Wednesday, February 18, 2009  The Post-educational Museum  The
recent kerfluffle about whether museums should be included in
the federal stimulus bill was a depressing reminder of the
narrow stereotypes into which museums force themselves in order
to protect their access to public funding. For those of you who
missed the drama: Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) introduced an
amendment that would have barred museums from receiving funding
under the stimulus package, lumping them with frivolities such
as casinos, golf courses and swimming pools. While museums were
removed from the final amendment, zoos and aquariums are still
excluded from receiving funding—perhaps because they are way too
much fun, more on that below.  One counterargument to Coburn’s
amendment was the fact that museums are, in truth, major
employers and generators of local tourism and business. But so
are casinos and golf courses, for that matter. For museum
advocates, the issue wasn’t just whether any or all of these
organizations are economic