, is Director of the National Portrait Gallery, and was Chief Executive

Officer of Historic St. Mary’s City, Maryland, an outdoor museum of history and

archaeology in Maryland. He was Chairman of the U.S. Advisory Committee for the

UNESCO Convention on Cultural Property.

Sonnet Takahisa is Director of Education at the National September 11 Memorial &

Museum at the World Trade Center. For 10 years she was Founding Co-Director of the

New York City Museum School. She worked at the Boston Children’s Museum, Seattle

Art Museum, and Brooklyn Museum, and has over thirty years of experience in museums

and school reform.

Lawrence Tamburri, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Wendy Tiffin, former Director of sponsorship for the Southbank Complex in London.

Allen Townsend, Chief Librarian at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

Formerly he was the Arcadia Director of Library and Archives at the Philadelphia

Museum of Art.

Linda Vadász is the former Executive Director of Arts Worcester in Massachusetts. She

founded the Friends of the Budapest Fine Arts Museum, the first museum volunteer group

in Hungary.

James Weaver was Curator of Cultural History at the National Museum of American

History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Mr. Weaver is especially noted

for creating public programs that expand the reach of individual exhibits to include concert

performances, lectures, recordings, and radio and television broadcasts.

Albert K. Webster, an arts consultant and former Managing Director and Executive Vice

President of the New York Philharmonic.

Peter Wexler, Principal of Peter Wexler, Inc., which produces programs for organizations

including the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic and the Smithsonian

Institution.

Carole J. Wysocki is the Director of the National Symphony Orchestra Education

Program, and a senior staff member of the Education Department of the John F. Kennedy

Center for the Performing Arts. During her twenty-five year tenure at the Kennedy Center,

Ms. Wysocki has built the NSO Education Program into a vibrant force to further classical

music education for young people.

David Young is the graduate research professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance

at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. For more than 15 years, he was the

Producing Director of the American College Theater Festival (ACTF) at the John F.

Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.

Rena Zurofsky. See biography in “Governing Board” section.


THe fuND sTaff

Hugh Southern, Program Director

Hugh Southern, a graduate of King’s College, Cambridge (UK) has had a long and

varied career in arts management. After working for Robert Whitehead and Elia

Kazan in the original Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center, and for Kurt Herbert Adler

at the San Francisco Opera, Mr. Southern was the founding Executive Director of the

Theatre Development Fund in New York City in 1968. For The Fund he established

the TKTS half-price tickets booth in Duffy Square in 1974. In 1982 he was appointed

by President Ronald Reagan to the position of Deputy Chairman for Programs at

the National Endowment for the Arts, where he also served as Acting Chairman until

1989. Mr. Southern has served on a number of nonprofit boards, and as a consultant

to many arts organizations.

Nancy Robinette, Executive Assistant

Nancy Robinette is part-time assistant to The Fund. She is also a long-time

professional actress, having appeared in shows on Washington, D.C. stages for over

twenty-five years. She first worked with Jillian Poole in the development office of the

Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as Manager of their Corporate Fund.

Monika Jansen, Editor

Monika Jansen is a freelance marketing writer and consultant. She joined The Fund

in 2002 as Jillian Poole’s executive assistant. Since 2003, she has been editing

the consultant, semi-annual, and annual reports, overseeing website content,

and managing communications. Prior to joining The Fund, Ms. Jansen worked in

marketing and public relations.

The Officers of The Fund are also grateful to Officers and Advisors who served in

earlier years:

Madeleine K. Albright, Raymond J. Batla, Jr., Grant Beglarian*, Charles C. Bergman,

Livingston Biddle*, Alexander Brody, John L. Callahan, Jean-Claude Carriere, Milton

Cerny, C. Mathews Dick, Jr., Milos Forman, Andre H. Friedman, Leo-Ferdinand Graf

Henckel von Donnersmarck, Heyward Isham, Robert C. Jones, Bradford Kelleher*,

Roger Kennedy, Martin Klingenberg, Charlotta Kotik, Robert Lantz*, Gilbert Levine,

Wendy W. Luers, Garrett Mitchell, Garrick Ohlsson, Senator Claiborne Pell*, Lorin

Maazel, Julius Rudel, Peter Shaffer, The Honorable Leonard L. Silverstein, Martin

Sullivan, and Alexander C. Tomlinson.

*deceased

On the Volga River


The Fund is a nonprofit U.S. corporation overseen by five officers, a governing board,

and senior advisors. There are no paid full-time staff members.

