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Timeline

    1. December 2022

      1. Black Trustee Alliance releases report from art museum trustee survey Boards / Trustees, Data, Diversity, Museum Board External Link 1
      2. MASS MoCA First Union Contract Unions External Link 1
      3. 2022 Burns Halperin Report explores representation of female-identifying and Black American artists in U.S. museums and the international art market Data, Diversity, Museum Collections External Link 1

    2. November 2022

      1. Mellon Foundation Releases Latest Art Museum Staff Demographic Survey Results Data, Diversity, Staff External Link 1

    3. October 2022

      1. Philadelphia Museum of Art Union Agreement Reached Unions External Link 1

    4. September 2022

      1. Philadelphia Museum of Art Union Workers Go on a One-Day ‘Warning’ Strike Staff, Strike, Union External Link 1

    5. August 2022

      1. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) announced Lynette L. Allston as next President of Board of Trustees Museum Board External Link 1
      2. MASS MoCA Workers to Strike Amid Union Contract Negotiations Staff, Strike, Union External Link 1

    6. July 2022

      1. New Database Shows Which Museum Job Boards Post Salaries Equity, Pay / Compensation External Link 1
      2. Impending Departure of Guggenheim Museum Director Richard Armstrong Announced Departure, Museum Directors External Link 1
      3. Departure of Chinati Foundation Director Jenny Moore Departure External Link 1
      4. The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago names Anslem Elumogo-Gardner as MCA's first Chief of Staff DEAI, Leadership, Staff External Link 1

    7. June 2022

      1. Departure of Met President and CEO Daniel Weiss Departure External Link 1
      2. Departure of MoMA PS1 Director Kate Fowle Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1

    8. May 2022

      1. Departure of Met Curator and Chair of Modern and Contemporary Art Sheena Wagstaff Departure, Staff External Link 1

    9. April 2022

      1. Open Letter: "Asian American arts workers against White Supremacy" Anti-Asian Hate, Anti-Racism, Open letter, White Supremacy External Link 1

    10. March 2022

      1. Jewish Museum workers vote to unionize with Local 2110 UAW Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2

    11. February 2022

      1. Departure of Contemporary Arts Museum Houston's Senior Curator and Director of Public Art Allison Glenn Departure, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2

    12. January 2022

      1. Departure of Whitechapel Director Iwona Blazwick Departure, Staff External Link 1

    1. December 2021

      1. "Virginia's Massive Robert E. Lee Statue Has Been Removed" Monuments, Protest External Link 1
      2. MOCA Los Angeles employees still negotiating first contract with museum leaders after unionizing two years ago Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2

    2. November 2021

      1. Founding of MFA Boston Union Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2
      2. Departure of Whitney Museum's Curator Christopher Y. Lew Departure, Staff External Link 1

    3. October 2021

      1. Land Back Art Campaign Indigenous Rights, Protest External Link 1
      2. Founding of Baltimore Museum of Art Union Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2
      3. Report: Cultural institutions took federal money but still let go of workers COVID-19, Staff External Link 1

    4. September 2021

      1. Departure of MOCA Los Angeles Director Klaus Bisenbach Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1

    5. August 2021

      1. Founding of Brooklyn Museum Union Local 2110 Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2
      2. Departure of MFA Boston's Chief of Learning and Community Engagement Makeeba McCreary Departure, Retention, Staff External Link 1
      3. Founding of Whitney Museum Union Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2
      4. Departure of Barbican's Managing Director Nicholas Kenyon Departure, Discrimination, Staff External Link 1

    6. July 2021

      1. Departure of Philadelphia Museum of Art's Director and CEO Timothy Rub Departure, Museum Directors External Link 1
      2. Departure of the Phillips Collection's Director and CEO's Dorothy Kosinski Departure, Museum Directors External Link 1
      3. Departure of Palm Springs Art Museum's Curator Rochelle Steiner Departure, Staff External Link 1

    7. June 2021

      1. Berlin Museum Board to Negotiate Return of Benin Bronzes Repatriation External Link 1
      2. Departure of Phoenix Art Museum's Director Tim Rodgers Departure, Museum Directors External Link 1
      3. Departure of Memphis Brooks Museum of Art's Director Emily Ballew Neff Departure, Museum Directors External Link 1

