The coronavirus threat forced museums to close their doors in March, costing a collective $33 million every day in lost revenue from admission, gift shop sales and event rentals while under protective shutdowns.
In Texas, museums were among the first set of non-essential businesses allowed to reopen with certain restrictions including a 25% visitor capacity limit and the continued closure of interactive exhibits.
How are area museums adjusting to prioritize public health and safety as the viral threat persists? How will the pandemic change the way we interact with museums? Are hands-on exhibits a thing of the past?
How will museums account for lost revenue? Will projects and programming be sacrificed? Will ticket prices go up? Will donors step up? Will smaller museums survive the financial hit?
How are museums planning to tell the story of COVID-19, moving forward? How will this historic event be reflected in future galleries and exhibits?
Guests:
- Emily Sano, interim director of the San Antonio Museum of Art
- Dan Menelly, CEO of The DoSeum
- Marise McDermott, president and CEO of the Witte Museum
- Rachel Trevino, head of communications and marketing at the McNay Art Museum
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*This interview was recorded on Thursday, May 28.
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