1. Hit up big sister MoMA for some cash. What are you getting out of the deal, besides the name? The run-down P.S.1 building, with its labyrinthine galleries and unisex bathrooms, has its charms, but you can upgrade without losing your Kunsthalle edge. And organize more fund-raisers—tap the growing community of young art patrons.

2. Solidify your ties to emerging artists. Bring back the International Studio Program; it brings contemporary artists from all over the world into the city and, like the Whitney’s ISP, provides access to a pool of future talent. Keep the focus on local artists, too. The second installment of the “Greater New York” series, set for this spring, is a good start.

3. Improve your staff. Hire an ambitious director who doesn’t need a MoMA tie-in to take on the occasional big traveling show, and full-time curators who aren’t always running off to Europe and leaving the interns to proofread catalogues.

4. Up the production values. Wall text that doesn’t read like it was translated from the German, fewer surly guards, more professionalism all around.

Related:

• Archive: “How to Fix”
• Table of Contents: November 22, 2004 issue of New York | Subscribe!