Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Smithsonian Exhibits Suffer From Automatic Budget Cuts

The Smithsonian Institution will be forced to drastically reorganize its staff and resources when automatic budget cuts go into effect May 1.

The Smithsonian, the world’s largest museum system, is currently facing a $41 million reduction, or 5 percent, of its $996 million budget. The sequestration spending cuts aim to save the federal government a total of $85 billion.

Rather than cutting entire exhibits or museums, the Smithsonian plans to distribute the cuts across many levels of the institution.

“We are absorbing that cut mostly through deferred maintenance, hire freezing, reduced travel, reduced contracts — administrative things,” Smithsonian Chief Spokesperson Linda St. Thomas said.

St. Thomas added that although the majority of the public would be unaware of most cuts, some of the cutbacks would be immediately apparent to museum-goers.

To cut costs, the Smithsonian will reduce its security force, possibly leaving some exhibitions without supervision. As a result, the museums may have to limit the number of galleries open each day.

“We may have to close some exhibits within art museums, and that will depend on our security for that day,” St. Thomas said.

St. Thomas added, however, that all museums would remain open.

“You might find a closed exhibition within a museum, but you will never find a closed museum,” St. Thomas said.

According to a recent Huffington Post story, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Wayne Clough said that the institution is also cutting some of its educational outreach programs, including the production of digital lesson plans used by 80,000 schools.

Nevertheless, St. Thomas said that the impact on museum visitors would be minimal.

“Saying, ‘Reducing the number of free exhibits’ sounds like we are permanently closing exhibits, and it makes a distinction between free and other [types] … everything is free here,” St. Thomas said. “Only a few exhibitions here and there will be temporarily closed. … We are trying to do the best we can to minimize the impact on the public and visitors.”

Despite St. Thomas’ assurances that the museums would be minimally impacted, some students expressed concern.

Christy Slobogin (COL ’16) pointed to art history classes that rely on Smithsonian exhibits to enrich the course.

“For our art history classes, the most fulfilling part of the class is being able to actually go to the exhibits and experience the art,” Slobogin said. “If there are exhibits that we need to go to, that are closed, that obviously poses an issue. … It’s completely different in real life versus on a computer screen … where you can’t even fully comprehend the detail.”

ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA
ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA
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