Grumble, grumble.
The Honolulu Museum of Art (formerly the Honolulu Academy of Arts) rolled out new membership plans earlier this year, with more changes that went into effect this week. The latest changes lower the cost of basic membership to just $25, and do away with a number of higher cost membership categories. It’s an interesting move.
But one of the casualties is the loss of what has been by far our favorite perk of museum membership–participation in reciprocal programs that have allowed us membership privileges at art museums across the country while traveling. Basically, this gets you in the door for free at dozens of the top museums in the country. The major reciprocal programs have been the Art Museum Reciprocal Network and the Western Reciprocal program.
But the reciprocal programs have apparently been quietly cut from the list of member benefits. I understand that this is partly because the Museum of Art has lots of visitors from elsewhere who get in for free using their reciprocal memberships. So by dropping out of the reciprocal programs, they can capture more income from the tourist traffic. Apparently we’re just collateral damage in a move to bolster the museum’s budget.
When I say the change was quiet, I mean that I’ve seen no mention of it and only learned of it when someone associated with the museum mentioned the change in passing. I’m guessing this is going to come as a surprise to others who, like us, have made lots of use of it.
I have no idea what it previously cost the museum to offer these reciprocal programs, but they certainly encouraged us to contribute at a higher level than we might otherwise have done. So this is a change that hurts.
When our current membership expires next year, we’ll have a problem. I’m thinking the solution will probably be to cut back on our support for the Honolulu Museum of Art in order to also become members of a mainland museum that retains its reciprocal programs. I’ll probably feel a little guilty at diverting some of our dollars to an out of state museum, but will probably do it anyway, at least as long as others are offering the reciprocal benefits.
Discover more from i L i n d
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
They’re not the only ones dropping reciprocal benefits. I think the Honolulu Zoological Society also dropped that.
Thanks for the tip about looking for a mainland museum to join for the reciprocal benefits. We may do that before our next trip.
Another casuality is the student membership, which at $20 was a great deal, and entitled one to virtually all of the perks including invitations to select opening-night exhibition previews, and a 10% discount at the shop and cafes. The new $25 level represents a 25% rate increase for students, and eliminates all of the perks. I fail to see how hiking rates on students “increases the museum’s accessibility” but perhaps educating students is no longer in the museums best interest.
In case you are interested, Bishop Museum maintains its ASTC Passport Program at the “Patron” level ($120 covers two adults) which offers free or discounted admission to more than 300 natural history and science museums worldwide.
Kudos for starting your post with “Grumble. Grumble.” At least it’s clear at the outset that what follows is a little personal venting and not a journalistic exegesis.
You could — and I think should — have done the same with your little rant about the picnic tables at the park over the weekend. There was nothing it in that warranted the heading “Picnic tables in Kaaawa tell a tale of poor management of city parks” or the broad statement that “I’m sure this little park in Kaaawa is not alone in being neglected by the city. It’s a sad comment on the management of public resources.” I get that there is a problem at THAT park and you were within your rights to grumble about it. But you made a mountain out of a molehill with nothing to back it up.
So, start with grumble, grumble and avoid the grand pronouncements to keep it all in perspective.
Well, perhaps. However, our sample includes several parks in Kaaawa. And anecdotal evidence suggests this is not an isolated issue. Remember the news stories about park restrooms? Presuming that this does not reflect a larger problem in the parks department and the city would be a mistake, in my view.
I’m not suggesting that you presume that it’s not a reflection, only that you not presume that it is in the absence of something more than casual observation.
After all, you asked a number of questions that might suggest such a presumption is valid but you did not answer them. You also could have asked — but did not — a number of questions the answers to which might have suggested such a presumption is not valid, e.g., has the City allocated money only to the most heavily used parks because of limited funds?; has the councilperson with jurisdiction insisted that funds be appropriated for other parks/purposes in the district?; has the City tried to make the repairs but been thwarted by bogus procurement law protests: or did a private contractor awarded the contract as required by procurement law fail to do the original work pursuant to design standards or fail to undertake the repair work?
You seem to forget, like Larry Geller, another habitual grumbler, that these grand, sweeping statements often demonize real, hardworking individual people as failing parts of a big impersonal government machine. It’s demoralizing and gives government workers little incentive to respond to legitimate complaints about park conditions like this with more than a standard bureaucratic answer.
At least if you’re going to make such pronouncements, try make an equal number about individual acts of goodness that many, if not most, public employees do each and every day. But I guess a journalist/blogger’s job, like an auditor’s, is only to find and report bad news and to take the good news for granted. It’s there if you look for it.
I read your off-the-cuff, personal ruminations with as much interest as your more traditional investigative type pieces. But the “problem” with blogs is that the two are often not distinguished and, rightly or wrongly, I think that fuels the disdain of people like Clayton Hee who do not want to extend the reporter’s privilege to bloggers.
Of course, he probably would oppose such an extension even if your blog consisted only of traditional journalistic pieces.
ohiaforest3400: Oh, FFS. It’s a personal blog with a mixture of newsy stuff and personal observations. It’s not the New York Times. Calm down.
Shucks, I’m not up on my acronyms . . . .
Just as well. . .
I noted your photo and item about the picnic tables in Kaaawa park and couldn’t help remembering how former mayor Frank Fasi would travel around the island on the weekends taking photos of city facilities that needed attention. At our cabinet meetings on Tuesday mornings, Frank would present a slide show accompanied by his own pithy narration, usually directed at whoever was heading the Parks Department at the time. Back then, picnic tables in the condition shown in your photo would have been gone and replaced by Wednesday morning. Or else.
It would be unseemly and a violation of the alleged Aloha Spirit to continue giving tourists anything for free in Hawaii. Shaking down the rubes is the cornerstone of the local economy, right? Hell’s bells … the ungrateful wretches even complain about having to pay money to visit Hanauma Bay or walk up Diamond Head.
My understanding has been that the plumbing damage in our parks on Oahu have been VERY expensive. With copper and bronze pieces being flown into Honolulu that cost hundreds of dollars and air shipping to boot! Because we have no real facilities for the homeless that can address their needs in convenient places – and because we have vandalism — our Park bathrooms are experiencing major use. I believe that these new level of costs have impacted the Park system – along with major funding cuts — and the Park picnic tables is the physical embodiment of that intersection (among other areas of neglect). It would be great if members of the community would donate new picnic tables in memorium to a loved one, or even a politician. When I think about it — one dedicated to Frank Fasi would be a nice touch.
Well said, AJ. (Shake, stir, repeat to satisfy minimum comment length requirement).