1002435_Smithsonian.qxp:Layout 1 6/29/10 10:03 AM Page 1
JUNE 2010
briefing paper for the smithsonian comprehensive campaign
Smithsonian Institution 1002435_Smithsonian.qxp:Layout 1 6/29/10 10:03 AM Page 2
SMITHSONIAN CAMPAIGN BRIEFING PAPER
Smithsonian Institution at a Glance
MUSEUMS Anacostia Community Museum Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden National Air and Space Museum and Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center National Museum of African American History and Culture National Museum of African Art National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center National Museum of the American Indian and the George Gustav Heye Center National Museum of Natural History National Portrait Gallery National Postal Museum National Zoological Park Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery
RESEARCH CENTERS Archives of American Art Museum Conservation Institute Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Smithsonian Institution Archives Smithsonian Institution Libraries Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama)
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage National Science Resources Center Office of Fellowships Smithsonian Affiliations Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service Smithsonian Latino Center The Smithsonian Associates 1002435_Smithsonian.qxp:Layout 1 6/29/10 10:03 AM Page 1
SMITHSONIAN CAMPAIGN BRIEFING PAPER
The Smithsonian Stands in Singular Space
WE ARE KEEPERS OF THE AMERICAN SPIRIT and stewards of our sacred objects. We speak with voices that reflect our diversity and tell the stories that define our common experience. We explore our traditions and engage all seekers in continuous dialogue, as a democracy must to remain resilient.
WE ARE CITIZENS OF THE WORLD, affirming the value of knowledge developed openly for the benefit of all. We value every culture and see anew through the art of every people. From Antarctica to Africa, from the rainforests of the Guyana Shield to the banks of the Chesapeake, our scientists help to restore cultures, preserve environments, and enrich lives, working across boundaries for the well-being of our planet and its inhabitants.
WE ARE SHAPERS OF THE FUTURE, bringing to bear our vast collections and research of singular breadth and depth on the complex issues of our age. Moving forward, we will dissolve the walls among our museums and centers to reach across science and culture, history and art as surely as we will reach beyond ourselves in new and creative collaborations essential to lasting impact. We will be a leader in creating a comprehensive approach to a sustainable future for our planet and all the species on it.
WE SET OUR SIGHTS HIGH. To be a powerful force for America and the world, the Smithsonian must have new philanthropic partners who share our vision. With these lasting partnerships as our ultimate aim, we are embarking on our first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, with a working goal of $1.5 billion.
We are fortunate to enjoy steadfast federal support, embodying the commitment of America as a nation. That core funding sustains our infrastructure and fuels our operational engine. But only private support will allow us to mount innovative exhibitions and spark discovery and learning with public outreach in the years ahead. Only private support will open up access to our irreplaceable collections from every corner of the world and unleash technology to unlock the greatness that is already here.
WE HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US on this next great journey as we transform the Smithsonian for a new era.
1 1002435_Smithsonian.qxp:Layout 1 6/29/10 10:03 AM Page 2
SMITHSONIAN CAMPAIGN BRIEFING PAPER
Focusing Our Strengths, Engaging the World
WHY NOW? At a time when the benefits of knowledge—and the risks Every day, the world becomes a smaller and faster place. of ignorance—are very high, America’s deeply overbur- dened school systems are experiencing dramatic budget Knowledge now travels in real time, and popular culture cuts and are forced to do more with less. Simultaneously, too often substitutes for deeper understanding of nations learning is more than ever a lifetime engagement, taking and peoples. Our communications evolve daily, especially place far beyond school walls. among the young, whose world is increasingly virtual, interactive, and on demand. The Smithsonian is the world’s largest classroom. Our educators deliver programs in every medium, The Smithsonian helps Americans understand each assist formal instruction with specialized curricula, other and the world—and tell our nation’s ever- and informally provide education for all ages with evolving story to an international audience—using onsite programs that spark learning. new forms of media to connect and engage. The Smithsonian is one of America’s most trusted It is also the age of big science; the unlocking of the institutions. genetic code and the emergence of new tools for exploring the universe have quickened the pace of discovery. Yet Unique in diversity and scale, the Smithsonian offers there is still much left to know, and even as we learn it, resources—across history, art, and science; in curation, our planet grows less biodiverse and the natural world conservation, and collections—that others cannot. We is threatened. are positioned to lead nationally and globally, and to aid other institutions as well as support the national agenda. The Smithsonian has the prestige and power to convene the greatest scientific minds from all nations. Yet we have not begun to tap our potential. This Uniquely suited to conduct complex studies over long campaign will give us the ability to engage in richer periods of time, we use our vast collections to answer and deeper explorations that will have a lasting questions about the past and help us prepare for impact on the planet. the future.
