Met Museum staffers are now preparing some of the art it owns for auction to try to pay off creditors.
With resigned looks on their faces, board members and Met supporters filed out of the building one last time together. Museum Board President Stewart Randall announced, "Regrettably, on behalf of the board of trustees the Met is closing effective today."
Sunday turned out to be the last time visitors were able to enjoy the exhibits at the Met. Executive Director Dana Thorpe said the closure comes even though recent exhibits were well-attended. Thorpe said, "The monthly expenses of the museum in this most difficult economy have exceeded our revenue."
Twelve employees received their final paychecks Tuesday with paid vacation. The money came from a loan from "Friends of the Met."
Ten other staffers will remain for the next phase, which Met Museum financial advisor Riley Walter said, "Will be to bundle up the traveling exhibits and send them back, and prepare things for an orderly liquidation."
Walter believes the Met can raise up to seven-million dollars through art auctions to help pay construction costs. The Met is still about five-million dollars in debt.
For a quarter of a century, many kids were introduced to art and culture at the museum. Thorpe said, "My heart breaks for the children of the community. Many of whom never have the opportunity to leave Fresno."
The city of Fresno owns the property. It guaranteed a 15-million dollar loan which the museum defaulted on. It now seeks new tenants and officials have been talking with Elizabeth Laval from the Pop Laval Foundation and the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame as possible tenants.
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Statement from Fresno Metropolitan Museum President Stewart Randall
January 5, 2010
Dear Met Supporter and Friend,
A Museum is an exercise in hope. The impact that the arts play in the lives of the people that they touch and the experiences and memories that they create are life-long. Museums change people and communities over generations. While we may never know what caused the creative spark in a child during a museum visit we can see the fire of innovation, change and growth in our community that it ignited.
Your support has helped to keep this hope alive and burning in Fresno. The Fresno Metropolitan Museum has served nearly 3 million people over the last 25 years; 60% of those children. While we may never know if it was a visit to the Met that eventually led a child into a globally changing career in science or allowed a young artist to be inspired to change Fresno for the better, we do know that along with you we were there for a time, ready and able to light the fire.
It is with a heavy heart today that the Met says goodbye, closing its doors after more than two decades in Fresno. While the Museum has closed, please know that your support was not in vain; you helped to provide wonderful Museum experiences and allowed hundreds of thousands of families to grow together, learn, and see the world in a new way. Those memories will last a lifetime and for that gift we are eternally grateful.
With Hope,
Stewart Randall
President
on behalf of the Board of Trustees and Staff
of the Fresno Metropolitan Museum
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Mayor Swearengin Issues Statement on Met Closing
FRESNO - Mayor Ashley Swearengin today issued the following statement after Fresno Metropolitan Museum officials announced that the museum will be closing its doors indefinitely effective today:
"This is a sad day for the City of Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley because the Met has contributed so much to our region over the past 25 years. Today's announcement is an unfortunate reflection of the challenging economic circumstances that museums throughout the country have been facing in recent years.
"The Met's patrons, supporters and staff deserve our sincere appreciation for the critical role they have played in our City's cultural landscape since the 1980s. The Met was a catalyst in our community and made a real difference in the lives of so many of our residents.
"I appreciate that Met officials have been working with the City on an orderly transition that will allow us to stay focused on three important: areas: (1) leasing the building, (2) securing long-term financing using New Market Tax Credits, and (3) pursuing the longer-term development of the block in a manner consistent with the concept of the Cultural Arts District. We are making progress on all three fronts."