Founded in 1991, The Fund began working in Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia

(later the Czech Republic). Our work expanded to the three Baltic countries, Latvia,

Lithuania, and Estonia, and later Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia, Romania,

Serbia/Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Mongolia,

Armenia, Slovakia, and Azerbaijan.

Upon request, The Fund provides assistance to selected major arts and cultural

institutions to assist in their adjustment to a free market economy. Our senior

consulting experts serve pro-bono and share their expertise in administration,

management, governance, planning, public relations, marketing, and fundraising with

visual and performing arts organizations. We believe that promoting healthy, vibrant,

and welcoming institutions of art and culture strengthen civil society.

Typically, The Fund’s activities in a country develop through the following process:

• After formal invitation by a principal of a cultural institution, a ministry of culture,

or the U.S. Embassy, a Fund director makes an initial visit to the country involved.

This visit establishes contacts with government representatives (e.g., the Ministry

of Culture, Mayor’s office, etc.), administrators and directors of local major arts

and cultural institutions, and other thought-leaders in or from the country; U.S.

government representatives (e.g. the U.S. Embassy, consulates, etc.), and

local executives of NGOs. An informal needs assessment of arts and cultural

organizations is undertaken, and Fund objectives are agreed upon.

• Experts willing to provide the assistance needed are recruited. In cooperation with

the requesting institution, consultants for The Fund work on-site to help develop

plans and programs in their areas of expertise. They participate in roundtable

discussions, seminars, and workshops, provide training courses, and/or give

lectures or individual consultations. Continuing contact between the institution and

The Fund’s consultant(s) is maintained through email communication and return

visits where indicated.

Restrictions:

The Fund receives many requests for assistance that are not within the purview of its

mission. The Fund does not give outright grants nor does it support individual artists.

Generally, it does not assist start-up institutions, nor does it involve itself with the

preservation and restoration of buildings or the programs of educational institutions.

HoW THe fuND WorKs

Working group discussing their project in Kostroma


The Fund, a 501(c)3 organization, is dependent upon contributions from individuals,

foundations, and corporations to make possible its programs. We acknowledge this

assistance with deep gratitude. Our consultants generously give us their time, but

we require funding for travel and administrative expenses to facilitate their services.

Please consider contributing. The Fund for Arts and Culture, 2016 N. Westmoreland

Street, Arlington, Virginia 22213.

2008 Donors:

Total Cash Contributions $ 95,298

In Kind Contributions

Burson-Marsteller for annual report $ 15,000

Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman for accounting services $ 3,000

Professional Consulting Services $ 410,500

Total In-Kind Contributions $ 428,500

Total Contributions $ 523,798

THe fuND’s CoNTrIBuTors

$20,000 and More

Trust for Mutual Understanding

$15,000 and More

Paul H. Elicker

The Whitehead Foundation

$5,000 and More

Robert H. Smith Family Foundation

The Shelley & Donald Rubin

Foundation

U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy

$1,000 and More

The Dick Family Foundation

The New York Community Trust –

The Safer-Fearer Fund

Samuel H. Kress Foundation

U.S. Department of State

William J. vanden Heuvel

Wolfensohn Family Foundation

Other Donors

The Atlas Foundation

Robin A. Berrington

Mary W. Brady

Marc J. Breslaw

Robert W. Duemling

Deborah Edward

Karen S. Franklin

Joan Lewis Jewett

Christopher King

Lyndel King

Susan K. Nichols

Frederick Ohly

Marc Pachter

Blair A. Ruble

Christopher R. Stager

Eric W. Weinmann Charitable Lead

Annuity Trust

Sally M. Yerkovich

David Young

Catherine Schwoeffermann, Deborah Ziska, Olha Krekoten and Ihor Poshyvailo with a musician in Kiev


We would like to thank our expert consultants who continue to provide their services

pro-bono to our clients. We continue to be invited to return by institutions we have

served. This is certainly the highest compliment and the strongest positive evaluation

of consultants’ effectiveness.

In addition, we would like to thank:

Burson-Marsteller, for the design and printing of the Annual Report for the 12th

consecutive year, and also for hosting The Fund Annual Meeting in New York City

in December.

David Graling, Managing Partner of Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman of Bethesda,

Maryland, for outstanding service as our Treasurer since 1991.

Hugh Southern, Director of Programs, who works tirelessly to make our

programs possible.

Charles Turner our webmaster, who lives half a continent away, but spreads word of

The Fund throughout the globe.

