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| Best Practices: Philanthropy |
To Collect and Serve
Michelle Leder
09/01/2006
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On a smaller scale, the Strausses let it be known that they are
at the forefront of helping Peekskill make a name for itself as a cultural
destination. Livia Strauss says she has acquired some interesting allies,
including the local chief of police, who helped her secure a car when an artist
decided that she wanted to destroy one as part of her public art project. "When
you do something like this, you’re putting a lot of yourself on the frontline,"
Strauss says. "If you had asked me during year three of the construction how
things were going, I would have said it was all a big mistake. But then we
opened, and all these people came and said how important this museum was for the
city. And that was a very powerful experience.""If you had asked me during year three of the
construction how things were going, I would have said it was all a
big mistake." |
The Strausses, although they have been collecting contemporary
art for 40 years, started the Hudson Valley Center as a noncollecting museum.
They have lent their works to the facility, but emphasize shows with a theme
that remain on display approximately 10 months, as well as gallery talks and
community-oriented events. They are now working on an exhibition with a
politically charged theme, "Only the Paranoid Survive," about terrorism,
catastrophes and the general culture of fear. Works by Darren Almond and Mark
Bijl highlight the show.An even more crucial community to court is the art world
itself. It is innately suspicious of collectors who build museums strictly for
their own collections. To alleviate this and build the crucial rapport one needs
to succeed, backers cede control to full-time curators and give the curatorial
staff reign to plan special shows. They also recommend featuring traveling
exhibitions of works that do not belong to the collector, utilizing guest
curators if necessary. Nasher has addressed criticism of his institution by
expanding the board to include nonfamily members. The Rubins have turned
operational control of their museum over to others, although they serve on the
board. Successful backers are also responsive to thoughtful criticism.
Addressing those who suggested that their opening show relied too heavily on
paintings, the Rubins have since run exhibitions around themes. At one point,
they organized a special show focused on female forms of the Buddha in sculpture
and paintings. A display of fierce-looking protector deities featured borrowed
works from well beyond the Himalayas, including Liberian masks and Mexican Dia
de los Muertos figures. Michelle Leder is a writer based in Peekskill, N.Y.
Art by Jim Frasier.
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