16 new york | august 5–18, 2019
intelligencer➸^ the^ museum’s^ trustees^ emeriti^ include^ Koch^ and^ Henry^ Kissinger,^ both^ of^ whom^
have long been the target of political protests. Other potentially toxic trustees include
Andrew Saul, the Trump-appointed commissioner of the Social Security Administration;
J. Tomilson Hill and James Breyer of the Blackstone Group, the private-equity giant that
has for years faced protests for its links to anti-rent-control efforts and contributing to the
2008 global housing crisis; and Dasha Zhukova, the Russian art doyenne and Garage maga-
zine founder who experienced a public-relations blowup after being photographed for a
magazine sitting in a chair that is sculpted in the image of a black woman in bondage gear.Metropolitan
Museum of Art
The city’s most prestigious
board and—what with
its David Koch fountains out
front—the least likely
to care what activists think.1NO.➸^ as^ jeffrey^ epstein’s^ associates^ face^ renewed^ scrutiny,^ MoMA^ may^ take^ a^ hit.^
Epstein was listed as the director of museum chairman Leon D. Black’s family founda-
tion until 2012 (the foundation claims Epstein resigned in 2007), and the two engaged
in personal business dealings over the years. And the museum has faced art-world
scrutiny in recent months: In March, activist group Art Space Sanctuary circulated a
petition calling for MoMA and its trustee Larry Fink (CEO of the investment firm
BlackRock, the second-largest shareholder in GEO Group and CoreCivic, which con-
tract with ICE) to divest from private-prison companies.Museum of
Modern Art
Home of the blue-chip
contemporary-art collector.2NO.➸^ the^ museum’s^ own^ curators^ have^ urged^ it^ to^ cut^ ties^ with^ Rebekah^ Mercer,^ climate-
change denier and Cambridge Analytica backer. And if Nan Goldin’s crusade against
opioid manufacturers expands, the museum might be in trouble: Roberto A. Mignone,
vice-chairman and trustee, is on the board of directors at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries,
which agreed to pay the state of Oklahoma $85 million to settle claims that it had fueled
the opioid crisis. Would the museum engage with critics? A current exhibition looks at its
Roosevelt statue “as part of a national conversation about problematic public monuments”
but the museum hasn’t taken the statue down, as Decolonize This Place has demanded.American Museum
of Natural History
The Teddy Roosevelt
statue at the entrance
shows its roots.3NO.➸^ without^ kanders,^ the^ Whitney^ may^ still^ take^ heat.^ Private-prison^ investor^ Kenneth^
C. Griffin, whose pockets are lined in part by ICE detention centers, resigned (then un-
resigned) in solidarity with Kanders. Other trustees’ business dealings may attract scrutiny:
Thomas E. Tuft is the former chairman of asset-management firm Lazard, which invests in
several companies that produce military equipment, missiles, drones, and nuclear-reactor
parts; and Nancy Carrington Crown’s family is a majority shareholder in General Dynamics,
one of the country’s largest defense contractors. Then there’s fashion designer Pamella
DeVos (of those DeVoses), who has dressed the First Lady and given to conservative causes.Whitney Museum
Its identity as an artist’s
museum might make it
more vulnerable.4NO.➸^ nan^ goldin^ has^ demonstrated^ at^ the^ museum,^ home^ of^ the^ Sackler^ Center^ for^ Arts^
Education. And though she isn’t a board member, the Young Collectors Council co-chair
Tiffany Zabludowicz has an influential art-world family that could be a liability. Boycott
Zabludowicz has highlighted the family’s historic connections to arms dealing and its
funding of the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre. Zabludowicz’s
mother is a Tate trustee and sits on the board of the Camden Arts Center. The day after
Kanders’s resignation, Hannah Black, who co-authored the Artforum article that helped
spur his departure, tweeted a link to the group’s website.Guggenheim
Museum
Its global expan sion
has led to criticism that
it allies itself with people
who might not share
progressive values.5NO.PHOTOGRAPHS: AJAY SURESH/WIKIMEDIA (MET, NATURAL HISTORY, GUGGENHEIM); CASPER MOLLER/WIKIMEDIA (MOMA)on july 25, Warren B. Kanders,
a.k.a. the “tear-gas CEO,” quit the
Whitney Museum board after
months of protests culminating in
several artists’ deciding to
withdraw their work from the
Biennial halfway through its run.
