Q&A talks with Pieter Roos, executive director of the Mark Twain House & Museum.
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Q&A talks with Pieter Roos, executive director of the Mark Twain House & Museum.
Q. You've been on the job as executive director of the Mark Twain House for about six months. How are things going so far? Have you implemented a new strategic plan?
A. As a museum professional, the first things that you want are good subject matter and a great collection. It is difficult to think of a better historical subject than Mark Twain. He is an extraordinary American icon, and in some significant ways helps inform us of what it is to be American.
The museum's board and staff are terrific and they are committed to the institution. They have been doing great work under sometimes difficult circumstances for quite some time, but those days are over. We will make great things happen here.
One of the goals for 2018 will be a new strategic plan. Already we have launched a new website and started new programs, and that is only the beginning of a lot of new programming to come. My goal is that Mark Twain House and Museum should leap to mind when people in the Hartford community think of a space for authors, lectures and panels on current topics, and a variety of other speakers for both humor and satire.
Q. Nonprofit fundraising has gotten a lot more difficult with the state's budget woes. Is that a concern and has that environment impacted the Mark Twain House?
A. That's not a local problem, it's happening all over the place. The way we fund nonprofits is changing in some fundamental ways across the country, so yes, of course it impacts us as well.
Having come from Rhode Island, I see problems here, and I understand the pain, but it's worse across the eastern border of Connecticut and almost every nonprofit in the nation has something to worry about in that regard.
What does concern me recently is that the new national tax reform will have a statistical impact in the number of people who give charitably. If you cease itemizing next year, you are at least somewhat less likely to make a donation to a charity. It will affect us slightly in 2018, and perhaps more so in subsequent years.
I think that it is also important to note that the Twain House is both a catalyst and one of the primary draws for Connecticut tourism. A few years ago National Geographic named us as one of the 10 best historic houses in the world and one of only three in the United States. We are the top tourism destination within the city of Hartford, which makes us an economic generator within the state.
It is a well-known and well-accepted principle of tourism economics that a tourist draw such as the Twain House magnifies the dollars spent in visitation through spending at area retail outlets, hotels and restaurants amongst others. Museums and arts and culture in general and Twain House specifically are an opportunity to invest in Connecticut's economic well-being.
Q. What is the biggest opportunity for the Mark Twain House? What's the biggest challenge?
A. The biggest opportunity is to promote a reputation as a vibrant, exciting center for writing, authors, humor, satire, and civic engagement. I am a very big believer in drawing in the local community. Hartford is a wonderful place where arts and culture really count for something and our arts and cultural sector offers local residents both quality of life and a lot of exciting choices.
The biggest challenge for us, as for most museums, is to compete effectively with all of the other non-experiential leisure time choices, such as TV or the internet.
Q. There are many high-quality museums in Greater Hartford and the state overall. Should regional museums work together more closely to promote each other in order to improve the business prospects of all?
A. Pardon the waterfront analogy from someone who just moved from the Ocean State, but a rising tide floats all boats. Other museums and cultural institutions are not our competition, they are our colleagues. We live in a frenetic society where there is a lot to draw our attention; I would rather see how we can work together, than compete.
I've done collaboration very successfully in other jobs. It has been a great pleasure to meet various colleagues here, in a few cases, folks who are here are people that I have known for years already. There are already some beneficial collaborations under way.
Q. You played a big role in bringing to national prominence the Newport Restoration Foundation in Rhode Island. What lessons or tactics did you take away from that job that will help you running the Mark Twain House?
A. One of the things that I learned and profited from most in Newport, is that the local community will always be the greatest engine of a museum's success. The museum here has a fantastic visitation that comes from all 50 states and 63 countries around the world; we truly have a national and international audience, but it is Hartford and all its surroundings that I am most interested in. If we serve the community and the community believes in us, and follows us, we will succeed.
