The Creative Discovery Museum, which is shut down indefinitely due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency, is laying off its entire part time staff of 56 employees and cutting hours of the remaining full-time workers and pay for the senior staff.
The children’s museum, which has more than 250,000 visitors and serves another 50,000 through its outreach program each year, is heavily dependent on admission revenues and program fees which have ended with the shutdown of the downtown facility.
“With great regret I report that that we cannot sustain our current level of staffing or operations,” said Henry Schulson, executive director for the Children’s Discovery Museum. “In an effort to ensure the future of the Museum, we have made some very difficult employment decisions.”
The layoffs at the Creative Discovery Museum were announced just a day after the Tennessee Aquarium said it is laying off its 112 part-time employees due to the shutdown of the aquarium over concerns about the spreading COVID-19 virus.
Both of the non-profit attractions downtown rely upon visitor income and concession sales, which are likely not to return for weeks due to the coronavirus.
In a letter to the museum’ staff of more than 100 full- and part-time workers, Schulson praised the efforts of those “committed to making sure that each child experiences the joy of learning at CDM.”
The displaced part-time workers at the Creative Discovery Museum, like those at the Tennessee Aquarium, will get their last pay check on April 3.
In addition, the museum said that work hours for all full-time staff will be reduce and the executive director and senior leadership will receive a reduction in their pay.
Krystin Hill said the CDM is closed indefinitely, but “as soon as it is safe, CDM fully intends on reopening and reinstating its programs.”
Even though in-person visits have ended, the Museum is developing a series of educational content, Creativity TV, which will give people access to lessons and activities that normally take place at CDM.
In an effort to remain the informal education leader in the community, CDM said it has has created a Mission Critical fund.
“Prior to this closure, CDM was in the best financial position in its history,” Schulson said. “That momentum will help carry us through this difficult time.”
The Creative Discovery Museum is a funded agency of ArtsBuild and also receives funding support from Tennessee Arts Commission and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.