Timeline
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December 2023
- Guggenheim Museum Lays off 10 Workers, Citing "Rising Costs and Inflation" Staff External Link 1
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November 2023
- Union Drive Announced at Buffalo AKG Art Museum Unions External Link 1
- Guggenheim Museum Names the First Woman to Serve as Its Director and CEO Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2
- SFMoMA Cuts 20 Jobs, Citing Low Attendance Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
- Tacoma Art Museum Workers Vote Unanimously in Favor of Union Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
- Resignation of Newfields CEO, Colette Pierce Burnette, after 15 Months in the Job Leadership, Museum Directors, Resignation External Link 1 External Link 2
- Open Letter: A Statement by Brooklyn Museum Workers in Support of Palestine Free Palestine Movement, Open letter External Link 1
- After Nearly Two Years of Negotiations, Brooklyn Museum Workers Ratify First Union Contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
- Dallas Museum of Art Lays of 8% of Staff Ahead of Major Expansion Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
- The Frick Pittsburgh Faces Backlash for Postponing Islamic Art Show Controversy, Free Palestine Movement External Link 1 External Link 2
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October 2023
- Artists Call for Boycott of Artforum After Firing of Editor-in-Chief Artist-Driven Activism, Controversy, Free Palestine Movement External Link 1 External Link 2
- Response from Artforum Publishers on Open Letter Broader Culture, Controversy, Free Palestine Movement External Link 1 External Link 2
- El Museo del Barrio Rejects Artwork Featuring Palestinian Flag Controversy, Free Palestine Movement External Link 1 External Link 2
- Mia Lopez Named First Curator of Latinx Art at McNay Art Museum Diversity, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
- Thousands in the arts community sign Open Letter to Cultural Institutions in Support of Palestinian Liberation Free Palestine Movement, Open letter External Link 1 External Link 2 External Link 3
- Hammer Museum Announces Retirement of Director Ann Philbin Departure External Link 1 External Link 2
- Jewish Museum Workers Ratify First Contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
- Museums Moving Forward Publishes Inaugural Data Study Data External Link 1 External Link 2
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September 2023
- Belinda Tate Named Director of Indianapolis Museum of Art Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2
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August 2023
- New York Times reports on art executive compensation and benefits Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2 External Link 3
- Art Institue of Chicago Workers Ratify First Union Contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
- Guggenheim Workers Union Ratifies First Union Contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
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June 2023
- The Association of Art Museum Curators Publishes Best Practices in Artist Demographic Data Coordination Data External Link 1 External Link 2
- Philadelphia Museum of Art Workers Union Accuses Management of Reneging on Contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
- Brooklyn Museum Hires First Full-Time Curator of Indigenous Art Indigenous Rights, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
- After two year legal battle, Walters Art Museum workers vote yes on forming a union Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
- Protestors at MoMA Gala over Board Chair's Ties to Fossil Fuels Museum Boards, Protest External Link 1 External Link 2
- W.A.G.E Launches New Platform and Raises Compensation Standards for Artists Pay / Compensation External Link 1 External Link 2
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May 2023
- After two month strike, Hispanic Society Museum and Library workers approve first union contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
- Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Workers Ratify First Union Contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2 External Link 3
- MoMA PS1 Names Connie Butler as its New Director Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2
- Funders Announce $11 million initiative to diversify museum leadership Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2
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April 2023
- Ryan N. Dennis Named Senior Curator at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Diversity, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
- New Recruitment Agency Supports Workers of Color in the Art World Diversity, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
- Claudia Zapata Named First Curator of Latino Art at Blanton Museum of Art Diversity, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
- Smithsonian Cafeteria Workers Call for Higher Wages Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
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March 2023
- Announced departure of Whitney Museum Director Adam Weinberg Departure External Link 1 External Link 2
- Resignation of Smithsonian National Museum of African Art's Director Departure External Link 1 External Link 2
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February 2023
- Four Art Foundations Award $5 million for Latinx Curatorial Positions Diversity, Staff External Link 1
- Whitney Union Members Protest Outside Museum Fundraiser Protest, Unions External Link 1
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January 2023
- Asma Naeem Named Director of Baltimore Museum of Art Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2
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December 2020
- Museum Workers from Portland Museum of Art vote for a Union Staff, Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
- Departure of Peabody Essex Museum's Director Brian P. Kennedy Departure, Staff External Link 1
- Founding of United Museum Workers Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Staff, Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
- Founding of Walker Worker Union (AFSCME) Staff, Unions External Link 1
- Departure of SITE Santa Fe's Director Irene Hofmann Departure, Staff External Link 1
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November 2020
- Departure of Standford's Cantor Arts Center's Director Susan Dackerman Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1
