MUSEUM News Female figure. Punu, Gabon. Late 19th–early 20th century. Wood, pigment. H: 46 cm. Donate by the painter Émile Chambon in 1981. © MEG, J. Watts. Club (detail). Maori, New Zealand. Wood. H: 46.5 cm. Purchased in Paris in 1930. © MEG, J. Watts. The Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, © Tropenmuseum. Potlatch feast bowl. Tlingit, Alaska. 19th century. Wood. L: 22 cm. © MEG, J. Watts. attachment to the venerable institution, which, in addition to its enormous collection of more than 175,000 objects, also houses remarkable archives (155,000 photographs, 10,000 drawings and paintings), and a colossal library of nearly 900,000 books. Rumors that the institution would close altogether were dispelled when the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sciences finally announced that the Tropenmuseum would receive temporary funding until 2017. After that date, the institution will be dismantled and merged with collections of the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden and the Afrika Museum in Berg en Dal, creating what is envisioned as the future “Museum of World Cultures.” No details have been forthcoming about how this new structure will be built or, most importantly, about how it will be financed. For the moment, it is clear that the Dutch government’s priorities are cost reductions and budget cuts at the expense of the country’s historic cultural institutions. CLOSING OF THE MEG Conches—The Musée d’Ethnographie de Genève (MEG) houses one of the two largest ethnographic collections in Switzerland, which until recently was displayed at two locations: the Carl-Vogt site in the center of Geneva and the MEG Conches site at the edge of town. The latter permanently closed its doors on June 23, 2013, as part of an ambitious plan to expand and develop the central location. This expansion will add 7,200 square meters of space to the existing building, which dates to the end of the nineteenth century. This will be used for a new study and research library, vast exhibition galleries, and a large and capacious multipurpose space. The inauguration of the renovated museum is scheduled for October 31, 2014. THE TROPENMUSEUM SAGA Amsterdam—A compromise, which cannot be construed as a happy ending, has been reached in the sad political and financial saga that has been ongoing at the Tropenmuseum for the last several months. The very existence of this famous ethnographic museum, which was founded in 1864, was threatened by drastic budget cuts, which have led to the dismissal of part of its staff. The situation triggered a wave of outcry and protest in cultural circles. A widely circulated petition demonstrated that a large number of art professionals and aficionados of all kinds felt a strong
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