Claiborne Pell, who died on January 1, was a Senior Advisor and friend of The Fund

from its initiation until he retired from the Senate in 1997. He was an enthusiastic

supporter of our mission, and his counsel and guidance were essential ingredients to

The Fund’s launch and operations in the early years. That The Fund is approaching

its 20th year of operations is testament to his vision.

sPeCIal THaNKs

Sally Yerkovich, Olga Reva, The Fund’s translator, and Deborah Edward on the bank of the Volga River


fuND for arTs aND CulTure IN CeNTral aND easTerN euroPeREPORT OF THE TREASURER

Revenue 2008 2007

Contributions - general $ 60,298 $ 80,672

Contributions - project support 35,000 49,642

Professional services, in-kind 410,500 549,500

Annual report, in-kind 15,000 15,000

Accounting services, in-kind 3,000 3,000

Interest income 585 43

Total revenue 524,383 697,857

Expenses

Travel 83,269 133,026

Administrative assistance 16,497 14,260

Professional fees 2,136 1,717

Professional services, in-kind 410,500 549,500

Annual report, in-kind 15,000 15,000

Accounting services, in-kind 3,000 3,000

Telephone and internet fees 3,065 2,362

Office expenses 3,498 4,476

Dues and subscriptions 484 794

Total expenses 537,449 724,135

Excess (Deficiency) of Revenue

with Respect to Expenses (13,066) (26,278)

Cash Balance at Beginning of Year 65,453 91,731

Cash Balance at End of Year $ 52,387 $ 65,453

Statements of Revenue and Expenses for the years ended December 31, 2008

and 2007 (Unaudited)


Days IN CouNTry

Arm

enia

Aze

rbai

jan

Bos

nia-

Her

zego

vina

Bul

garia

Cro

atia

Cze

ch R

epub

lic

Est

onia

Geo

rgia

Hun

gary

Latv

ia

Lith

uani

a

Mac

edon

ia

Mon

golia

Mon

tene

gro

Pol

and

Rom

ania

Rus

sia

Ser

bia

Slo

vaki

a

Ukr

aine

Tota

l

1991 - - - - - 7 - - - - - - - - 20 - - - - - 27

1992 - - - - - 54 - - 44 - - - - - 8 - 11 - - - 117

1993 - - - - - 78 - - 33 - - - - - 25 - - - - - 136

1994 - - - - - 78 - - 27 - - - - - 36 - 2 - - - 143

1995 - - - - - 40 - - 71 - - - - - 54 - 15 - - - 180

1996 - - - - - 18 - - 66 - - - - - 31 - 41 - - - 156

1997 - - - - - 22 - - 8 - - - - - 13 - 102 - - - 145

1998 - - - - - 15 - - 88 - - - - - 4 - 65 - - - 172

1999 - - - 5 - 8 - - 85 - - - - - 4 - 70 - - 7 179

2000 - - - 17 - - - - 16 - 1 - - - - - 78 - - 8 120

2001 - - - 8 - - 8 - 6 - 4 - - - - - 51 - - 59 136

2002 - - - 6 - 12 6 37 - 3 12 - - - 5 - 99 - - 62 242

2003 - - - - - 4 22 - - - - - - - 8 47 - - 50 131

2004 3 - 10 - 10 - - 7 1 - - 8 - 4 - 16 72 10 - - 147

2005 - - - - - 12 - 18 - - - - - - 12 49 51 - 1 22 165

2006 - - - - - - - - - - - - 11 - - 35 78 - - 12 136

2007 8 - 8 - - - - 17 10 - - 8 - - - 28 60 - 8 - 147

2008 - 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 32 20 3 - 17 78

“International conversations to enhance society.”

What We Do

The Fund for Arts and Culture helps

develop the potential of arts and cultural

organizations by sharing best practices and

skills necessary to take advantage of changing

societal environments. To do so, we draw upon

a broad network of professionals with wide-

ranging experience to work on a pro-bono basis.

Upon request, we provide guidance to selected

institutions with the certain knowledge that they in

turn help vitalize their communities and promote a

stronger civil society.

The Fund for Arts and Culture in Central and Eastern Europe 2016 N. Westmoreland Street, Arlington, Virginia 22213

703-534-1552Fax: 1-757-299-7269

[email protected]

the fund for arts and culture 2009 annual report

Business

mari el republic

woodrow wilson

austin childrens

national symphony

chief operating

ralph appelbaum

holocaust

national portrait