The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park, closed since late March by COVID-19, will be furloughing more than a third of its staff effective June 16.
The furloughs, needed to cut costs during the pandemic shutdown, will affect 25 of 65 full-time and part time employees both at the museum and the Chicago Academy of Sciences, said vice president of external affairs Marc Miller in an interview Friday with the Tribune.
A letter from museum president Deb Lahey was emailed May 18 to notify affected employees. According to the letter, salaries of the leadership team were cut in early May by 10% to 24%. The furloughs for the moment are open-ended; revenue losses during the shutdown include ticket sales as well as the loss of memberships and private events and the cancellation of the Butterfly Ball, the museum’s largest fundraiser.
The Notebaert museum at 2430 N. Cannon Drive is the public face of the Academy of Sciences, and has as it mission to connect people with nature, Miller said. That part of museum operations will continue. “People can still see what we’re doing on social media channels,” he said, and the butterfly atrium, live animals and outdoor gardens are still being cared for by essential staff.
The Notebaert joins other large Chicago museums in being forced to cut costs recently; the museum plans to stay closed at least through Aug. 31.
dgeorge@chicagotribune.com