11 State Funded Museums Face Funding Cuts

By Amy Lester, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The economy is affecting many different aspects of life in Oklahoma. Now, it's impacting the museums.

Whether museums are funded by the state or by donations many are seeing less money coming in. They're making tough decisions so the doors stay open.

What they're dealing with at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is $1 million drop in donations.

"They were deeply impacted in the market at the end of last year and this year and consequently just don't have those dollars available to give to the causes they believe it," Chuck Schroeder with the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum said.

Add that to no increase in attendance and the museum has to find ways to cut. Two major events are cancelled and all employees took a reduction in pay, that's instead of changing the museum's hours.

"We really need our doors to be open and functioning on a daily basis in order to make all of our business enterprises work," Schroeder said.

The Oklahoma Historical Society also faces money trouble, but, the solution is a bit different.

"The board, the division directors all wanted to keep the impact on our programs and on the things that we do at a very minimum," Michael Dean with the Oklahoma Historical Society said.

Eleven state funded museums will get less money and the History Center will close on Sundays, opening one hour later the rest of the week.

"When that was the slowest day for the week for us in terms of visitors, it just simply made sense that was a place where we could save money," Dean said.

Layoffs are still a possibility at state funded galleries but, not likely at the Cowboy Museum, where they're encouraging the community to keep on supporting their cause.

"I think the important thing is for people to remember how important museums like this are," Schroeder said.

To save money, the Cowboy museum cut its night at the Oscar's event and night before Christmas activities in December.

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art cut their advertising budget and closed the Roof Terrace on Fridays. After doing that, they say the museum's budget is just fine.