Why Did Foosaner Art Museum Close?

Art|Art Museum

The Foosaner Art Museum, a long-standing cultural institution in Brevard County, Florida, closed its doors in late December of 2018. The museum had served the community for over 30 years, but its closure was not completely unexpected.

In recent years, the museum had been struggling financially. The museum’s annual operating budget was nearly double what it had been at its peak in the 1990s due to increased operating costs and a decline in donations and government grants.

In addition, the museum faced stiff competition from other local museums that could provide more dynamic exhibits and programming.

The museum also suffered from a lack of local support. In the decades since its founding, other cultural institutions had emerged in the area that drew away potential visitors and donors from Foosaner Art Museum. At the same time, changes to tax laws made it more difficult for people to make charitable donations to nonprofit organizations like Foosaner Art Museum.

In an effort to keep the museum afloat, the board of directors implemented cost-cutting measures such as reducing staff hours and eliminating certain programs. However, these efforts were not enough to sustain the institution long-term.

Ultimately, Foosaner Art Museum closed due to a combination of financial difficulties and lack of local support. The combination of increased operating expenses, decreased donations and grants, competition from other cultural institutions, and changes to tax laws all contributed to making it impossible for the museum to remain open.

Conclusion: Foosaner Art Museum closed due to financial difficulties caused by increased operating costs coupled with decreased donations and grants as well as competition from other cultural institutions in the area and changes to tax laws that made charitable giving more difficult. Despite cost-cutting efforts by the board of directors, these problems proved too great for them to overcome.