Museum Mission Statement

To classify an organization as a museum creates a blanket statement that prevents the actual purpose of the institution from shining through, which is why having an eloquent and functional mission statement is crucial. A mission statement not only “articulates the museum’s educational focus and purpose and its role and responsibility to the public and its collections”, but acts as the lighthouse for the museum staff; underneath the guiding oath of a mission statement, a museum is able to achieve full potential. The Toledo Museum of Art’s current mission statement is “through our collection and programs, we strive to integrate art into the lives of people”, which isn’t necessarily wrong but doesn’t highlight the unique qualities of the art

In the updated mission statement, the museum is better publicized as what it truly is, a creative learning center and venue in addition to a gallery with a widespread collection of great works of art. Previously, the mission statement acknowledged the presence of programs and how they somehow try to connect to the community, but it just didn’t do the museum justice. Alternatively, the new statement hints at the openness of the museum to all walks of people and the versatility it offers. The pivotal role of a museum is to act as an educational experience, but to achieve this it must be more available to the general public and offer various outlets. Furthermore, the revised mission statement implies that the offered programs are actually more diverse than just painting and this allows room for the museum itself to grow, as explained that “the mission gives the governing authority a foundation from which it can strategize”. With a centralized focus on open education, the museum can develop more studios or outreach programs over time, rather than be limited to the existing opportunities. In addition to this, the museum may become more recognized as an establishment to hold

With the implementation of a new mission statement, the museum can continue its path to success and inspire other institutions to improve themselves. As the new mission addresses itself as a place for anyone to come and enjoy, it promotes the fact that the museum has free admission and free programs. For a community to have access to free educational opportunities would increase the overall quality of life there. Further contributions to the community made by the museum include: “the Family Center…offering art-based activities free of charge”, “an active scholarship program to support students who would not have the access or means to pursue art classes”, the “ArtReach program [which] brings art to the community through partnerships with organizations serving disadvantaged youth such as Adelante, the Ella P. Stewart Academy and the Sofia Quintero Community Center”. Another major project and innovation of the museum is the use of solar panels and micro turbines to power the main museum building; harnessing clean energy is a progressive move that only strengthens the museum. Also, the parallel drawn between the innovative technology, the classical architecture, and historic neighborhood location make the museum stand out more and prove that progress is possible within the community. With the mention of environmental conservation in the mission