PLANS TO merge the Irish Museum of Modern Art (Imma), the National Gallery and the Crawford Gallery must not undermine the individual museums, Minister for Arts Martin Cullen said yesterday.
Mr Cullen said it would be a “wrong approach” and a “great shame” if, in seeking to amalgamate the galleries, they were “diminished” by the process.
It emerged last August that the Department of Finance had suggested merging the three main State galleries as part of the Government plan to rationalise State agencies. The planned merger was subsequently included in last year’s budget and later the Department of Arts said it was looking at how it might proceed.
Mr Cullen said yesterday the “potential for synergy” could be looked at “but I certainly do not want to take an approach that would any way undermine, remove or diminish the impact of all those museums in their own rights.
“I think that they do have very distinctive audiences, very distinctive markets to pursue and I think the whole of the three adds greatly to the capacity of our cultural institutes in the country. I am determined that whatever overarching synergies and cost-effectiveness can be brought, the strength of the brands would remain and remain very strongly in place.”
Mr Cullen was speaking at the unveiling of Imma’s programme for 2009, which includes overseas exhibitions and collaborations with foreign institutions such as the New York Museum of Modern Art. He emphasised the importance of Imma to the country’s economy: it currently attracts more than 400,000 visitors every year, with overseas visitors accounting for 40 per cent.
The 2009 programme includes the first European exhibition of jewellery from American artist Alexander Calder, while a photographic exhibition from the NY Museum of Modern Art, Picturing New York, will also go on display.
The museum plans to charge entry to these exhibitions, blaming budgetary constraints. However, Imma director Enrique Juncosa said it was not a change of policy, but a measure due to specific costs.
The programme includes solo exhibitions by American artists Elizabeth Peyton, Terry Winters and Lynda Benglis; 27 works from British artist Hughie O’Donoghue; and works from Irish artist James Coleman including some not seen before in Ireland. A collaborative display will mark poet Seamus Heaney’s 70th birthday, featuring book collaborations, and artworks from the Imma collection and on loan from the Ulster Museum.
