What makes for a successful museum these days?

This month's The Atlantic has an article on Philippe de Montebello, the soon-to-depart Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The short summary of said article is that the Met has flourished in the last 3 decades under his persistence in mounting high quality exhibits, based on, and contributing to scholarship.

In an era when more and more museums (and it seems especially maritime museums) are launching more "Popular events" such as Pirate Days, than exhibits it's a refreshing take on the situation.

If you’re interested in reading more:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200810/met-montebello

(Image is from the Met's collection -
Artist/Maker
John Singer Sargent (1856–1925)

Title/ObjectName
Schooner and Bark in Harbor (from Scrapbook)