DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum

Update:
Q&A with Dennis Kois, director of DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum

DeCordova is undergoing a strategic planning process and is seeking input from Lincoln residents about what they would like to see the sculpture park and museum become. DeCordova Director Dennis Kois said that he wants to make the process as inclusive and as transparent as possible and that he will make a presentation to the Board of Selectmen in a few weeks. He said Lincoln residents will also receive a postcard in their mailboxes with instructions on how to participate in an online survey.

Q DeCordova changed its name to deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum this summer to emphasize the Sculpture Park. Is deCordova going through a kind of identity crisis? Is there a new mission?

A No, I don't think so and I wouldn't use the phrase identity crisis at all. What's happened is that we realized that what makes deCordova unique is the Sculpture Park. There are many wonderful art institutions around Boston, but none of them have the Sculpture Park and the opportunity to grow and to build a sculpture program and outdoor art program the way deCordova does.

Every organization goes through cycles of growth and retrenchment. We realize that the Park is where it's at for us so a subtle change in the name is literally just putting the first thing first. Sculpture is what makes us special. The Park and the Museum themselves are going through strategic planning. That's a process that all museums go through to refine the mission, to make sure it still synchronizes with the kinds of support you have and your role in the community. We're a charitable organization and we really need to make sure that what we are doing has the right sort of tenor and that we're able to do something important in the world of art and arts education as well as be sustainable in an economy and world that, in the last few years, is changing incredibly.

Q DeCordova's relationship with the community is a healthy one as evidenced by the very well attended events that are open for free to the community. How is the relationship with Lincoln going?

A DeCordova has a long history in Lincoln. We really have tried the last few years to focus on being a good neighbor first and foremost. And on a bigger scale, we want to be a positive and valuable part of the community at large. With any institution some things could be problematic like traffic for example. But we've put a lot of time and effort into the relationship.

And we continue to think about these issues concerning planning. Topics that we address in planning are the impact it will have on our relationship with the town, what would be a good way to better engage the town, or how deCordova can be a more valuable part of the community. On the Lincoln Nursery School project for example (deCordova partnered with LNS this year to open the first preschool in the United States located inside a contemporary art museum), we are partnering with a local organization and doing something that is about many different things including arts education. That's something that is a unique Lincoln resource.

All that said, I think it is also important to acknowledge that for deCordova to survive and thrive as a healthy non-profit there may be changes we need to consider that might not necessarily be popular in the town, but that are part of our serving our many audiences-regional, national, and international. What we want to ensure is that we do even those things as thoughtfully, carefully, and transparently as possible.

Q What are some of the strategic topics you are considering?

A As you can imagine with what all we are-the largest non-degree granting art school in New England, an art museum, a sculpture park, an arts education program, even a public park on a certain level-there are lots of different components. One of the bigger issues we're examining is the way that the art world has become truly international in scope and feel. The idea of what it means to be a regional art museum is very different than what it might have been 20 or 30 years ago. DeCordova has long focused primarily on New England artists in its collecting and exhibitions, though the Sculpture Park itself has never had a specific New England focus. We're trying to think about how a New England focus can be meaningful and relevant in an increasingly globalized and connected world.

What to do with the School is a big question. That's a school that in real terms has seen its enrollment very gradually decline over a decade, which has to do with all kinds of trends in how people are learning and demographics as well as a need for renewal that we haven't necessarily done a good job of paying attention to in the past. The way people learn now is much more driven by independent study, owning in part to the availability of information and online learning tools, than it is by enrolling in a class. So how do we make our school relevant? How do we return it to something that is as vibrant, interesting and engaging as it was when it started? Is that the right model or should we be doing something else with it? Should the school be for families, kids, or adults? There are many different ways we might approach it.

Another area we are investigating is the intersection of the landscape and art. What makes deCordova so unique, which is this beautiful environment, is so much a part of Lincoln as well as an important social issue with conservation, green thinking, and so on. It's such a unique resource, being able to show art in a park setting. It's a very different experience than going to the MFA or ICA where you're in a gallery, you may say the wrong thing, or the guard might shush you. You can bring your dog here, have a picnic and interact with both the art and the landscape in a very open-ended and receptive way. It gives us an opportunity to think about how we make contemporary art less intimidating and more relevant and engaging to families, to kids, to groups who might be a little uncomfortable with the place like the ICA or the MFA.