    8. May 2021

      1. Departure of PAFA's Director Brooke Davis Anderson Departure, Museum Directors External Link 1
      2. Departure of Winterthur Museum's Director and CEO Carol B. Cadou Departure, Museum Directors External Link 1

    9. April 2021

      1. Founding MASS MoCA Union Local 2110 Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2
      2. Op-ed: LaTanya S. Autry A Black Curator Imagines Otherwise Departure, Staff External Link 1
      3. Departure of MOCA Los Angeles Senior Curator Mia Locks DEAI, Departure, EDIA, IDEA, Staff External Link 1
      4. Departure of Wadsworth's CEO Tom Loughman Departure, Staff External Link 1
      5. Founding of Strike MoMA Artist-Driven Activism, Protest, Strike, White Supremacy External Link 1 External Link 2

    10. March 2021

      1. Departure of MoMA Chairman Leon Black Boards / Trustees, Museum External Link 1
      2. Departure of Bellevue Arts Museum Executive Director Benedict Heywood Departure, Staff External Link 1
      3. Atlanta spa shootings Anti-Asian Hate, Mass Shooting, Racism External Link 1

    11. February 2021

      1. Baltimore Museum of Art receives $1M for equity initiatives Diversity, Exhibitions, Museum Collections External Link 1
      2. Departure of MOCA Los Angeles Human Resources Director Carlos Viramontes Departure, Staff External Link 1
      3. Departure of Newfield's Director and CEO Charles Venable Departure, Museum Directors External Link 1
      4. First Collective Bargaining Agreement with IUOE Local 30 Guggenheim Workers Union Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2
      5. Cultural Workers address Indianapolis Museum of Art job posting controversy Controversy, Racism, Staff External Link 1
      6. Departure of SFMOMA's Director Neal Benezra Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1
      7. Metropolitan Museum of Art considers deaccessioning part of their collection to gather funds for care of their collection due to COVID-19 challenges. Museum Collections, Staff External Link 1
      8. Departure of Carnegie Museum of Art's Deputy Director Ronald Lee Newman Departure, Staff External Link 1

    12. January 2021

      1. Departure of MCA Chicago's Chief Curator Michael Darling Departure, Staff External Link 1
      2. Time's Up Museums changes its name to Museums Moving Forward

    1. December 2020

      1. Museum Workers from Portland Museum of Art in Portland vote for a Union Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2
      2. Departure of Peabody Essex Museum's Director Brian P. Kennedy Departure, Staff External Link 1
      3. Founding of United Museum Workers Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2
      4. Departure of SITE Santa Fe's Director Irene Hofmann Departure, Staff External Link 1
      5. Founding of Walker Worker Union (AFSCME) Staff, Union

    2. November 2020

      1. Departure of Standford's Cantor Arts Center's Director Susan Dackerman Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1
      2. Founding of Milwaukee Art Museum IAMAW United Lodge 66 Union Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2
      3. Ithaka S+R Art Museum Director Survey 2020 Internal Strategy, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1

    3. October 2020

      1. Balitmore Museum of Art suspends deaccession plan Diversity, Exhibitions, Museum Collections External Link 1
      2. Departure of PAFA (Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art) President and CEO David Brigham Departure, Staff External Link 1
      3. Founding of Black Trustee Alliance Boards / Trustees, Museum Advocacy, Museum Board External Link 1 External Link 2
      4. Baltimore Museum of Art Curators address deaccession plan Diversity, Exhibitions, Museum Collections External Link 1
      5. Departure of Guggenheim's Deputy Director and Chief Curator Nancy Spector Controversy, Departure, Staff External Link 1

    4. September 2020

      1. Philip Guston exhibition postponed Controversy, Museum External Link 1
      2. Museum Workers from Portland Museum of Art in Portland petititon for a Union election Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2
      3. Departure of Montreal Museum of Fine Arts's Director Nathalie Bondil Departure, Staff External Link 1