2 1002435_Smithsonian.qxp:Layout 1 6/29/10 10:03 AM Page 3
SMITHSONIAN CAMPAIGN BRIEFING PAPER
What Gives Us the Power to Succeed?
LEADERSHIP Four Grand Challenges: We are reinventing the Smithsonian for a new era. Led by Secretary G. Wayne Clough, the Regents, Museum Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe directors, and a strong senior staff, the Smithsonian has At the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, scientists steady hands at the helm. are working on the next generation of the Giant Magellan Telescope that could shed light on the big bang. VISION The National Air and Space Museum is adding research We have done the first hard thing: developing a strategic capacity to the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies plan that makes tough choices, defining four grand and historians are designing an exhibition that will show- challenges on which to focus our strengths in order to case new discoveries about the solar system. address issues critical to society. Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet COMMITMENT National Museum of Natural History researchers are pre- Each year, 30 million people visit Smithsonian museums serving the planet’s genetic diversity and helping to solve and more than 50 of our exhibitions travel to 250 com- humanity’s biological challenges, while at the National munities across the nation. Today, 188 million individuals Zoo, conservation biologists are restoring endangered seek us out online, with the promise of billions tomor- species to the wild. At the Smithsonian’s Environmental row. The Smithsonian goes into homes, schools, and Research Center, plans are underway to build Green communities worldwide. The reservoir of good will is Village, a sustainable community for scientists that will among our greatest resources, one that only awaits our help us leverage our world-class environmental research. outreach to become a deeper level of engagement. Valuing World Cultures EXPERIENCE The Freer and Sackler Galleries are reinstalling their The Smithsonian has earned the venerable place we Chinese Galleries to better display an exceptional collec- occupy in the American landscape by continuing to tion of Chinese art, while the National Museum of the serve and develop in every successive generation. Our American Indian is mounting an exhibition to celebrate distinguished reputation rests on 164 continuous years the legacy of the Inca Empire. At Smithsonian Institution of rigorous research, stellar stewardship, and creative Libraries, by digitizing world art and design collections, exhibitions that entertain as well as teach. we are creating a permanent record instantly shareable across the globe.
Understanding the American Experience Documenting a critical part of the American experience, the Smithsonian will soon break ground for another museum—the National Museum of African American History and Culture. New galleries at the National Museum of American History will highlight themes of democracy, presidential leadership, and popular culture, while the Smithsonian Latino Center will chronicle the history of America’s Latino communities. The Asian Pacific American Program will use new media to tell the story of Asian peoples in the United States, and the Archives of American Art will deepen regional acquisi- tions to offer a more complete picture of the nation’s creative expression. 3 1002435_Smithsonian.qxp:Layout 1 6/29/10 10:03 AM Page 4
SMITHSONIAN CAMPAIGN BRIEFING PAPER
What Will We Do?
IF THE 19TH CENTURY was about building the Smithsonian’s foundation and the 20th about its expansion by establishing museums in science, art, history, and culture, then the 21st century is all about connection. We must integrate the vast knowledge residing in each part of the Smithsonian; apply it to the four grand challenges; and bring it to people wherever they live, work, and play.
INSPIRE GENERATIONS Across three centuries, the Smithsonian has captivated visitors of every age, inspiring awe in adults who encounter the newly restored Star-Spangled Banner for the first time, and sparking discovery in youngsters who watch the wonders of the natural world unfold. Imagine the impact we will have when we harness the power of emerging social media to create two-way conversations between the public and our curators, docents, and researchers, encouraging people not only to view our exhibitions, but also to create their own.
SHATTER BOUNDARIES Institutions bound only by place are a thing of the past. To fully address our priorities, we will dismantle the boundaries between our own museums and centers, collaborating and connecting knowledge in ways that surprise and delight, then go beyond our walls to share our resources in a virtual world.
In addition to advancing these two broad goals, the campaign will help us:
BROADEN ACCESS Our challenge is to connect visitors, scholars, teachers, and families to our resources—whether they approach in person or online. Our resources belong to the public, and technology has enabled a level of outreach unthinkable even a decade ago, allowing us to reach deep into remote communities and urban areas alike. Our goal is to improve the visitor experience for those who come in person and use technology to open doors for those who cannot, making objects accessible 24/7, as the National Postal Museum has accomplished with Arago, an award-winning website for the study of philately. We will increase exposure to other cultures, as the Museum of African Art does with Radio Africa, and take more exhibitions to rural America through programs such as the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service’s Museum on Main Street.
