For Director Georgianna Lagoria, who feels the staff there is like family, delivering the bitter news was extremely painful. Her new morning power bar is a quote from Winston Churchill: "An optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty; a pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity."

"There is hope now," she says, post-staff-surgery, "to make the museum a lean, mean, art machine and secure its place" among the museums in Hawai'i. The Contemporary Museum at First Hawaiian Center, on Bishop Street, is secure through support from the bank. However, Lagoria is thankful to the 1,800 members who have sustained the museum, from students to corporate sponsors.

The Twigg-Smiths, The Honolulu Advertiser and the Persis Corp. (founded by Thurston Twigg-Smith) built this "art machine." In 1961, The Honolulu Advertiser Gallery hosted its first exhibit of contemporary art in the Advertiser building on Kapi'olani Boulevard. The Persis Corp. purchased artwork from each exhibit of nationally known artists, as well as local art, and hung it throughout the newspaper building until the paper was sold in 1993. Today, the collection is at The Contemporary Museum, part of the growing art body the museum exhibits here and loans to major art museums around the world.

Lagoria, who previously worked at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the de Saisset Museum and the Palo Alto Art Center, has been director of The Contemporary Museum since 1995. A woman with determination and vision, and a promoter of philanthropy and community activism, she is passionate about her job and totally in her groove.

For 20 years, this nonprofit museum has given the community an abundance of creative and artful activities at no charge. Lagoria says that won't change.

I spoke with Lagoria about the recent changes, the anniversary and what's ahead.

Q. What is the thing you like best about your job?

A. I'm exhilarated by the art and the people that it attracts. It's a secular meeting place where I learn continuously and I'm challenged — it's always changing. It continually feeds me. I feel privileged to have found something that I love, and to be surrounded by people who feel the same way.

Q. How do you envision going "forward"?

A. Creativity, innovation and program presentation will sustain and continue the operation of this amazing museum. We have a wealth of resources. We are debt-free. Individual contributions fuel our programs. We will continue our education programs for the schools at no charge and preserve the core of what we are.

Q. How do you feel about the young artists in the community today?

A. A lot of young people were involved in our Birthday Bash, and I'm just so impressed with how they care for the environment. It's stimulating to see what the young artists are doing at the University of Hawai'i. No individuals are better at adapting to change or seeing what's ahead than artists.

Q. Originally the Twigg-Smiths donated 1,200 works of art. How many do you have now?

A. We've more than doubled that over our history. I credit the community and Jay Jensen, our curator since 1992. Jay is so resourceful and knowledgeable. He's brilliant at designing opportunities for us to acquire new works.

Q. Your 20th anniversary comes at a time when the economy is at an all-time low. Will the budget cuts affect expanding the program to new sites?

A. We needed to make a strategic move and become a more lean organization — take our medicine. I credit the Board of Trustees for their foresight. It was extremely difficult but necessary. The people who remain are going to have to take on many different roles. Fortunately, we work together beautifully as a team. We can protect the resources we have, continue to offer contemporary art to the public and take care of the properties.