CAC Layoffs

Most of us are well aware of the toll being taken on arts
organizations by "dire economic circumstances" – unfortunately,
getting to that desired bottom line frequently means cuts in staff.
Recently the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati let 4 members go -
3 full-time and 1 part-time. The museum's ED explains that previous
budget adjustments weren't enough to convince the board that goals
could be accomplished.

One of the full time positions being cut is public relations director,
and as an online reader aptly points out (in this article:
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081205/BIZ01/812050346/1076/BIZ)
by commenting, doesn't it seem counter-productive to discard a
position so vital to a museum's, well, publicity??

Possibly…but possibly not. Author David Finn (who has written
extensively on the subject of museums as a photographer, himself) asks
the question, "Is there a Legitimate Role for Public Relations in the
Arts?" and answers by claiming that the arts are far from being overly
promoted. Perhaps more importantly, he points out that "public
relations can play the important role of helping to find common ground
on which both business and the arts can seek to achieve their
objectives." Indeed.

- Courtney