Curator versus MBA?

Hello, thanks for coming to my blog. I value your opinion and seek your input.

One of the current controversies facing museums is regarding what should be the skill set of museum directors. Should a museum director have a curatorial background, or is it more important that the director have a business background, i.e. an MBA? What do you think?

There’ve been some efforts to train curators in the field of business management and to give them the opportunity to learn more business-related skills such as finance, accounting and marketing. See this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/arts/artsspecial/12curators.html

Much of what I’ve read refers to the “new” skill set that museum directors need to have, which of course are similar to the business skills listed above. One quote I read said that today’s museum directors need to be more “project manager and merchandiser rather than curator or connoisseur. Today’s museum director is much less involved in the content and ‘art’ of the position, and much more concerned with budgets, fundraising, board relations and personnel management.” [James Abruzzo]. Interesting…

Where do I stand? Since I have an MBA I’m probably biased. I believe that the ideal museum director has the financial and leadership skills necessary to lead a complex, cultural institution, and they must also possess an appreciation for the special role museums have as non-profit institutions whose primary mission is to actively serve the public. I do think a solid set of financial and management skills are critically important.

Please let me know your thoughts...