Guggenheim New York, too white and discriminatory. The complaint in a collective letter from the curators.

The curatorial department of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City has written a collective letter to Director Richard Armstrong, Deputy Director Elizabeth Duggal, legal counsel Sarah Austrian and Nancy Spector, the museum’s artistic director and chief curator, calling for immediate changes to the entire institution, described as "a work environment that enables racism, white supremacy and other discriminatory practices."

"We write to express collective concerns regarding our institution, which is inurgent need ofreform," reads the letter, which does not feature the signatures of individual curators for fear of retaliation against their careers.

The director welcomed the collective letter as “an opportunity to initiate more collective, transparent and accountable decision-making processes,” to “open a dialogue aimed at a different and more equitable organization.”

Sarah Eaton, on the other hand, confirmed that Nancy Spector has decided to take a three-month sabbatical starting July 1, although no reference was made to the letter.

Troy Conrad Therrien, the museum’s curator for architecture and digital initiatives, meanwhile resigned his position to no longer be complicit with “a cultural institution that has systematically disenfranchised many people for too long.” "It is time to give space to those who can fully represent equity, which is no longer just necessary but urgent," he added.

The curators are calling on the museum to "end a culture of favoritism, silencing and punishment and review its hiring practices, ensuring that curators of color are hired." The Guggenheim has a staff of 276, of which only 26 are African American, 24 are Hispanic and 20 are of Asian descent. Of the 25 board members, 23 are white.

And more broadly, the call is for changes in the museum’s collections that harken back to white, macho collecting.

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Guggenheim New York, too white and discriminatory. The complaint in a collective letter from the curators.

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