American Jazz Museum in KC Restructuring

The conclusions reached by a private consulting firm hired to investigate a debt crisis at The American Jazz Museum are grim. Located in the historic 18th and Vine District of Kansas City, the museum has failed to meet its potential as a tourist attraction, or to excite the community about the unique place KC holds in jazz history. Opened in 1997 with high hopes and substantial financial sponsorship, it has never become self sufficient. It's projected revenue streams, a gift shop and two performance venues, have always operated at a loss. This is in contrast to the very successful Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, located in the same building. The difference, says the report, is a lack of vision and poor execution by management. Still, things were relatively stable until 2016, when a pattern of over spending by new management began, ultimately culminating in a disastrous first ever Kansas City Jazz and Heritage Festival.  Tickets were too expensive for people living in the neighborhood, and the festival lost nearly half a million dollars. In the end, the city had to step in to help pay musicians when checks began to bounce. The director of the museum, Cheptoo Kositany-Buckner, was critized in the report for "numerous missteps, questionable decisions and a lack of transparency" and has since resigned. The report, which was released in April, even recommended closing the museum