    5. August 2020

      1. Founding of Philadelphia Museum of Art AFSCME DC 47 Union Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2

    6. July 2020

      1. Departure of MOCA Detroit's Director Elysia Borowy-Reeder Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1
      2. Marciano Foundation pays laid-off workers 10 weeks of severance as part of settlement Staff, Union External Link 1
      3. Departure of Newfields Curator Kelli Morgan Departure, Staff External Link 1
      4. Departure of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s Chief Curator Gary Garrels Departure, Staff External Link 1

    7. June 2020

      1. Op-ed: Kelli Morgan "To Bear Witness: Real Talk about White Supremacy in Art Museums Today" Racism, Staff, White Supremacy External Link 1
      2. SFMOMA Staffers Condemn ‘Racist Censorship’ and Institutional Inequities in Letter Calling for Change Racism, Staff, White Supremacy External Link 1
      3. Departure of MOCA Cleveland's Director Jill Snyder Departure, Staff External Link 1
      4. Public Letter: Andrea Montiel de Shuman "No longer in extremis." Racism, Resignation, Staff, White Supremacy External Link 1
      5. Departure of Norton Museum of Art Director Elliot Bostwick Davis Departure, Staff External Link 1
      6. Launch of Change The Museum (@changethemuseum Instagram account) Racism, Staff, White Supremacy External Link 1
      7. Founding of Cultural New Deal Racism, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
      8. Open letters from BIPOC staff and allies at SFMOMA, Guggenheim, Brooklyn, MFA Boston, etc. Open letter, Racism, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
      9. Founding of A Better Guggenheim Equity, Staff External Link 1

    8. May 2020

      1. Departure of Parrish Art Museum's Director Terrie Sultan Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1
      2. Murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis Broader Culture, Racism External Link 1
      3. Departure of Telfair Museum's Director Robin Nicholson Departure, Staff External Link 1
      4. Departure of Akron Art Museum Director Mark Masuoka Departure, Discrimination, Harassment, Staff External Link 1
      5. Launch of Museum Workers Relief Fund Relief Aid, Staff, Support External Link 1

    9. April 2020

      1. Indebted Cultural Workers Share Spreadsheet Highlighting Major Income Disparities at Cultural Institutions Equity, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
      2. "Artists, Scholars, and Museum Workers Petition Museums to Retain Staff During Pandemic" Equity, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
      3. US Museums allowed to use restricted funds for operational costs Deaccessioning, Museum Collections, Staff External Link 1
      4. Museum Endowments are reassessed after closures and layoffs Equity, Staff External Link 1
      5. Founding of Indebted Cultural Workers Equity, Staff External Link 1

    10. March 2020

      1. Murder of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky Broader Culture, Racism External Link 1
      2. "A Daily Report on How COVID-19 Is Impacting the Art World" Equity, Staff External Link 1
      3. COVID-19 pandemic begins in the US Broader Culture, Health External Link 1

    11. February 2020

      1. Departure of Cooper Hewitt's Director Caroline Baumann Departure, Staff External Link 1
      2. Murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia Broader Culture, Racism External Link 1

    12. January 2020

      1. Report: CCLI National Landscape Study: The State of DEAI Practices in Museums Accessibility, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Museums External Link 1

    1. December 2019

      1. Departure of Bronx Museum’s Director Deborah Cullen-Morales Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1
      2. Founding of MOCA Los Angeles Union Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2

    2. October 2019

      1. Departure of New York’s Cultural Affairs Leader Tom Finkelpearl Departure, Staff External Link 1

    3. September 2019

      1. Report: The Burns Halperin Report on female-identifying artists Diversity, Exhibitions, Museum Collections, Sexism External Link 1
      2. Departure of ICA Philadelphia's Director Amy Sadao Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1

    4. August 2019

      1. "A New Definition of 'Museum' Sparks International Debate" Controversy, Museum External Link 1