It was just the latest callout to rock
arts institu tions, which—at least
since the age of the Medici—have
relied on the largesse of the very
wealthy. (Today there are also taxadvantages.) “Boards of museums
in New York and the rest of the
country have been washing
machines for reputations,” says
Michael Gross, author of
Rogues’ Gallery, a social history of
the Metropolitan Museum.
“Traditionally, New York has not
cared if you’re red or blue as long
as your money is green.” But this
laissez-faire attitude is under fire:
Kanders’s resignation comes afterMortimer D.A. Sackler, the son
of one of the founders of
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma,
stepped down from his post as
a Guggenheim trustee and Steve
Mnuchin resigned from L.A.
MoCA after he was appointed
Treasury secretary. “Everyone is
vulnerable in these times,” laments
one former museum executive,
who notes that this era feels more
pointed and personalized than,
say, the 1980s protests against the
philanthropy of Philip Morris
(which used to have a branch of
the Whitney in its midtown HQ).
Which institution might wind up
in the crosshairs next? We looked
at the makeup of various
muse ums and ranked whose ties
make them likely targets of
outrage. “There is no perfect way”
to sort out whom to take money
from, says the head of one
institution that has started doingdonor-background checks with
“one of the world’s leading data-
mining firms.” Activist groups
like Decolonize This Place want
structural changes, not merely
what they call “a closed-door
committee adjudicating the
boundary between ‘good’ and ‘bad’
money.” But without increased
government support, how will the
arts be paid for? As Gross puts it,
“Even if you disagree with
someone’s politics or you think
they’re utterly deplorable, if they’re
willing to give great gobs of money
to expand your cultural
institution, is it right to refuse
that?” The activists think so. As
Decolonize told us, “We savor the
fact that these violent oligarchs are
now sleeping with one eye open,
and we would welcome further
action against them (Kenneth
Griffin, Nancy Carrington Crown,
Pamella DeVos, we see you!).”Ranking:The City’s Most ToxicMuseum BoardsWho might activists try
to take down next?
By Whitney Mallett and Katy SchneiderTRANSMITTED
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intelligencer
➸themuseum’strusteesemeritiincludeKochandHenry Kissinger, bothofwhom
havelongbeenthetargetofpoliticalprotests.Otherpotentiallytoxictrusteesinclude
AndrewSaul, theTrump-appointedcommissioneroftheSocialSecurityAdministration;
J.TomilsonHillandJamesBreyeroftheBlackstoneGroup,theprivate-equitygiantthat
hasforyearsfacedprotestsforitslinkstoanti-rent-controleffortsandcontributingtothe
2008 globalhousingcrisis;andDashaZhukova, theRussianart doyenneandGaragemaga-
zinefounderwhoexperienceda public-relationsblowupafterbeingphotographedfora
magazinesittingina chairthat is sculptedintheimage ofa blackwomaninbondage gear.Metropolitan
Museumof Art
Thecity’s mostprestigious
boardand—whatwith
itsDavidKochfountainsout
front—theleastlikely
tocarewhatactiviststhink.1NO.➸asjeffreyepstein’sassociatesfacerenewedscrutiny, MoMAmay take a hit.
EpsteinwaslistedasthedirectorofmuseumchairmanLeonD. Black’s familyfounda-
tionuntil 2012 (thefoundationclaimsEpsteinresignedin2007),andthetwoengaged
inpersonalbusinessdealingsovertheyears.Andthemuseumhasfacedart-world
scrutinyinrecentmonths:In March,activistgroupArt SpaceSanctuarycirculateda
petitioncallingforMoMAanditstrusteeLarry Fink(CEOoftheinvestmentfirm
BlackRock,thesecond-largest shareholderinGEOGroupandCoreCivic,whichcon-
tractwithICE)todivest fromprivate-prisoncompanies.Museumof
Modern Art
Homeoftheblue-chip
contemporary-artcollector.2NO.➸themuseum’sowncuratorshaveurgedit tocuttieswithRebekahMercer, climate-
change denierandCambridge Analyticabacker.Andif NanGoldin’scrusadeagainst
opioidmanufacturersexpands,themuseummightbeintrouble:RobertoA.Mignone,
vice-chairmanandtrustee,is ontheboardofdirectorsat TevaPharmaceuticalIndustries,
whichagreedtopaythestateofOklahoma$85milliontosettleclaimsthat it hadfueled
theopioidcrisis.Wouldthemuseumengage withcritics?A currentexhibitionlooksat its
