download the 2008-2009 annual report - Norman Rockwell Museum

director’s report continuedbeing utilized by visiting scholars in arange of exciting projects, is soon to beaccessible via the Web.The Museum made public announcementof its $25 million “SharingRockwell’s Legacy” campaign, with$18 million raised to date, which includes$10 million in gifts of artwork.The Berkshire County phase of thecampaign is underway. The Museumis grateful for the generosity of its donors,and, especially, for the profoundgenerosity of its Trustees, who in theface of the recession gave munificently,making this year one of the Museum’sstrongest philanthropic years ever.The Museum was not unaffected bythe global economic challenges, andexperienced an across-the-boardsoftening of its revenues, includingdiminished consumer spending andinvestment portfolio declines. As notedabove, the Board of Trustees respondedwith robust fundraising commitments.Attendance held steady with seasonalups and downs, and philanthropy remainedstrong, particularly in the areaof gifts of artwork.Museum management moved swiftly toprune the expense budget with a 10%reduction in spending, achieved by rebalancingthe Museum’s exhibition budgetand instituting a staff salary rollbackthat ranged from 5 to 20% and succeededin maintaining all staff positionsin this fiscal year. The Museum alsolaunched a series of audience recruitmentand marketing strategies in additionto the Museum’s 40th anniversarypublic relations activities. These rangedfrom implementing Free Tuesdays dur-together the Library of Congress,8 9ing the winter months, to communitypartnerships and joint ticketing withneighboring museums to maximize consumervalue. The Museum reached outto new audiences with a series of programs,events, and partnerships withcommunity organizations.A Year of Excitement andChangeWhile celebrating the Museum’s successes,the Board of Trustees also laidthe groundwork for the future duringits annual strategic planning retreat inMarch, led this year by Anthony KnerrAssociates.The Museum embarked on a number offorward-looking projects that point theway to our 50th anniversary, including:• Master planning with Ann BehaArchitects, made possible by thereceipt of a Cultural FacilitiesFund planning grant by theCommonwealth of Massachusettsto address the Museum’s agingcampus infrastructure and emergingmaintenance needs• “Sharing Rockwell’s Legacy” campaignto strengthen the Museum’s financialresources• Web 2.0 strategies, including plans forthe Web launch of ProjectNORMAN,to connect to and communicate withnew audiences• New audience cultivation to introduceand connect the next generations ofaudiences to the timeless and timelyideals of Norman Rockwell• Inaugural meeting of the IllustrationPartnership Network, an initiative ofthe Rockwell Center for AmericanVisual Studies, which broughtBrandywine River Museum, DelawareArt Museum, Eric Carle Museum,Hallmark Collection, Illustration HouseArchives, New Britain Museum ofAmerican Art, John Falter Collectionat the Nebraska Historical Society,Society of Illustrators, Museum ofAmerican Illustration, and the AlParker Archive and Modern GraphicLibrary at Washington University inSt. Louis• Further growth of the Museum’s artcollectionsI want to thank and celebrate thegenerations of founders, visionaryleaders, and all people who establishedand support this remarkable Museum,including President Dan Cain andour dedicated Board of Trustees whohelped produce a most celebratoryyear while navigating the challengingfinancial environment. Focused on theMuseum’s blessings and bottom line,we ended the year strongly poisedto enter our next decade, wise to thechallenges ahead and attuned to theMuseum’s many strengths, as well asareas needing investment.I want especially to acknowledge thegood work of the Museum’s professionalstaff, who navigated an exceptionallyexhilarating and unpredictableyear, and graciously and valiantlymade personal sacrifices. They havebeen able stewards of the Museum’scollections and resources, balancingthe preservation and accessibility ofthese nationally important collectionswith the realities of reduced resources.It is their dedication that allowed us tolaunch, after nearly a decade of work,ProjectNORMAN and the RockwellCenter for American Visual Studies—crowning achievements of our 40thanniversary that will pave the way toour 50th and beyond.Laurie Norton MoffattDirector/CEOSeptember 2009