Hunter Museum of American Art

Many experts have said that we are in the middle of a recession or a depression. I’m not sure if either description is accurate, but I do believe we are in the middle of some sort of major shift. The media is filled with reports about the changes in the economy, but the shift I’m feeling isn’t just economic—it is political, social, cultural and personal.

The political challenges have never been greater and everything seems to be a high priority these days. Everyone is concerned about getting the economy on the right track with the bailouts of the financial services and auto industries and I even find myself watching the rise and fall of the Dow throughout the day. Unemployment is on the rise, climate change is being actively discussed, alternative energy sources are being sought, health care needs to be reformed, the education system needs to be overhauled and immigration issues continue to be a challenge. All the while the US is actively engaged in fighting two major wars. In addition to these issues, our leaders are striving to improve our standing in the international community. The complexity and weight of these issues alone makes a shift inevitable.

Socially, the shift seems to be moving people away from a fast-paced, consumer-based economy to one that focuses on life experiences. One example that comes to mind is the slow food movement – locally farmed, fresh, organic and healthy food. People may not be traveling far from home this summer; instead the trend seems to be discovering experiences in their own backyards. People are also realizing the importance of spending time with family and friends.

The dramatic decrease of personal and institutional investment portfolios has created uncertain times in cultural organizations across the country. At the Hunter, we have tightened our belts by reducing our operating expenses while we strive to fulfill our mission to collect, preserve and interpret our collection of American art. So far, so good—our visitation is growing and more people are using the Hunter than ever before. We have also been encouraged that a number of volunteers representing the next generation of patrons have become very active at the Hunter.

My personal challenge as the leader of a cultural organization is to successfully navigate the transition as we make the shift from where we are today to where we will be in the future. The balancing act includes keeping long standing supporters engaged and getting a new generation of patrons involved. From a management perspective, we simply need to figure out how to do more with less. This is easier said than done because we are already running pretty lean. We may make further adjustments by reducing the number of temporary exhibitions, curtailing some of our public programs and decreasing other operating expenses. However, we remain committed to our tradition of bringing high quality art experiences to the Chattanooga community.

Rob A. Kret, Hunter Museum Director