A group of Baltimore cultural leaders is urging administrators and board members of the city's two nationally significant fine art museums to explore the long, largely unmapped road toward a merger.
Talk of a potential merger between the Walters Art Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art has taken the form of conversations at dinner parties, fund-raising events and museum brain-storming sessions. The idea is neither new nor universally welcomed. But it is gathering force at a time when the city has reduced its financial support of arts institutions and is fueled by a growing desire in art circles for Baltimore to hold its own as a cultural destination against cities such as Philadelphia and Washington.
It also reflects a growing contrast in the institutions' profiles: Though the BMA has the larger collection, the Walters arguably has a larger presence in national circles. In recent years, the Walters has stepped up its pursuit of "blockbuster" exhibitions and has increased its endowment by a third.
By contrast, since the arrival four years ago of Director Doreen Bolger, the BMA has opted for more modest exhibitions and its endowment (which, at $60 million, is slightly less than that of the Walters) has grown incrementally.
In October, the Walters will complete a $24 million construction project; in April, the BMA completed a $4.2 million renovation.
"When you talk about two museums of this size combining, you're looking at combining extraordinary resources. You'd be looking at a budget of roughly $20 million and a significantly larger collection - we are talking about two collections that are not duplicative, but are complementary - and a much greater endowment," said Constance R. Caplan, a former chairwoman of the BMA board and a leading advocate of the merger. "It moves you into a much higher tier among museums in the country."
Not everyone agrees. "At the BMA, we are talking about future collaboration, not merger," said Charles W. Newhall III, BMA board chairman. A merger between the two museums might not significantly lower expenses, he cautioned. And both museums would run the risk of alienating longtime or potential donors if distinctions between the two institutions became blurred.
The 67-year-old Walters grew from collections amassed by Baltimore businessman William Walters and his son Henry. Its annual operating budget is $13.5 million, and in the past five years, its endowment has grown significantly from $39 million. Renowned for the scholarship it has inspired, the Walters houses about 30,000 objects, including rich holdings in illuminated manuscripts and rare books, Gothic ivories and Egyptian art.
