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Friday 9 April 2010

Yours Respectfully: 20 Questions,

Memo to the PMA's Timothy Rub

To: Timothy Rub, Director, Philadelphia Museum of Art
From: Richard Carreno, Writers Clearinghouse
Date: 9 April 2010
Re: Various Matters

* How about a round-trip Septa bus shuttling from City Hall to the Museum, with a few stops along the Parkway in between? 

* Don't skimp on special exhibition catalogs. Viz. Picasso exhibition.

* When will the parking lot at Eakins Oval be 'greened'?

* Any chance you can extend serving hours at the Perelman Building cafe? People are actually there in the afternoon.

* Man up to guards' labor issue with your personal support. Allied Barton personnel need a new contract with a living wage.

* Expand shuttle bus service from Museum to Fairmount Park satellite sites at Mt. Pleasant and Cedar Grove.

* Why not create dual membership/admission policy with University of Pennsylvania Museum, an institution that complements PMA's encyclopedic mission? Throw in a shuttle bus service, as well?

* Reorganize the trustee board that it represents heavy-hitters, not just feel-good marquee names. (You lost in the Walter and Lee Annenberg collection in 2004. That kind of mistake should never happen again).

* Publish, publish, publish.

* When are you going to establish free admission like you did at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Or, at least pay what you wish, as is the case at the Met?

* Why not sell special exhibit merchandise (t-shirts, posters, and the like) at the base of the 'Rocky' steps to compete with hawkers?

* Ticket agents should lose the 'Mickey D' spiel when selling tickets to members. Yes, photos aren't permitted. Mobile phones should be powered off. We know already.

* You know those defunct Reading Railroad tracks that run under the Parkway? Can they be re-purposed as Septa's Parkway subway line, with a principal stop chez vous?

* Is the Museum getting too self-satisfied? Just wondering.

* Acquire sculptures by Eric Gill. Jeez, how about one?

* Why is admission to special exhibitions free with admission, as is the case at the Met?

* More fashion, more textiles, on permanent display. Men's fashions and speciality fashions should be included. (See the Victoria & Albert).

* Establish a formal curatorial division in cinema studies.

* Instruct guards to lighten up. They're not wannabe TSA agents.

* Keep it innovative. Keep it conservative.