INCREASE ENGAGEMENT The Smithsonian is held in high esteem around the world; now we must transform regard into engagement at every level, with every audience. We will take advantage of our convening power to address the most critical problems of the day. Our Tropical Research Institute will add a network of compatible marine observatories to its groundbreaking study of tropical terrestrial biodiversity through the Smithsonian Global Earth Observatories initiative. Across the Institution, we are enhancing our use of new media to reach out to individuals and transform them from spectators into participants, as the Hirshhorn Museum and American Art Museum do when they engage people with art in new ways through mobile scavenger hunts and then give them the platform to share what they find on social networks.
4 1002435_Smithsonian.qxp:Layout 1 6/29/10 10:03 AM Page 5
SMITHSONIAN CAMPAIGN BRIEFING PAPER
ENERGIZE EDUCATION What American wouldn’t love a close-up view of the Space Shuttle Enterprise at the Udvar-Hazy Museum? Where else but the American History Museum can schoolchildren hear members of the Greensboro Four speak in front of the lunch counter that made history? At the Smithsonian, educators have the incomparable advantage of the real thing. Through webcasts, electronic field trips, and on-site programs, students will experience the stories behind the objects. We are placing education at the forefront of our priorities. New and revitalized exhibitions and outreach will high- light critical issues such as vanishing cultures and sustainable oceans, while museums such as Cooper-Hewitt bring good design close to home through its City of Neighborhoods program. The venerable Smithsonian Associates will use distance-learning techniques to reach adults in their local communities with educational offerings that inspire as they teach.
ENHANCE STEWARDSHIP At the Smithsonian, we are privileged to care for the great national collections, more than 137 million objects that represent America’s heritage. Our collections celebrate our artistic and scientific achievements, commemorate our history, and document our own and many other cultures. From meteorites to microfossils, we preserve elements of the natural world. Our stewardship begins with acquisition; the National Portrait Gallery will add important faces to the por- traits that showcase America’s character, while the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage captures the sounds of indigenous peoples before they vanish forever. We will enhance our ability to track the rhythms of everyday American life through the Anacostia Community Museum, and we will preserve the broad visual sweep of our collections by improving storage for the three million photographs in the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
5 1002435_Smithsonian.qxp:Layout 1 6/29/10 10:03 AM Page 6
SMITHSONIAN CAMPAIGN BRIEFING PAPER
What Will a Campaign Make Possible?
The Smithsonian is deeply grateful to Congress and, IDEAS through its members, the American people for the annual Foster collaborative thinking. The Smithsonian has federal appropriation that funds the core of our opera- created four consortia that correspond to the four grand tions. Government dollars keep our buildings open and challenges in our strategic plan. While 85 percent of accessible to the public, maintain the invaluable national funds raised by the campaign will support work taking collections, and fund a large percentage of the place within the museums and centers, the consortia Smithsonian’s workforce. will create a space into which expertise and creativity from every corner of the Institution can flow across While the Smithsonian could not open its doors without art, culture, history, and science. strong and continuing federal funding, we know that a vibrant future depends on private support. To realize RESEARCH our potential, we must create a culture of philanthropy, Advance knowledge. The increase and diffusion of helping Americans realize what their gifts make possible. knowledge is the Smithsonian’s mission. We will expand our cutting-edge research, which enhances what we know, A successful campaign will strengthen our endowment, helps solve complex problems, and at the same time, trains helping us grow wisely in good economic times and the next generation of scholars. weather bad ones. It will give us the freedom to live our beliefs, stewarding our lands and creating sustainable EXAMPLES spaces that walk the talk of environmental responsibility. Fifty endowed fellowships It will enlarge our base of annual support, enable us Environmental research on forest ecology, to realize our goals, and engage the next generation of Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and donors in the Smithsonian’s work. Tropical Research Center
A successful campaign will allow us to invest in: Documentation and preservation of indigenous lan- guages, National Museum of Natural History PEOPLE Applied research on international indigenous rights, Recruit and retain innovative thinkers. How do we National Museum of the American Indian prepare for a future none of us can foresee? By attracting the people who will make a difference and freeing them to create and discover, to take us beyond linear advances to the next big leap. Through a successful campaign, we will endow positions for directors, fellows, curators, and educators, who can continually replenish the intellectual capital that is the heart of all we do and the key to what we can accomplish.
