You know it's bad news that Alice Walton is visiting your museum when officials refuse to confirm or deny her visit. Smaller museums don't typically shuttle major collectors in through the back door under cloak of night.
After a Maier Museum of Art insider tipped her off to the trip, diligent reporter Christa Desrets checked flight records at the private-jet terminal at Lynchburg's airport. A twenty million–dollar jet flying from and later returning to Mineral Wells, Texas (Walton's home)? The Crystal Bridges logo (pictured above) couldn't make it any clearer.
What's so wrong with Walton dropping in? Nothing, per se—it's the museum who's treating her like she's poison. Perhaps they know as well as I do that it's bad museum policy to start thinking about deaccession only after a deep-pocketed baron expresses interest in something in the collection. That would be something to be ashamed about, though it's far from clear that anything of the sort is going on.
Posted by Kriston at May 10, 2007 9:48 AMIt may be the other way round. It may be the Museum started thinking about deaccessioning as a way to ameliorate the college financial problems and cast around for a deep-pocketed baron. If that's the case, Walton would have come to look at the work (works?) being peddled; if she's willing to think about a price in the same ballpark as the Museum is asking, then maybe something can be negotiated; if not, well, least said, soonest mended.
Posted by: jim at May 10, 2007 8:57 PMHer people have also been calling other museum's staff and asking what it would take for them to come work for her. I'm not aware of any deaccession policy for employees but start making your benefits wish list now.
Posted by: lizbeth at May 10, 2007 10:59 PMWill the museum have greeters?
Posted by: wwc at May 14, 2007 1:49 PM