How to Start a Museum

How to Start a Museum Though many a small U.S. city can brag about its town hall and its public library, few can point to an honest-to-goodness art museum. Santa Barbara, Calif, (pop. 45,000) is one that can. Last week culture-conscious Santa Barbara was celebrating its museum's tenth anniversary. One of the high spots of the anniversary show was a loan display of 30 modern paintings, including masterpieces by Van Gogh, Monet, Rouault and Braque.

The man behind the show and the museum is 46-year-old Director Donald Bear. A Santa Barbara citizens' committee persuaded him from his job as director of the Denver Art Museum in 1940. The first thing he did was to take over the old post-office building, on the busiest corner in town, and remodel its gloomy interior. Then he borrowed enough art for his first show, in 1941.

Since then, Director Bear has played host to some 75,000 visitors a year. "It's a wonderful location," says he. "People come in to look at a show between bus stops." With no regular purchase budget ("We operate with blue glasses and a tin cup"), Bear still does a lot of borrowing. But he manages to have 60 to 70 exhibits, large & small, every year. One of his big drawing cards is a permanent collection which includes some fine classical sculpture and one of the best small galleries of Oriental art in the U.S.

Besides his duties as museum director, Bear has outside chores as lecturer, art-show judge and critic, and still finds time to paint himself. Last week his museum show had some friendly competition from a local private gallery: an exhibit of Director Bear's own pen, wash and chalk drawings.

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