EXAMPLES Sixty endowed directorships, curators, educators, and scientists Leadership staff training, Smithsonian Leadership Development Program
6 1002435_Smithsonian.qxp:Layout 1 6/29/10 1:22 PM Page 7
SMITHSONIAN CAMPAIGN BRIEFING PAPER
TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITIONS Extend our virtual reach. Ongoing investments in Spark discovery. The Smithsonian creates experiences technology will vastly accelerate the Smithsonian’s creative that set visitors on a path to discovery that continues in use of the online world. By seamlessly connecting our their homes, schools, and work places. We will reconfigure museums and centers to each other, and then to the out- onsite, online, and traveling exhibitions and galleries side world, we can speed the transfer of knowledge, share to develop ideas and place objects in the context of their our resources, and take visitors from the depth of the time to enhance their relevance and power. New online oceans to new galaxies and distant cultures with the touch exhibitions, along with video games, mobile phone apps, of a button. and the application of new media to historical artifacts will enliven physical and virtual museum experiences. EXAMPLES Smithsonian Commons, Office of the Chief EXAMPLES Information Officer Social and Cultural History of the Technology of Aviation, National Air and Space Museum Online National Design Museum, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum “Unruly Crossings,” Smithsonian Latino Center Nam June Paik Media Center, Smithsonian American “The Smithsonian’s in Town!,” Smithsonian Traveling Art Museum Exhibition Service Digitization of the Smithsonian collections COLLECTIONS Center for Visual Media Preservation, Smithsonian Preserve our heritage. By digitizing a larger percentage Institution Archives of the objects in the collections, we will increase public access, animate the artifacts themselves, and add context EDUCATION through access to additional information. We will free Enhance learning. We will use Smithsonian resources to collections from the confines of storage and place them strengthen education in America and encourage learning in service to the stories that define us and the science in people of all ages. Comprehensive efforts to reshape that advances us. education within the Smithsonian include learning centers within museums, a renewed effort to develop curricula, EXAMPLES and symposia for educators. By creating stronger online Conservation of rare books and manuscripts, tools that correspond to the ways young people prefer to Smithsonian Institution Libraries learn, we will take a giant step forward in meeting our Curation of the orchid collections, Smithsonian ambitious goal to expand education. Gardens EXAMPLES Expansion of regional collecting ability, Archives of Museum Academy Program, Anacostia Community American Art Museum Conservation enhancement, Museum Conservation Nature Camp, National Zoological Park Institute Hirshhorn Institute, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
7 1002435_Smithsonian.qxp:Layout 1 6/29/10 10:03 AM Page 8
SMITHSONIAN CAMPAIGN BRIEFING PAPER
What Will a Campaign Make Possible? (continued)
PROGRAMS SPACES Bring scholarship, collections, and culture to life. The Build sustainable spaces and refurbish historic ones. Smithsonian’s programs are the connective tissue between Green spaces will allow the Smithsonian to honor its our museums, our collaborators, and the public. They commitment to the environment. The campaign will help highlight the major themes of exhibitions and use all us develop such spaces while they advance our long-term forms of expression—music, dance, art, photography vision, accommodate collaborations, and feature the —to showcase history and culture. They make science technology to broadcast our message beyond our walls. accessible to lay and professional audiences, offer We will enhance the visitor experience, provide state-of-the- “behind-the-scenes access,” develop citizen scientists, foster art laboratories for our researchers and conservators, and artistic competitions, and build virtual experiences. build learning centers to capture and hold the attention of students young and old. EXAMPLES Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, National EXAMPLES Portrait Gallery Construction of a new museum, National Museum of Vietnamese Heritage Project, Asian Pacific American African American History and Culture Program Chinese Galleries, Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur Africa-related symposia and conferences, National M. Sackler Gallery Museum of African Art Arts and Industries Building Encyclopedia of Sound, Center for Folklife and Cultural William H. Gross Stamp Gallery, National Postal Heritage Museum West Wing renovations, National Museum of American History Giant Magellan Telescope, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Discovery Theater, The Smithsonian Associates
8 1002435_Smithsonian.qxp:Layout 1 6/29/10 10:03 AM Page 9
SMITHSONIAN CAMPAIGN BRIEFING PAPER
Vast Presence, Infinite Potential
THE SMITHSONIAN WAS FOUNDED on an extraordinary act of philanthropy. James Smithson took a leap of faith when he invested in our young republic. He saw America as a place that hungered for knowledge, that was willing to take risks, that had a robust appetite for change. These characteristics still define the Smithsonian today.
TO REALIZE OUR VISION, we once again look to philanthropy, only now we seek many gifts to build upon the one. Every American has a stake in our future. A gift to the Smithsonian is a gift to the nation. It will ensure our legacy. It has the potential to benefit every community, every teacher and schoolchild, in America. It is a gift to the world, for as we erase boundaries we unleash goodwill and speed cooperation between science, institutions, academia, and even governments.
THE SMITHSONIAN HAS A PRESENCE much larger than its footprint, and a potential even larger than its presence. Your participation in the upcoming campaign will preserve America’s past, transform the present, and most important, influence the future.
9 1002435_Smithsonian.qxp:Layout 1 6/29/10 10:03 AM Page 10
Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Information SI Building, Room 490 MRC 035, P.O. Box 37012 Washington, D.C. 20013-7012 Phone: (202) 633-1000 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.smithsonian.org