- Founding of Milwaukee Art Museum IAMAW United Lodge 66 Union Staff, Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
- Ithaka S+R Art Museum Director Survey 2020 Internal Strategy, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1
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October 2020
- Balitmore Museum of Art suspends deaccession plan Diversity, Exhibitions, Museum Collections External Link 1
- Departure of PAFA (Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art) President and CEO David Brigham Departure, Staff External Link 1
- Founding of Black Trustee Alliance Boards / Trustees, Museum Advocacy, Museum Boards External Link 1 External Link 2
- Baltimore Museum of Art Curators address deaccession plan Diversity, Exhibitions, Museum Collections External Link 1
- Departure of Guggenheim's Deputy Director and Chief Curator Nancy Spector Controversy, Departure, Staff External Link 1
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September 2020
- Philip Guston exhibition postponed Controversy, Museum External Link 1
- Museum Workers from Portland Museum of Art in Portland petititon for a Union election Staff, Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
- Departure of Montreal Museum of Fine Arts's Director Nathalie Bondil Departure, Staff External Link 1
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August 2020
- Founding of Philadelphia Museum of Art AFSCME DC 47 Union Staff, Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
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July 2020
- Departure of MOCA Detroit's Director Elysia Borowy-Reeder Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1
- Marciano Foundation pays laid-off workers 10 weeks of severance as part of settlement Staff, Unions External Link 1
- Departure of Newfields Curator Kelli Morgan Departure, Staff External Link 1
- Departure of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s Chief Curator Gary Garrels Departure, Staff External Link 1
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June 2020
- Op-ed: Kelli Morgan "To Bear Witness: Real Talk about White Supremacy in Art Museums Today" Racism, Staff, White Supremacy External Link 1
- SFMOMA Staffers Condemn ‘Racist Censorship’ and Institutional Inequities in Letter Calling for Change Racism, Staff, White Supremacy External Link 1
- Departure of MOCA Cleveland's Director Jill Snyder Departure, Staff External Link 1
- Public Letter: Andrea Montiel de Shuman "No longer in extremis." Racism, Resignation, Staff, White Supremacy External Link 1
- Departure of Norton Museum of Art Director Elliot Bostwick Davis Departure, Staff External Link 1
- Founding of A Better Guggenheim Equity, Staff External Link 1
- Founding of Cultural New Deal Racism, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
- Launch of Change The Museum (@changethemuseum Instagram account) Racism, Staff, White Supremacy External Link 1
- Open letters from BIPOC staff and allies at SFMOMA, Guggenheim, Brooklyn, MFA Boston, etc. Open letter, Racism, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
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May 2020
- Departure of Parrish Art Museum's Director Terrie Sultan Departure, Museum Directors, Staff External Link 1
- Murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis Broader Culture, Racism External Link 1
- Departure of Akron Art Museum Director Mark Masuoka Departure, Discrimination, Harassment, Staff External Link 1
- Departure of Telfair Museum's Director Robin Nicholson Departure, Staff External Link 1
- Launch of Museum Workers Relief Fund Staff External Link 1
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April 2020
- Indebted Cultural Workers Share Spreadsheet Highlighting Major Income Disparities at Cultural Institutions Equity, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
- "Artists, Scholars, and Museum Workers Petition Museums to Retain Staff During Pandemic" Equity, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
- US Museums allowed to use restricted funds for operational costs Deaccessioning, Museum Collections, Staff External Link 1
- Museum Endowments are reassessed after closures and layoffs Equity, Staff External Link 1
- Founding of Indebted Cultural Workers Equity, Staff External Link 1
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March 2020
- Murder of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky Broader Culture, Racism External Link 1
- "A Daily Report on How COVID-19 Is Impacting the Art World" Equity, Staff External Link 1
- COVID-19 pandemic begins in the US Broader Culture External Link 1
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February 2020
- Departure of Cooper Hewitt's Director Caroline Baumann Departure, Staff External Link 1
- Murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia Broader Culture, Racism External Link 1
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January 2020
- Report: CCLI National Landscape Study: The State of DEAI Practices in Museums Diversity, Equity, Museums External Link 1
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December 2016
- Steve Mnuchin Resigns as MOCA Board Member Boards / Trustees External Link 1
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November 2016
- Trump elected Broader Culture External Link 1
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October 2016
- 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
- Founding of MASS Action Museums, Staff External Link 1
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September 2016
- Opening of National Museum of African American History and Culture Museums External Link 1
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July 2016
- Murder of Philando Castile in Minneapolis External Link 1
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June 2016
- Orlando nightclub shooting Mass Shooting External Link 1
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May 2016
- Founding of Decolonize This Place Movement, Protest, White Supremacy External Link 1
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February 2016
- Publication of Vision and Justice: Aperture 223 External Link 1
- Founding of Museums & Race: 2016 Convening | Reflecting on Museums & Race: Transformation and Justice Diversity, Equity, Race External Link 1
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January 2016
- Founding of BIPOC Project Racial Justice External Link 1
- Dakota Access Pipeline & Standing Rock protests Indigenous Rights, Protest External Link 1
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