City museum’s future threatened by budget cuts

The Juneau-Douglas City Museum on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

By Bonita Nelson

June 8 may be the beginning of the end of the Juneau-Douglas City Museum. 

The CBJ Assembly Finance Committee has recommended cutting the director and curator of public programs positions (2 of the 3.75 FTE) from the museum’s staff. If the Assembly votes to accept these cuts on June 8 the city museum as we know it will be gone in early July.

These cuts will prevent the museum from fulfilling its mission, which includes preserving historical artifacts and making them available to the public through visitation and programming. All public programs, workshops, educational programs, tours, lectures, grants and artistic exhibitions (with more than 2,000 participants annually) as well as the volunteer program (2,000 hours annually) will cease. Public visitation hours, if they exist, will be severely limited. Starting in July, more than 30,000 visitors may find the doors shut. 

The city museum is the touchstone of Juneau’s collective memory, providing our community and visitors the opportunity to understand our history and the diverse heritage we share. The museum preserves the wisdom, knowledge and stories of the people who have traditionally lived on this land as well as the diversity, cultures and experiences of others who chose to make Juneau their home. These cumulative experiences define our community. This curated information should be honored, respected and preserved so we can learn from our past, and inspire us to keep our vibrant community strong and resilient.

The city museum is a cultural center. As such, CBJ should harness the museum’s creative energy and community spirit in these challenging times to fully understand other approaches to protect our history. There are alternatives worth exploring: partnerships, endowments, nonprofit operational models, fundraising initiatives and long-term strategic planning. Those conversations take time, collaboration and creativity. Finding options are preferable to rushing toward irreversible decisions that deny future generations the ability to understand their community, its history and heritage. Ultimately, these actions may cost the city far more — financially and reputationally — than anticipated.

What public programs will be lost if the cuts are made? 

Educational group programs: The museum provides unique programs and learning kits to student groups aged preschool through high school from: public, private, homeschool, alternative and specialized JSD youth programs, after-school programs, and students from other Alaskan communities. Additional programs have been provided to: Pioneers Home Elders, UAS students, UAS and UAF faculty, Girl and Boy Scouts troops, summer youth camps, Bartlett Behavioral Health recovery patients, and U.S. Forest Service employees.

Volunteer program: The volunteer program which has over 25 members (mostly retirees) will end. There will be no one to greet visitors, lead walking tours, help with events, and assist with the collections. The 2,000 hours they contribute equals the effort of one full-time position.

Local artist support: The city museum has provided gallery space, art sales, publicity, workshops and First Friday opening events for over 120 independent artists and from organizations including: UAS faculty, UAS students, high school students, and U.S. Forest Service artists in residence all since 2017. After 22 years, the 12x12 themed art exhibition which invites community members to submit art will be gone. This past March, 70 pieces were submitted by citizens aged 8 to 91. All these opportunities will be gone.

Revenue Generating Programs:  The museum offers a variety of local educational history tours such as Treadwell Mines, Evergreen Cemetery, Downtown Geology, True Crime, and Historic Downtown Juneau. In collaboration with the state Capitol, the museum also leads Capitol tours which also generate revenue but are free to the public (volunteer-led). These programs will end.

Free community programs and grants honoring Juneau: The museum offers a space for local organizations and individuals to bring community members together to learn, create, and connect. These include free community programs, activities, history lectures, workshops and celebrations including: Elizabeth Peratrovich Day (a collaboration with JSD, ANS, ANB and the Juneau legislative delegation); Dr. Walter Soboleff Day, and Patsy Ann’s Birthday Party. In addition, numerous local artists such as Lily Hope, Taylor Dallas Vidic, and the Filipino Dancers have publicly shared their crafts at the museum. These opportunities will end. 

Finally, the museum administers a grant program for local historians and an award program for Juneau artists. Funds for these programs are taken from endowments through the Friends of the City Museum. The Juneau History Grant supports research, learning, dissemination, recording, and archiving of all types of information pertaining to the history of Juneau and Douglas, and it is open to organizations, groups, or individuals of all ages. The Marie Darlin Prize annually offers writers, visual artists, performing artists and scholars a $5,000 prize for work celebrating Juneau. How will these programs continue?

The city museum provides a vital and vibrant center to Juneau’s culture. The proposed cuts will scar the community and deprive future generations access to their heritage.

• Bonita Nelson is a retired NOAA fisheries biologist, board president of the Friends of the Juneau-Douglas City Museum, and vice president of the CBJ Youth Activity Board. The views expressed in this column are hers and not those of any of the organizations she is affiliated with.