    5. July 2019

      1. Op-ed: Darren Walker "Museums Need to Step Into the Future" Museum Board External Link 1 External Link 2
      2. "Warren Kanders Quits Whitney Board After Tear Gas Protests" Museum Board External Link 1
      3. Organizing the Work of the Art Museum Internal Strategy, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1
      4. Op-ed: Xaviera Simmons "Whiteness must undo itself to make way for the truly radical turn in contemporary culture" Racism, Radical Change, Whiteness External Link 1
      5. Art + Museum Transparency Shares Google Sheet Highlighting Unpaid Internships Equity, Staff External Link 1

    6. June 2019

      1. Founding of Solomon R. Guggenheim IUOE Local 30 Union Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2 External Link 3
      2. Departure of Phoenix Art Museum's Director Amada Cruz Departure, Staff External Link 1
      3. Departure of Guggenheim's Guest Curator Chaédria LaBouvier Controversy, Departure, Staff External Link 1

    7. May 2019

      1. #AAM2019 Keynote: Kippen de Alba Chu and Kimberly Drew Equity, Staff External Link 1
      2. Founding of Art + Museum Transparency Equity, Staff External Link 1
      3. Art + Museum Shares Google Sheet of Salary Transparency Equity, Staff External Link 1

    8. March 2019

      1. Decolonize This Place launched 9 Weeks of Art + Action to address the crisis at the Whitney Museum of American Art Artist-Driven Activism External Link 1
      2. Nikki Columbus settles claim against MoMA PS1 Discrimination External Link 1

    9. January 2019

      1. Report: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's Study on Museum Staff Demographics Diversity, Staff External Link 1
      2. Founding of New Museum Union Staff, Union External Link 1 External Link 2
      3. Survey: POWarts Salary Survey Equity, Staff

    1. December 2018

      1. MoMA PS1 Art Handlers and Maintenance Workers Protest Unfair Wages Staff, Union External Link 1

    2. November 2018

      1. Departure of Metropolitan Museum of Art's Social Media Manager Kimberly Drew Departure, Staff External Link 1
      2. Sarr Savoy report, "The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage: Toward a New Relational Ethics," released. Repatriation, Report External Link 1

    3. September 2018

      1. Report: The Burns Halperin Report on African American artists Diversity, Exhibitions, Museum Collections, Racism External Link 1
      2. Report: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's and Ithaka S-R's Case Studies on Institutional Practices in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion from Eight Art Museums Diversity, Staff External Link 1
      3. Departure of California State Long Beach’s University Art Museum's Director Kimberli Meyer Departure, Staff External Link 1
      4. Departure of Palm Springs Art Museum's Executive Director Elizabeth Armstrong Departure, Staff External Link 1
      5. Report: Invisible no more an evalution of the Smithsonian Institution and Latino Representation Diversity, Exhibitions, Museum Collections, Representation, Staff External Link 1

    4. July 2018

      1. Nikki Columbus files pregnancy discrimination claim against MoMA PS1 Discrimination External Link 1
      2. Founding of Time's Up Museums

    5. June 2018

      1. Departure of Brooklyn Museum's Deputy Director and Chief Curator Jennifer Y. Chi Departure, Staff External Link 1
      2. Departure of Munich's Haus Der Kunst's Director Okwui Enwezor Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1

    6. May 2018

      1. Departure of MOCA Los Angeles Director Philippe Vergne Departure, Museum Directors External Link 1

    7. April 2018

      1. Baltimore Museum controversy over selling "blue chip" works from collection Controversy, Deaccessioning, Diversity, Exhibitions, Museum Collections External Link 1
      2. Departure of Scottsdale Musuem of Contemporary Art's Director and Chief Curator Sara Cochran Departure, Staff External Link 1
      3. Open Letter: Brooklyn Museum "Your Curatorial Crisis is an Opportunity to Decolonize" Decolonize, Diversity, Equity, Open letter, Reparations, Repatriations External Link 1

    8. March 2018

      1. Departure of MOCA Los Angeles Chief Curator Helen Molesworth Departure, Staff External Link 1
      2. Departure of Ghent Museum's Director Catherine de Zegher Departure, Staff External Link 1
      3. Departure of Bordeaux's CAPC Musée D'art Contemporain's Director Maria Inés Rodríguez Departure, Staff External Link 1

