Mission Statement
Preamble
The Museum is a place to look, discover, and learn – a forum for the public to engage with art and culture. The present mission statement defines our purpose internally, within our organisation, and externally, for the public. It is meant to clarify what the LWL-Landesmuseum stands for and to project our basic principles into the future, and it should serve as the foundation for our performance and our many forms of collaboration. We consult the mission statement at regular intervals to ensure that it corresponds with the current realities we face. Since the mission statement is the responsibility of our employees, it guarantees the continuity of our organisation as we adapt to new societal, artistic, and academic challenges.
1. Who we are
The LWL-Landesmuseum is one of the major museums of art and cultural history in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was founded over 100 years ago, with the support of the citizenry, by two organisations: the Westphalian Art Association and the Westphalian Association for History and Antiquity. This combination determined the museum’s continued focus on Westphalian art and cultural history. Today the State Museum is a public institution of the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe. The museum’s collections address 1,000 years of Western culture, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Our exhibition and collection policy seeks to place Westphalian art and cultural history in a European and international context. The museum’s major exhibitions – including the Skulptur Projekte it has mounted every ten years since 1977 – enjoy Europe-wide participation and support and underscore the organisation’s international profile. Indeed, our mission in contributing to Westphalia’s cultural identity resonates broadly with the notion of ‘a Europe of regions’, where identity is based on an understanding of origins, of history, and of cultural context. At the same time, we believe the LWL-Landesmuseum represents an important attraction in the region for guests from other areas of Germany and from abroad.
2. What we strive for
We are equally dedicated to the quality of our collections and to the satisfaction of our visitors. By virtue of its diverse holdings, the LWL-Landesmuseum offers the unique chance for the visitor to investigate beyond a particular area of interest, allowing the artwork and historic artefacts to speak for themselves across time and genre. Old and new, art and cultural history, are consciously placed alongside one another, creating the potential for interdisciplinary understanding. We strive to raise the profile of our collections, on the one hand by expanding upon our existing curatorial focus and, on the other hand, by adding new areas of interest. In all cases, our holdings are cared for with scholarly expertise and with an eye toward their optimal presentation to the public, at the heart of which is a multi-faceted exhibition programme. We strive to meet the needs of our visitors by presenting artworks and artefacts in a manner that best conveys meaning and content. At the heart of this aspect of our work is our responsibility for creating the meeting ground between the visitor and the original historical objects, which we achieve through creating a variety of vivid forms of presentation that are in tune with each particular target audience group. We see the museum as a place for experiencing with the senses, for communication, and for learning. We have allocated space for arts education, including talks and events, as well as an attractive museum café and museum shop. As a provider of cultural services, we place our knowledge and expertise in service of the public, presenting our research in exhibitions, catalogues, and periodicals, as well as on the internet. Our library is open to the public, and our appraisal services are offered free of charge. By means of modern marketing tools and active public-relations work, we aim to inform and interest a broad range of individuals.
3. Who we work for
Our museum visitors are at the focus of what we do. We keep our current and our future visitors in mind in tailoring our offerings to various groups. In our programme you will find theme- and exhibition-based activities, as well as details about our participation in the ‘Long Night of Museums’, theatre and dance performances, concerts, film screenings, readings, late-evening opening times, and other events at the museum. We aim to reach the public in Westphalia, the rest of northwest Germany, and the nearby Netherlands, as well as national and international audiences.
4. Who we work with
We strive continually to network with various partners in the region and beyond. Our partners include public and private organisations in cultural and academic fields, such as museums, universities, theatres, and archives. We also value working with our European neighbours. Partners in industry and the private sector, as well as public and private foundations, serve an important function as supporters and sponsors of individual exhibitions and other museum activities. The Friends of the Museum and our family of supporters enjoy our special appreciation.
5. How we work
The museum’s employees are qualified in twenty different vocations and act together on their own authority in teams aimed at maximising the visitor’s experience. We demand a high standard of work and regularly provide our employees with continuing education. We also offer numerous opportunities for young administrators and trainees in the form of internships and structured orientations. Our goal is to maintain transparency in the workplace and to support our employees’ efforts. To reach common goals, we communicate factually and in a civilised manner, recognising accomplishments and embracing constructive criticism. We are determined to apply our resources consciously and responsibly toward our goals and to work creatively and economically.
