Description

Established in 1936, The Farnsworth Art Museum (FAM) seeks to celebrate Maine’s role in American art through its collection of over 15,000 artworks and a lively exhibition program. In addition to the building that houses 20,000 square feet of galley space, the museum campus includes the Farnsworth Homestead, Wyeth Center, Gamble Education Center, and the Olson House, a National Historic Landmark. FAM is a mainstay of the state’s vibrant tourist and creative economies and has documented its $58 million annual economic impact on mid-coast Maine.
FAM now seeks $115,000 in order to offer short-term salary support for key members of its staff. While FAM serves a local and regional audience with gallery and education programming year-round, its financial well-being is heavily dependent on a summer tourist season that was abruptly halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A combination of Federal stimulus funds and drastic budget reductions have positioned the museum to survive this year and next, but the budget reductions have included staff layoffs that have severely impacted the museum’s programmatic capacity. Reductions in staff have included not only part-time frontline workers in visitor services, retail, and security, but the Director of Education, Director of School Programs, and Special Events Manager as well.
In June, the FAM was the first museum in Maine to reopen after a three-month closure, having rapidly completed the extensive internal preparations required to ensure visitor safety. With the mandated, reduced access, however, earned revenue from admissions and shop sales has been down 63%. The projected 2021 budget anticipates a 40% reduction in revenues overall. In recent months, FAM has received good operating support from its key donors, including an unprecedented $100,000 matching gift. With the exhibition budget cut by over 60%, the museum will develop its programming for the coming year out of its permanent collections. In this regard, it is eager to capitalize on some of its recent momentum, including a seminal gift of 27 works from the estate of Betsy Wyeth.
FAM’s leadership looks forward to fully recuperating its staff positions by 2022, by which time its revenues and activities are expected to be restored to pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, the proposed emergency grant would provide partial support for curatorial salaries for a 24-week period to begin in January 2021, as well as support during that period for an associate registrar (a crucial, open position that has been frozen since March) and a preparator.
The last HLF grant to FAM was a 2018 special grant for a permanent collection catalogue, which will serve as a vital resource as the staff plans exclusively collection-based exhibitions and programs in the coming year or two.