The Terrifying Future of a World Without Montebello and Co.

By Steve Delahoyde on January 14, 2008 5:00 AM

You’ll recall that last week we reported on the news that Philippe de Montebello would be stepping down soon as the director of the Met. And now, of course, comes the worry about what will happen to the museum after he leaves. Case in point, the NY Times had up this piece on Sunday, featuring all sorts of fear and concern. While it highlights a lot of what de Montebello did, which is interesting, it just barely stops short of saying that, with him gone, the building will be looted, then set on fire, and then torn down by hoodlums, all within the first hour or so of his retirement. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal took that “oh no!” theme and pushed the stakes higher when they ran this piece, “Big Museums Draw a Blank,” which doesn’t just talk about the Met losing its top man, but wondering what will happen with all the other museums across the nation whose directors are quitting or retiring and not being able to find suitable replacements. Here’s a bit from that:

With a generation of seasoned postwar directors beginning to retire, at least 21 U.S. museums — including the Bass Museum of Art in Florida and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington — are searching for new directors, nearly double the usual vacancy rate, according to the Association of Art Museum Directors, a New York-based nonprofit representing more than 180 museum directors. In several cases, like the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Conn., the hunt for a replacement has been going on for well over a year.

Maybe now would be the time to mention once again the UnBeige Technical College where you can earn your official Museum Director certificate in under nine months. Just nine months! And there’s financial assistance for those who qualify. What are you waiting for? Act now!

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