Royal Academy of Arts could cut up to 60 jobs

On Thursday, the Art Newspaper reported that the governing body of the Royal Academy of Arts in London has agreed to make 60 members of staff redundant – half of which are current vacancies, although exact numbers are unconfirmed. A spokesman for the Royal Academy said, ‘No decisions have been taken and this is subject to consultation.’ The RA receives no direct government funding and its visitor numbers for 2023 – 710,000 – are still well below the pre-pandemic levels of 1.25 million. Without cost-cutting measures, the RA’s annual report for 2023/24 predicted a deficit of  £7.1m, which would force the institution to  dip into funds held by a separate charity, the Royal Academy trust. A spokesperson for the IWGB union, which represents some RA employees, said that the proposed layoffs highlight the ‘reckless mismanagement of an historic institution’. Natasha Mitchell, interim secretary and chief executive of the Royal Academy of Arts, says, ‘This is a challenging time for all involved, however it is our belief that these steps are critical for ensuring a sustainable future for the RA.’

The Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, D.C. has cancelled two exhibitions of work by Black and queer artists, reports the Washington Post. The move comes after the Trump administration’s executive orders withdrawing federal funding from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The museum is a branch of the Organisation of American States (OAS), a diplomatic body focusing on democracy, security, development and human rights in the Western Hemisphere, which is supported by 34 nations. Its largest financial contribution comes from the United States, with funding in 2024 totalling around $50m. Both shows were due to open on 21 March: ‘Before the Americas’, a survey of art by Africa diaspora artists, was to include work by Wilfredo Lam and Amy Sherald; ‘Nature’s Wild with Andil Gosine’ was based on the Canadian artist’s book about queer theory and colonial law in the Caribbean. Cheryl D. Edwards, curator of ‘Before the Americas’, told Hyperallergic that the museum’s director informed her that the Trump administration had classified the show as a ‘DEI program and event’ and withdrawn federal funding. When Edwards offered to raise funds from private sources, she said, the museum declined.

The Bavarian minister for culture promises ‘more transparency, traceability and consistency’ in the provenance research of the Bavarian State Paintings Collection, reports the Art Newspaper. Markus Blume’s statement, issued on Tuesday (25 Feb), follows last week’s report in the Süddeutsche Zeitung alleging that the state had concealed evidence of Nazi-looted art in its holdings. The Süddeutsche Zeitung had obtained an internal list from the institution, in which 200 works were categorised as ‘red’ – under a traffic-light system measuring the likelihood of it having been looted by the Nazis – with another 800 works labelled ‘amber’. The report also claimed that the list had been deliberately withheld from the public, including the heirs of Jewish owners who may seek their return. The Bavarian State Paintings Collection denied the allegations in a statement on Wednesday, saying that the provenance of the works in question has been public since 2022, and that the ‘red’ classification also applies to works subject to rejected or outstanding claims. Blume acknowledged the response of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, but conceded that there are ‘unanswered questions’ about its practices, which have left ‘room for misunderstandings and misinterpretations’. Calling for all ‘red’ and ‘amber’ works to be added to the government registry for Nazi-looted art, lostart.de, and for the publication of all provenance research, he has allocated €1m in funding to hire additional researchers.

On Friday, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York announced that it is to make 20 employees redundant immediately. The cuts will affect staff in the advancement, education, publications and archives departments, reports the New York Times, but no curators or senior management. In a letter to staff, Guggenheim director and chief executive Mariet Westermann explained that efforts to grow the endowment and cut costs in other ways had not been successful enough and wrote: ‘Our overall financial picture is not where it needs to be.’

Meanwhile, in more museum-related redundancies, on Thursday (25 Feb), more than 100 current and former staff of the Brooklyn Museum and local politicians protested against plans to lay off more than 10 per cent of its workforce. The rally was planned to coincide with the annual Chairman’s Dinner for trustees and donors. The cuts, due to take place by 10 March, were first announced in early February and are prompted by a $10m shortfall in the museum’s operating budget.