Former Trustees call for BMA to be Investigated over Sales
October 15 2020
Picture: Artnews.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Several former Trustees of the Baltimore Museum of Art have called on the State of Maryland to investigate the museum's plans to sell $65m worth of art from their collection.
They have attacked the plans on several grounds including 'procedural irregularities'. Their letter suggests that the $40m guarantee for Andy Warhol's Last Supper was too low and that they had not properly acknowledged the significance of the works offered for sale. Criticisms too have been levelled at proceeds being used to top up the salaries of staff, which they claim goes against rules laid down by the Association of Art Museum Directors.
Two curators from the museum recently gave the following defence for the BMA's deaccessioning plans in an article published by The Art Newspaper:
The BMA believes that the mission of the museum is civic, and that its dual responsibility is to create an internally equitable structure and an equitable and mutual relationship with the public, as expressed in the collection, exhibitions, programming and overall engagement.
Too many critics routinely enlist a white and privileged few tied to—dependent on—the status quo, but unsurprisingly fail to consider who isn’t speaking.
The full letter can be read on The Wall Street Journal's Kelly Crow's Twitter page.
