The Cobra Museum in Amstelveen is in an “acute, worrying financial situation”. That is what the Amstelveen college set on Tuesday a letter to the city council.
The municipality, which has been concerned about the museum’s operations and the resulting operating deficits since 2018, has postponed the approval of the application for a multi-year subsidy for the period 2024-2027. Despite many discussions, the museum has not come up with a “realistic improvement plan” for the financial problems, according to the council letter.
The most recent talks between the municipality and the museum took place this summer. After the publication of the Cobra Museum’s annual report for 2022 – with a loss of 353,000 euros, mainly due to excessive personnel costs – the municipality asked for a forecast of the figures for this year, plus a plan of action to combat the shortages.
Two and a half hours before the planned follow-up meeting between the two parties, last Monday, the museum announced that it expected a shortfall of 700,000 euros this year. Due to disappointing visitor numbers in June and July, the expected number of visitors of 90,000 is expected to be 60,000.
According to the museum, a liquidity problem also arises due to much higher costs. The museum has always covered the deficits of recent years from the general reserves.
Too much risk
According to the Board, it is too great a risk to now grant the museum a subsidy for a period of four years. This year the Cobra Museum will receive 1.2 million euros from the municipality. In order to still qualify for the long-term subsidy, the museum must first ensure a ‘sound financial policy’.
The college will consider next steps “on the basis of the information recently provided”.
Stefan van Raay, the director of the Cobra Museum, does not want to answer any questions. “We await the outcome of the considerations of the Commission,” he says.
Van Raay (68) took up the position of interim director in 2018, with the task of resolving declining visitor numbers and financial shortfalls. In an interview with NRC he already spoke of “a challenge” at the time. He also said five years ago that he would stay for two years at the most: “That was the first thing I said: I am actually too old, a person in his thirties should be sitting here.” In June 2020, Van Raay left the Cobra Museum. But when his younger successor contracted lung covid, Van Raay was asked back as director after six months.