Museums Moving Forward logo

Timeline

    1. December 2023

      1. Guggenheim Museum Lays off 10 Workers, Citing "Rising Costs and Inflation" Staff External Link 1

    2. November 2023

      1. Union Drive Announced at Buffalo AKG Art Museum Unions External Link 1
      2. Guggenheim Museum Names the First Woman to Serve as Its Director and CEO Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2
      3. Tacoma Art Museum Workers Vote Unanimously in Favor of Union Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
      4. SFMoMA Cuts 20 Jobs, Citing Low Attendance Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
      5. Resignation of Newfields CEO, Colette Pierce Burnette, after 15 Months in the Job Leadership, Museum Directors, Resignation External Link 1 External Link 2
      6. Open Letter: A Statement by Brooklyn Museum Workers in Support of Palestine Free Palestine Movement, Open letter External Link 1
      7. After Nearly Two Years of Negotiations, Brooklyn Museum Workers Ratify First Union Contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
      8. Dallas Museum of Art Lays of 8% of Staff Ahead of Major Expansion Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
      9. The Frick Pittsburgh Faces Backlash for Postponing Islamic Art Show Controversy, Free Palestine Movement External Link 1 External Link 2

    3. October 2023

      1. 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
      2. Response from Artforum Publishers on Open Letter Broader Culture, Controversy, Free Palestine Movement External Link 1 External Link 2
      3. El Museo del Barrio Rejects Artwork Featuring Palestinian Flag Controversy, Free Palestine Movement External Link 1 External Link 2
      4. Mia Lopez Named First Curator of Latinx Art at McNay Art Museum Diversity, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
      5. 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
      6. Hammer Museum Announces Retirement of Director Ann Philbin Departure External Link 1 External Link 2
      7. Jewish Museum Workers Ratify First Contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
      8. Museums Moving Forward Publishes Inaugural Data Study Data External Link 1 External Link 2

    4. September 2023

      1. Belinda Tate Named Director of Indianapolis Museum of Art Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2

    5. August 2023

      1. New York Times reports on art executive compensation and benefits Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2 External Link 3
      2. Art Institue of Chicago Workers Ratify First Union Contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
      3. Guggenheim Workers Union Ratifies First Union Contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2

    6. June 2023

      1. The Association of Art Museum Curators Publishes Best Practices in Artist Demographic Data Coordination Data External Link 1 External Link 2
      2. Philadelphia Museum of Art Workers Union Accuses Management of Reneging on Contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
      3. Brooklyn Museum Hires First Full-Time Curator of Indigenous Art Indigenous Rights, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
      4. After two year legal battle, Walters Art Museum workers vote yes on forming a union Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
      5. Protestors at MoMA Gala over Board Chair's Ties to Fossil Fuels Museum Boards, Protest External Link 1 External Link 2
      6. W.A.G.E Launches New Platform and Raises Compensation Standards for Artists Pay / Compensation External Link 1 External Link 2

    7. May 2023

      1. After two month strike, Hispanic Society Museum and Library workers approve first union contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
      2. Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Workers Ratify First Union Contract Unions External Link 1 External Link 2 External Link 3
      3. MoMA PS1 Names Connie Butler as its New Director Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2
      4. Funders Announce $11 million initiative to diversify museum leadership Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2

    8. April 2023

      1. Ryan N. Dennis Named Senior Curator at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Diversity, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
      2. Claudia Zapata Named First Curator of Latino Art at Blanton Museum of Art Diversity, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
      3. New Recruitment Agency Supports Workers of Color in the Art World Diversity, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
      4. Smithsonian Cafeteria Workers Call for Higher Wages Unions External Link 1 External Link 2

    9. March 2023

      1. Announced departure of Whitney Museum Director Adam Weinberg Departure External Link 1 External Link 2
      2. Resignation of Smithsonian National Museum of African Art's Director Departure External Link 1 External Link 2

    10. February 2023

      1. Whitney Union Members Protest Outside Museum Fundraiser Protest, Unions External Link 1
      2. Four Art Foundations Award $5 million for Latinx Curatorial Positions Diversity, Staff External Link 1

    11. January 2023

      1. Asma Naeem Named Director of Baltimore Museum of Art Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2

    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, Unions External Link 1 External Link 2

    2. November 2021

      1. Founding of MFA Boston Union Staff, Unions 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, Unions 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, Unions 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, Unions 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, Unions 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 Departure, 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
      4. Artists pull out of Chicago MCA Exhibition in Protest of Worker Layoffs Artist-Driven Activism, Protest, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2

    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, Unions 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. Naomi Beckwith Named Deputy Director and Chief Curator at Guggenheim Museum Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2
      3. Time's Up Museums changes its name to Museums Moving Forward

    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