Rooseveltstatue“aspart of a nationalconversationaboutproblematicpublicmonuments”
butthemuseumhasn’t takenthestatuedown,asDecolonizeThisPlacehasdemanded.AmericanMuseum
of Natural History
TheTeddyRoosevelt
statueattheentrance
showsitsroots.3NO.➸withoutkanders,theWhitney may stilltake heat. Private-prisoninvestorKenneth
C.Griffin, whosepocketsarelinedinpart byICEdetentioncenters,resigned(thenun-
resigned)insolidaritywithKanders.Othertrustees’businessdealingsmay attractscrutiny:
ThomasE.Tuftis theformerchairmanofasset-managementfirmLazard,whichinvestsin
several companiesthat producemilitary equipment,missiles,drones,andnuclear-reactor
parts;andNancyCarringtonCrown’s familyis a majority shareholderin GeneralDynamics,
oneofthecountry’slargestdefensecontractors.Thenthere’s fashiondesignerPamella
DeVos(ofthoseDeVoses),whohasdressedtheFirst Ladyandgivento conservativecauses.Whitney Museum
Itsidentityasanartist’s
museummightmakeit
morevulnerable.4NO.➸nangoldinhasdemonstratedat themuseum,homeoftheSacklerCenterforArts
Education.Andthoughsheisn’t a boardmember, theYoungCollectorsCouncil co-chair
TiffanyZabludowiczhasaninfluentialart-worldfamilythat couldbea liability. Boycott
Z iczhashighlightedthefamily’s historicconnectionstoarmsdealingandits
fu f theBritainIsraelCommunicationsandResearchCentre.Zabludowicz’s
m a TatetrusteeandsitsontheboardoftheCamdenArts Center. Theday after
Kanders’sresignation,HannahBlack,whoco-authoredtheArtforumarticlethat helped
spurhisdeparture,tweeteda linktothegroup’s website.Guggenheim
Museum
Its
ha
it alliesitselfwithpeople
whomightnotshare
progressivevalues.5NO.PHOTOGRAPHS: AJAY SURESH/WIKIMEDIA (MET, NATURAL HISTORY, GUGGENHEIM); CASPER MOLLER/WIKIMEDIA (MOMA)on july 25, Warren B. Kanders,
a.k.a. the “tear-gas CEO,” quit the
Whitney Museum board after
months of protests culminating in
several artists’ deciding to
withdraw their work from the
Biennial halfway through its run.
It was just the latest callout to rock
arts institu tions, which—at least
since the age of the Medici—have
relied on the largesse of the very
wealthy. (Today there are also taxadvantages.) “Boards of museums
in New York and the rest of the
country have been washing
machines for reputations,” says
Michael Gross, author of
Rogues’ Gallery, a social history of
the Metropolitan Museum.
“Traditionally, New York has not
cared if you’re red or blueas long
as your money is green.” But this
laissez-faire attitude is under fire:
Kanders’s resignation comes afterMortimer D.A. Sackler, the son
of one of the founders of
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma,
stepped down from his post as
a Guggenheim trustee and Steve
Mnuchin resigned from L.A.
MoCA after he was appointed
Treasury secretary. “Everyone is
vulnerable in these times,” laments
one former museum executive,
who notes that this era feels more
pointed and personalized than,
say, the 1980s protests against the
philanthropy of Philip Morris
(which used to have a branch of
the Whitney in its midtown HQ).
Which institution might wind up
in the crosshairs next? We looked
at the makeup of various
muse ums and ranked whose ties
make them likely targets of
outrage. “There is no perfect way”
to sort out whom to take money
from, says the head of one
institution that has started doingdonor-background checks with
“one of the world’s leading data-
mining firms.” Activist groups
like Decolonize This Place want
structural changes, not merely
what they call “a closed-door
committee adjudicating the
boundary between ‘good’ and ‘bad’
money.” But without increased
government support, how will the
arts be paid for? As Gross puts it,
“Even if you disagree with
someone’s politics or you think
they’re utterly deplorable, if they’re
willing to give great gobs of money
to expand your cultural
institution, is it right to refuse
that?” The activists think so. As
Decolonize told us, “We savor the
fact that these violent oligarchs are
now sleeping with one eye open,
and we would welcome further
action against them (Kenneth
Griffin, Nancy Carrington Crown,
Pamella DeVos, we see you!).”Ranking:The City’s Most ToxicMuseum BoardsWho might activists try
to take down next?
By Whitney Mallett and Katy Schneider