Paris Musées

The public institution Paris Musées main mission is to manage the museums attached to it and allow them and their directors to run their scientific and cultural projects. The headquarters staff’s responsibility is to make sure the global cultural program is coherent and that priorities and goals fixed by the City of Paris are achieved, especially the ones concerning temporary exhibitions, catalogues and other cultural editions, educational and cultural programs.

Before 1 January 2013, museums were managed directly by the City of Paris, with a contractor, former company “Paris Musées”, in charge of the production of exhibitions and catalogues.

Therefore, Paris Musées was alternately a non-profit organization created in 1985, then a limited company and public contractor 28 February 2008 and since 1 January 2013, Paris Musées is a public institution: “établissement public local, à caractère administratif”.

This reform was decided by the mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, to promote and enhance the City of Paris Museums network.

The legal and financial autonomy given by the new entity, independent from the City of Paris’ administration, will facilitate management and responsiveness, as was the case for the major national museums. Keeping all museums in a single entity maintains the uniqueness of the municipal collection and enables the input of a more coherent strategy, therefore allowing economies of scale and better interactions between museums.

Priorities fixed by the City of Paris:[1]

• Develop and highlight the museums’ collections. Through their computerization and digitization, research, programming of various events and exhibitions meant to make the municipal collections more known. Access to the City of Paris Museums’ collections is free since 2001.
• Produce high quality exhibitions and publications, contributing the Paris cultural wealth and influence, nationally and internationally
• Develop and expand audience through reinforced educational policies and major focus on visit comfort and visitors programs. Today, the City of Paris’ Museums have more than 2 million visitors each year. They would like to strengthen those figures while contributing in making culture more accessible to all visitors.

The public institution Paris Musées was created at the “Conseil de Paris” on the 20 June 2012 session.[2] Its first board meeting took place 12 July 2012. Its chairman is Anne Hidalgo, first deputy mayor. Danièle Pourtaud, deputy mayor for heritage is vice chairman.

The Board of Directors counts nine Paris counseling members:

• Geneviève Bertrand
• Boulay-Esperonnier
• Danielle Fournier
• Christophe Girard
• Bruno Julliard
• Hélène Mace De Lepinay
• Danielle Simonnet

The Board also counts 4 qualified and renowned members:

• Martin Bethenod, director of the Palazzo Grassi in Venice
• Jean-François Chougnet, director of Marseille-Provence 2013
• Gaïta Leboissetier, deputy director, in charge of education at the National Superior School of Fine Arts
• Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, executive director at the National Institute of Art History

Delphine Levy, who conducted the reform’s project, was designated chief executive director.