    9. January 2018

      1. Departure of Queens Museum's Director Laura Raicovich Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1
      2. Departure of VCU Institute for Contemporary Art's Director Lisa Freiman Departure, Staff External Link 1

    1. December 2017

      1. Departure of Jewish Museum's Curator Jens Hoffmann Departure, Staff External Link 1

    2. November 2017

      1. Departure of Artforum Publisher Knight Landesman Departure, Harassment External Link 1
      2. Departure of Walker Art Center's Executive Director Olga Viso Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1

    3. October 2017

      1. Petition: We are not surprised Sexism, Workplace Harrassment External Link 1
      2. Departure of Stedelijk Museum's Director Beatrix Ruf Departure, Staff External Link 1
      3. Departure of Aldrich Museum's Executive Director Alyson Baker Departure, Staff External Link 1

    4. September 2017

      1. Departure of MoMA Deputy Director Kathy Halbreich Departure, Staff External Link 1
      2. Departure of Carnegie Museum of Art's Director Lynn Zelevansky Departure, Staff External Link 1

    5. August 2017

      1. Founding of Museums Are Not Neutral White Supremacy External Link 1

    6. February 2017

      1. Departure of Metropolitan Museum’s Director Thomas P. Campbell Departure, Staff External Link 1
      2. ANTI-TRUMP PROTEST ERUPTS INSIDE MOMA Artist-Driven Activism External Link 1

    7. January 2017

      1. Founding of J20 Art Strike: an invitation to cultural institutions Museums, Protest External Link 1
      2. MeToo movement spreads virally as hashtag on social media Broader Culture, Sexism External Link 1 External Link 2

    1. December 2016

      1. Steve Mnuchin Resigns as MOCA Board Member Boards / Trustees External Link 1

    2. November 2016

      1. Trump elected Broader Culture External Link 1

    3. October 2016

      1. Decolonize This Place staged the first of four Anti-Columbus Day actions at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Artist-Driven Activism External Link 1
      2. Founding of MASS Action Museums, Staff External Link 1

    4. September 2016

      1. Opening of National Museum of African American History and Culture Museums External Link 1

    5. July 2016

      1. Murder of Philando Castile in Minneapolis External Link 1

    6. June 2016

      1. Orlando nightclub shooting Mass Shooting External Link 1

    7. May 2016

      1. Founding of Decolonize This Place Anti-Gentrification, Black Liberation, Black Power, Economic Inequality, Free Palestine Movement, Indigenous Rights External Link 1

    8. February 2016

      1. Publication of Vision and Justice: Aperture 223 External Link 1
      2. Founding of Museums & Race: 2016 Convening | Reflecting on Museums & Race: Transformation and Justice Diversity, Equity, Race External Link 1

    9. January 2016

      1. Founding of BIPOC Project Racial Justice External Link 1
      2. Dakota Access Pipeline & Standing Rock protests Indigenous Rights, Protests External Link 1

    1. December 2015

      1. Founding of Visitors of Color Museum Advocacy External Link 1 External Link 2

    2. May 2015

      1. Detroit Institute of Art proposes to sell Van Gogh to off-set city's Chapter 9 bankruptcy Deaccessioning External Link 1

    3. January 2015

      1. AAMD/Mellon study on Art Museum Staff Demographics Diversity, Staff External Link 1
      2. "identity" named Word of the Year by dictionary.com Broader Culture External Link 1
      3. Founding of Museum Hue Diversity, Equity, Staff External Link 1
      4. Founding of Museum Workers Speak Diversity, Equity, Staff External Link 1

    1. December 2014

      1. Joint statement from museum bloggers & colleagues on Ferguson & related events Museum Advocacy External Link 1
      2. #museumsrespondtoferguson coined by Aleia Brown and Adrianne Russell Museum Advocacy External Link 1

    2. August 2014

      1. Murder of Michael Brown and subsequent nationwide wide protests in Ferguson, Missouri Racial Injustice External Link 1

    1. January 2013

      1. Founding of Black Lives Matter Anti-Blackness, Black Lives Matter, Broader Culture, Racial Injustice External Link 1