▁Museum ▁of ▁Art , ▁which ▁is ▁partly ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁county , ▁MO CA ▁receives ▁minimal ▁government ▁fund ing ▁and ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁steady ▁source ▁of ▁funds . ▁Its ▁annual ▁budget ▁has ▁grown ▁to ▁exceed ▁$ 2 0 ▁million , ▁but ▁it ▁re lies ▁on ▁don ors ▁to ▁pay ▁about ▁ 8 0 % ▁of ▁its ▁exp enses . ▁MO CA ' s ▁budget ▁for ▁the ▁fis cal ▁year ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁was ▁$ 1 4 . 3 ▁million , ▁the ▁museum ' s ▁lowest ▁sp ending ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁museum ▁reported ▁net ▁assets ▁( bas ically , ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁resources ▁it ▁has ▁on ▁its ▁books , ▁except ▁the ▁value ▁of ▁the ▁art ) ▁of ▁$ 3 8 ▁million . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁during ▁the ▁world ▁financial ▁mel td own , ▁newsp apers ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁museum ' s ▁end ow ment , ▁which ▁partly ▁dep ended ▁on ▁stock ▁invest ments , ▁had ▁dropped ▁and ▁that ▁museum ▁had ▁fis cal ▁problems ▁ ▁Part ly ▁in ▁viol ation ▁of ▁state ▁law , ▁the ▁museum ▁lost ▁$ 4 4 ▁million ▁of ▁their ▁$ 5 0 ▁million ▁end ow ment ▁over ▁nine ▁years , ▁Def ic its ▁mounted ▁at ▁the ▁rate ▁of ▁$ 2 . 8 ▁million ▁a ▁year ▁on ▁average ▁from ▁mid - 2 0 0 0 ▁to ▁mid - 2 0 0 8 . ▁Am id ▁spec ulation