The Maxwell Anderson 100 day plan continues to roll out new initiatives at the Dallas Museum of Art. The latest is the new DMA “Dashboard,” a neatly organized website that offers easy access to facts and figures about the museum. For example, did you know there are currently twenty scholars requesting images of work in the DMA collection? Or that 29 percent of the collection is insured (at a total value of $400 million). I like this page which shows the annual fundraisers and their impact on the museum. Two x Two, you might have guessed, is by far the biggest fundraiser for the DMA, bringing in more than $1.7 million in 2011. Coming in second is the Art Ball ($958K).
In short, it’s a nifty thing, but as a colleague said, “I’m underwhelmed.” Sure, it’s not exactly sexy, but it is a gesture that shows Anderson’s commitment to transparency and how he values the museum’s identity as a public entity. I like Jerome Weeks’ challenge: what other North Texas institution is going to follow suit?
