One other spherical of layoffs has hit the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, because the establishment struggles to steadiness its books in an period of dwindling tourism and rising prices, the New York Instances reported Friday. The museum stated it was chopping 20 jobs—7 p.c of its workers—throughout a number of departments. Senior management, nonetheless, will stay untouched, and curators have been spared from the cuts.
The transfer comes regardless of efforts to regular the ship below Mariët Westermann, who took over as director and chief govt in 2024. Ticket costs have gone up, exhibition schedules have been trimmed down, and the museum’s endowment has grown—however not sufficient. “Our general monetary image just isn’t the place it must be,” Westermann wrote in a workers letter, describing the layoffs as a part of a broader “reorganization” meant to enhance effectivity.
This marks the third spherical of job cuts on the Guggenheim in 5 years, following two earlier waves that noticed greater than 30 workers members let go, together with two deputy administrators. The museum’s reliance on worldwide tourism—a sector that has but to recuperate absolutely from the pandemic—has been a key vulnerability. In the meantime, its much-anticipated Guggenheim Abu Dhabi outpost stays in limbo, beset by delays and controversy, with no opening date in sight.
The museum’s union, which was not given prior discover of the layoffs, has filed a grievance and is demanding negotiations. “We’ll take no matter steps are vital to guard our members’ jobs,” stated Olga Brudastova, a union consultant.
Whereas the Guggenheim stays an architectural icon and a significant cultural participant, its latest monitor file suggests a deeper battle to recapture the blockbuster success of its 2018 Hilma af Klint exhibition, which drew file crowds. Westermann, nonetheless, stays optimistic, telling the Instances, “I stay steadfastly hopeful and enthusiastic concerning the alternatives earlier than us.”
With budgets tightening throughout New York’s museum sector, enthusiasm alone is probably not sufficient.
