Cincinnati's small, mid-size arts groups especially vulnerable amid pandemic - Taft Museum of Art

When the Taft Museum of Art had to close March 13, an engaging exhibition, “N.C. Wyeth: New Perspectives,” was halfway into its run. The museum was preparing to put up its garden tent for summer weddings and events, which generates nearly half of its earned revenue.

And things were moving forward on a much-anticipated renovation of the museum’s historic home, celebrating the bicentennial of its original building this year. In January, the Taft was awarded a $750,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities toward a new HVAC system and repairs to the façade and internal infrastructure of the house, a National Historic Landmark. 

The museum has been conducting a quiet phrase of a fundraising campaign named “Love this House” to complete its efforts.

“People love this house, and the response has been very positive. I’m optimistic. I never doubted raising the funds to do what needs to be done to preserve this very important part of Cincinnati history,” said Deborah Emont Scott, president and CEO.

Now, the renovation is delayed and exhibitions are hold. Scott hopes to extend the Wyeth show for their reopening, if its loaning institutions will agree. Meanwhile, she is trying to hang onto her staff. With an operating budget of $5.1 million, the museum has 40 full-time employees (including security) and 25 part-time staff.

“As far as pay, we are committing in two-week increments,” she said. “We are trying to keep the Taft family strong and are finding tasks for our hourly workers to do while they are not at the museum.”

She doesn’t know when the museum might reopen.

“We all need to be leaders right now. You need to lead in your family, in your neighborhood, in your church, from afar. And we need to be leading our teams. There’s no problem with people stepping up and helping people feel connected,” she said. “I think people will rediscover the importance of family. If I was a director of a museum in New York City, this conversation would be different. We’ve been spared the horror of what they are experiencing.”

Of next year’s exhibitions, one thing is certain, she said: “We will have Antique Christmas.”