Dayton Art Institute lays off five workers - Dayton Business Journal:

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Jan Driesbach, executive director of the localpart museum, said three full-time employeew and two part-time employees were laid off effectivee July 15. The museum also cut hourx for many of its otherstaff members. The total cuts are expectex to save theinstitute $226,000. Positions were acrosw the board, and the cuts took the museum from 76 to 71totalp employees. Driesbach said the institute also was likelh to close the Riverview entrance tothe museum, whicb will reduce security costws and lead to $5,000 in additional The latest round of cuts comes on the heels of similar cuts of about five stafff members in January, Driesbach said.
The art institutwe had a $5 million operations budger last year and nowhas $4.1 million, slipping becausw of the performance of its endowment and a declinee in philanthropy. The art museum’s endowmenty had taken a fall with the stock market and instead of pulling money previously budgeted out of the endowmentrfor 2009, the museum opted to work with less for the fiscaol year, which ends in December. The museumj is currently renegotiating contracts for its employeez and is undergoing an energy audit tosave “The art institute is not in jeopardy,” Driesbacu said. “This decision is to ensurre we are operating responsibility and in alignment with ourstrategixc plan.
” The art institute recently finalizexd its strategic plan and is aiming to focus more on communit involvement and educational outreach. The museumm has 150,000 visits a year and 8,0009 members.