Museums Seek New Blood
It looks like the city’s cultural institutions are getting serious about developing their young-adult clientele. Notes Newberry Library director of media relations Moyra Knight: “Many of the not-for-profits these days are having to extend themselves to get young adults interested in the programs they offer.” Within the past 12 months the Newberry, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Museum of Science and Industry have launched social organizations aimed at the 25-to-40 age group similar to those already in place at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Art Institute, and Lincoln Park Zoo. They’re
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The Newberry–where once a letter of recommendation was required to use the achives–is clearly trying to change its image: at a western-themed party September 9 to kick off its new group, the Newberry Chapter, a country band called Barney and the Barnstormers serenaded some 200 guests in the library’s stately quarters. The group plans to host more soirees, as well as informal monthly discussion groups to talk about current library exhibits and related topics. Explains Jill Lloyd, the library’s director of individual gifts: “If [young adults] are educated about the institution, chances are better that they will want to use it.” At the Newberry, as at most of the other establishments, any talk about financial contribution beyond membership dues is low-key or nonexistent, but clearly the expectation is that over the long term the commitment will lead to more substantial financial support. “Eventually, we would hope that the new chapter will become a source of funding for us,” says Lloyd. The Newberry is trying to retire an accrued deficit of approximately $600,000.
Wolter has been associated with both the American Cancer Society and the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations. He says he grew disenchanted with those two organizations because there was little sense of involvement beyond raising money. “I didn’t want to just be a fund-raiser.”
