The Guggenheim has hired a lawyer to investigate the circumstances surrounding their 2019 Basquiat show following claims from staff that the museum’s executives have created “a culture of institutional racism.”
Announced on Wednesday evening, the decision marks what The New York Times have referred to as “the museum’s latest attempt at soul-searching”. A letter which was published last week accused the museum of creating “an inequitable work environment that enables racism, white supremacy and other discriminatory practices.”
A further letter was issued which was supported by a further 71 employees, adding to the existing one hundred signatories who are current employees of the museum. They accused the museum of a “failure to create a diverse and equitable workplace has resulted in a museum culture that refuses to take accountability for the violence and injustice inflicted upon its BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) constituents.”
The signatories have proposed a set of 22 guidelines for the museum to adopt, which include mandatory anti-racist training for all staff and an entire overhaul of the establishment’s current whistle blower system.
The Basquiat show, held last year, was co-curated by art historian, Chaédria LaBouvier, who said that working with the museum’s chief curator Nancy Spector, “was the most racist professional experience of my life.”
Spector declined to comment and commenced a three-month sabbatical from her post on Wednesday, though it is believed that it is unrelated to the current accusations.
Richard Armstrong, the director of the museum, said: “I am committed to working closely with the board and the staff to take immediate action to implement our plan and set us on a course to a more equitable Guggenheim.”
