Three counties approved a property tax
Then in August 2013, bankruptcy mediator Judge Gerald Rosen started doodling on the back of a legal pad so full that it had no more blank paper. He circled the words "state," ''art" and "pensions," connecting them with arrows and dollar signs. From that sketch a deal was born — dubbed the "Grand Bargain" by the Detroit Free Press — that saved both the pensions and paintings. Ultimately the deal included $350 million from the state of Michigan, $370 million from private foundations and a promise from the museum to raise $100 million.
Despite being seen "through the lens of the city's urban disaster," Beal insists that the DIA is "a very normal place." And his aspirations are modest: "I don't want to be the Met, I don't want to be the Louvre. I want to be a place people come to because it means something to them."
That seems to be happening. In 2012, voters in three counties approved a property tax to fund the museum, getting free admission for themselves in return. Attendance has since risen from 460,000 to 786,000 annually — not that Beal cares only about numbers. If he did, he said, he'd bring in Egyptian or Impressionist shows and watch the lines form.
Beal and other museum executives have come under fire recently for accepting raises and bonuses. Beal says the money was a standard part of his compensation, but regardless of that controversy and other challenges, at least the art is safe for posterity.
And if you care to see what all the fuss was about, here are some highlights from the DIA collection.