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Timeline

    1. December 2022

      1. Black Trustee Alliance releases report from art museum trustee survey Boards / Trustees, Data, Diversity, Museum Boards 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. Tacoma Art Museum Workers United Announces Wall-to-Wall Union Campaign Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
      2. 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, Unions External Link 1
      2. 90% of Staff at Dia Art Foundation Vote in Favor of Unionization Unions External Link 1 External Link 2

    5. August 2022

      1. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) announced Lynette L. Allston as next President of Board of Trustees Museum Boards External Link 1
      2. MASS MoCA Workers to Strike Amid Union Contract Negotiations Staff, Strike, Unions External Link 1
      3. Katherine Fleming takes the helm at the J. Paul Getty Trust as the Trust's first appointed female CEO Leadership, Museum Directors External Link 1 External Link 2

    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 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, Open letter, White Supremacy External Link 1

    10. March 2022

      1. Jewish Museum workers vote to unionize with Local 2110 UAW Staff, Unions 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 2020

      1. Museum Workers from Portland Museum of Art vote for a Union Staff, Unions 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, Unions External Link 1 External Link 2
      4. Founding of Walker Worker Union (AFSCME) Staff, Unions External Link 1
      5. Departure of SITE Santa Fe's Director Irene Hofmann Departure, Staff External Link 1

    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, Unions 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 Boards 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, Unions 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, Unions 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, Unions 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. Open letters from BIPOC staff and allies at SFMOMA, Guggenheim, Brooklyn, MFA Boston, etc. Open letter, Racism, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2
      7. Launch of Change The Museum (@changethemuseum Instagram account) Racism, Staff, White Supremacy External Link 1
      8. Founding of A Better Guggenheim Equity, Staff External Link 1
      9. Founding of Cultural New Deal Racism, Staff External Link 1 External Link 2

    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 Akron Art Museum Director Mark Masuoka Departure, Discrimination, Harassment, Staff External Link 1
      4. Departure of Telfair Museum's Director Robin Nicholson Departure, Staff External Link 1
      5. Launch of Museum Workers Relief Fund Staff 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 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 Diversity, Equity, Museums External Link 1