Trouble at the Brooklyn Children's Museum

whynot_31 · March 2015

To survive, local restaurants and landlords gear their products and services toward the customer base they believe represents the present and the future.

To the surprise of some, the Brooklyn Children's Museum is engaging in the same practices: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/07/nyregion/with-expansion-brooklyn-childrens-museum-is-accused-of-forsaking-its-community.html?_r=1

I can't say it comes as a surprise to me.

I consider myself intimately aware of the fiscal challenges faced by non-profits, and recently watched a friend establish a facebook group for Crown Heights Parents.

It gained over 100 members in a matter of days: https://www.facebook.com/groups/386656808173738/?ref=bookmarks

-Past donations and patronage do not purchase future loyalty.

-The Children's Museum is going to act in a manner that it believes best assures its survival.

whynot_31 · March 2015

Brownstoner has a thread discussing the article as well:

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2015/03/outpost-of-childrens-museum-in-dumbo-condo-stirs-gentrification-debate/#comment-1581215

clayfilms · March 2015

Very interesting.

crownheightster · March 2015

I find this very interesting. However, the PR manager quoted in the article said that she was disappointed that the new annex would be in DUMBO and not in a black or hispanic neighborhood. My response is that the mothership is already IN a majority black neighborhood! I hope they bleed the tourists dry at the DUMBO annex and bring all that money back to CH and beef up their programming.

rogers_sterling · March 2015

I do think you can draw a distinction between the Children's Museum and a restaurant--the prior being, presumably, a not for profit, and the other being an entity that exists solely to make a profit (despite what the chef wants you think about eating locally, etc.). I don't necessarily think that opening its outpost in DUMBO is wrong, however I can understand how those in a community who have contributed to an institution, and have foregone benefits due to the Museum's tax exempt status, may have a bone to pick with the fact that a museum that has operated for over 100 years decides to branch out in a community that arguably contributed very little to its early existence.

Essentially, I agree with @whynot_31 that this is not a surprise, but I also think the misgivings by local residents are valid and worthy of consideration.

Also, the comments by the Museum leadership about the events feeling too "local" is off-putting and should be addressed.

dl · March 2015

I can see locals also worrying that the newer, shinier, more exciting events and exhibits would be focused on the Dumbo location, with the CH location getting less of the attention.

It's odd to me that the museum would shift focus to Dumbo now, when there are probably more higher-income families moving to CH than nearly anytime in its history.

crownheightster · March 2015

On a much smaller scale, Ample Hills started in Prospect Heights and has DUMBO/Brooklyn Bridge Park outposts in order to make money. I see this as a win for everyone, especially if more money comes into the institution and they can offer even more enrichment for the kids. I think that the swelling of the child population in Brooklyn is driving this and that I would rather see a Children's Museum outpost than a TJ Maxx or something like that.

whatchuwant · March 2015

But I LOOOOOOOOOVEEEEEE TJ Maxx!

whynot_31 · March 2015

I think we are seeing a swell in the population of children who have families able and willing to take their children to museums (...and museum gift shops), rather than merely an increase in children.

Why shouldn't the Brooklyn Children's Museum respond?

booklaw · March 2015

I used to bring my kids to the BCM thirty years ago, when they were young (I now bring my grandchild). At that time, there was little or nothing afrocentric about the museum... it was a science-oriented museum for kids, period.

20-25 years ago, it changed, and began to cater to the desires of the immediate neighborhood.

whatchuwant · March 2015

Change is good. Museums need money- they need to go where the money is. No one's taking the museum away from the residents- there's a new generation made up of many ethnicities being raised in this city and I think it's important to acknowledge that and the changes that come with it.

dac545 · March 2015

What was the museum like during the time that it catered "to the desires of the immediate neighborhood"?

whynot_31 · March 2015

@clayfilms -
I hope you don't mind me publicly mentioning that:
I imagine that you were often taken to BCM as a kid, and suspect that you now frequent it with the little guy I often see you with.

Do you have few minutes to type to dac545?

Those seeking a more formal (sterile?) account of how it has changed over time may want to consult this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Children's_Museum

mike dunlap · March 2015

-The Children's Museum is going to act in a manner that it believes best assures its survival.

Thanks.

brooklyndeetz · March 2015

I agree with roger_sterling on many points. When senior leaders make decisions about community programing based on their perception of "local feel", family make-up or a "vision" that does not include the very same community that supported an institution for 113 years, there is a tone of exclusion and much concern. I have been to that Museum several times for events and the population that has heavily supported it has been the immediate community.

