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Why these services are neededSpecial exhibitions are central to the mission of the modern art museum that, for better or for worse, has been transformed into a broad-based cultural center serving a diverse audience. Lately, aggressive building programs have increased the space available for temporary shows. As tourist destinations that bring prestige and income to cities, museums and popular exhibitions are now perceived as vital municipal assets. The survival of art museums today depends on a regular schedule of crowd-pleasing exhibitions. Yet a museum also has a primary duty to serve and conserve its own collections. For many smaller museums, with limited budgets and staffs, this is a dilemma, as they find themselves torn between the permanent and the transitory. This situation is often deplored as “The Blockbuster Phenomenon,” but it offers opportunities as well as challenges.
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