Over the last few years the educational programing has been watered down, recycled and plain boring. Except for tots. If this is a living classroom where is the "real" educational value? Who is doing the teaching? Wouldn't it make sense to improve offerings to loyal consumers (through programming, staffing, recruitment and outreach) and then creatively outreach to other communities in ways that speak to them and drive them into the doors of such an historical inspiration in Crown Heights and lead to the discovery of a new neighborhood? Seems like Senior leaders are just plain lazy to roll up their sleeves and get back into the trenches of "community building" in a grassroots way. There also seems to be more to this story with relation to inequality and discrimination, than is being told.

Where is the long term community impact, role, messaging, and employment/mentoring opportunities in the arts for youth (of any ethnic group) to realize a dream of running a non-profit institution in their own neighborhood? Seems like the children's museum falls short here. As leaders in the industry, all those from the board to the staff sign up to uphold a mission to present "Brooklyn's gift to the world" to all children/families, not just the ones that have parents with high paying jobs.

"Brooklyn's gift" has always been a mix of diverse, multi-cultural, and ethnically based - people, places, traditions and things. why would the museum not celebrate and reflect that same diversity in staffing, quality programing and community services to all?

booklaw · March 2015

So you would like to see equal representation of Irish, Italian, Greek, Scandinavian, Jewish and other ethnic groups in the BCM staff and programming, as well as Hispanics and African- and Caribbean-Americans, to represent the many historic communities of Brooklyn?

tsarina · March 2015

When senior leaders make decisions about community programing (sic) based on their perception of "local feel", family make-up or a "vision" that does not include the very same community that supported an institution for 113 years, there is a tone of exclusion and much concern.

And what community supported this museum for 113 years? This neighborhood has been changing continually for all those 113 years. (cant get out of this quote mode)

sprucenik · March 2015

I won't weigh in on the merit (or possibly lack thereof) of opening a BCM satellite in Dumbo, but I did want to chime in to say that many kids from Brooklyn and beyond visit the BCM not with parents but as part of school/camp field trips. Admission for these trips is very affordable for school/camp groups (like maybe $3/kid?), and the educational programming is great - I chaperoned one such trip last year and museum staff did a really good program on gardening. I think this is an important part of the BCM's "added value" to the Brooklyn community.

clayfilms · March 2015

I'll just say this. The Children's museum was like a second home to me as a child (decades ago). And I don't recall such a dramatic shift in programming over the past 30 years. I recall it always having diverse programming related to science, engineering, the environment and dramatic arts.

And honestly, it's been awesome to rediscover it recently as a parent. The museum is TRULY a refuge to parents of all ethnicities (especially over these past 2 crazy winters) and is a FUN and MAGICAL place for children.

I'd really hate to see the services suffer at the main branch as a result of this annex. I personally am very excited to see the new outdoor space at the main branch almost completed

whynot_31 · March 2015

I find somewhat odd that people seem to believe that the main site will suffer as a result of a new branch being established.    It is not unusual for non-profits to have different sites that cater to different clienteles and offer different programming.

For example, the Children's Aid Society has sites around NYC.    Those in wealthy areas run programming that contribute toward the agency's overall overhead, while others sites are exempted. Most of this is largely invisible to the public's eye.

In the winter, it is visible:    Some sites collect toys and food, while others distribute them.

http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/where-it-happens

tsarina · March 2015

yes, they just added that special canopy on the roof. I dont think that anything is going to happen to this location. just improvements. I can see where the annex will excite people to bring their children to the main event. And in turn it will be another child friendly place to visit for the children in our community.

whynot_31 · March 2015

I believe it is reasonable to assume that the entity that is letting BCM occupy a space rent free in DUMBO, clearly feels that having the museum there will help it sell and rent apartments at a premium to families with young children.

Seems like both the landlord and the museum have decided the new location is a win - win.

whynot_31 · March 2015

Hmmm.

crownheightster · March 2015

That has to be the most non-informative poster ever. What is this event for? What is the occasion?

whynot_31 · March 2015

I believe it stems from Women's History month.

To me, it provides a nice contrast to the NYT article that BCM was abandoning Crown Heights.

Seems to me that Crown Heights is large enough and diverse enough that an org can do a variety of things and still serve a big segment of it.

Trouble at the Brooklyn Children's Museum

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